Expect to witness very clever Irish actions that will incite French reaction, especially from the Fijian number 11 Virimi Vakatawa. I was filled full of joy at the outrageous actions from the new boy. An emotion that was only dulled by the Italian fixture but this emotion had a question.
In celebrating his every action (much of it flawed) I wonder would the Aviva crowd afford him the same latitude in a green jersey; think Simon Zebo, where I was amazed at the crowd's impatience with such Irish talent and his outrageous abilities.
Questions of style and selection are deferred for now where injury possibly trumps merit. But Zebo ran such positive lines and unlocked a very strong Welsh defence. Let's look at the tackle figures: France missed 13 per cent of tackles against Italy, while Ireland missed 7 per cent against Wales, who are much stronger than Italy.
Zebo can create space but also exploit it. France are fragile in areas we need to exploit. Vakatawa is no different but are ‘new’ France more adept in exploiting their left winger? Was it Zebo’s fault that his team’s reactions struggled at times to keep up? Remember eyes-up rugby? What does that mean?
The irony of course is that Vakatawa's very presence will allow Ireland to exploit France. For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction. More specifically, in tomorrow's fixture for every six actions – lineout throw, off-the-top feed, hit midfield, rewind, decoy line and strike Vakatawa just when he's relaxing in the wrong place! Ditto the other exploiter, Teddy Thomas.
Both are liable to hurt but I can’t get away from yet more changes from a French side that has already been butchered, evidenced by their underwhelming unit cohesion in defence, lineout maul etc.
However, there was only so much Guy Novés could achieve in his first international week. His side tomorrow is drawn from eight clubs (only two players from Toulon). Remember that many of his squad were playing Top 14 rugby seven days before the Italian match.
Taking travel and recovery times from the Top 14, how much time was actually available for Novés and his management for defence, offence and unit skills, including lineout, scrum and phase play?
It is not possible to develop a playbook to rival Ireland’s in such a short amount of time. This is manifest in phase defence and the bowels of a lineout maul and scrum. It will all improve but Ireland can exploit it tomorrow.
Take the lineout maul. Add new players to a new system and months/years could slip by before it beds in sufficiently to meet international tests. The Irish lineout maul has always been superior to the French one, which relies on brute strength to overcome a smaller opposition. Hence the Irish require an elongated, powerful, tight and low-lying maul to attack the French at their heart.
Nullifies
The slightly shortened Irish lineout is especially potent. It nullifies the French in the air and quickly steals cheap yards to put an arriving Seán O’Brien or Robbie Henshaw onto a wide Conor Murray flat front-foot ball.
Italy had an attacking lineout five metres from France’s line. They hit the middle while France stayed on the deck, and although Italy formed well France’s power bludgeoned it. However, moments later the French fell to the next Italian lineout maul. This is an insight into their mental fitness and lack of prep time.
The Irish scrum came under tremendous examination last week. The crowd can see and groan when a back kicks out on the full but incidences are occurring deep in the scrum that are less obvious but more fascinating. That Wales crabbed their scrum no doubt evolved as the game did but that Ireland came to terms with it is a big lesson for the same starting front five.
Props require scrums at this level with the same secondrows to really learn. In the 2011 Heineken Cup final, Leinster came out after half-time having been minced by Northampton's scrum. My point? Just because a prop looks vulnerable last week doesn't imply the same this week. They are very fast learners – but they need time.
French tighthead Rabah Slimani is particularly talented but moves to the bench for 145kg Uini Atonio. He fatigues quickly and must be exposed in open plays by flying wingers. Don't panic if Jack McGrath's not as active around the park tomorrow in order to expose Atonio. Warning; their sub props will impact on arrival by eking out kickable penalties from their scrum.
Novés clearly wants his players to stay off the deck – they beat 17 defenders against Italy, had 15 offloads, but suffered 19 turnovers. Criminal. Hence Ireland need to chop tackle, get the ball to the deck, slow down the recycle and crucially when in possession, target, not the fringe, but the heart of the ruck as France undercommit to the breakdown.
Chess game
The especially good news is how Ireland managed an energetic Wales in the final quarter. France will tire, so too their fancy offloads. Unlike the Italians, Ireland have the discipline to not over-infringe or ease off over 80. To fatigue them, a chess game is required where the fifth or sixth phase ‘action’ will expose poor French preparation in terms of ‘reaction’ – especially for Vakatawa and Atonio.
PS: I'll tell the story again of a Young Munster stalwart who asked me in Fennessy's pub near Tom Clifford Park: "who was the best secondrow ever to play for Ireland?". That I paused for consideration brought immediate ire from this pensioner. I tried my best to stall my answer but . . . liamtoland@yahoo.com
