The RBS six nations will probably be forgotten by must Irish rugby supporters very quickly but for the management it is critical they learn from these last five matches.
Even do it is one of the most disappointing seasons which included one of the worst defeats in the professional area it was defined by a few major calls by referees. Ireland could well have been going for a Grand Slam against an extremely lucky England side on Saturday only for a terrible decision against Stephen Ferris in the opening game.
The Positives:
Keith Earls
Keith Earls had a solid campaign and considering Darcy was well below his best it was good to see Earls put in a good showing in the four games he played in.
Stephen Ferris
Brent Pope once said he could see Ferris in a black shirt, which is probably the greatest complement a player can receive. He reminds of Keith Wood who also had no regard for his own safety. We need to wrap this guy in cotton wool and unleash him in September 2015.
Rob Kearney
Kearney along with Halfpenny and Israel Dagg are the best fullbacks in the world. He took games by the scruff of the neck and lead the Irish backs in all the games. I wont even mention his ability under the high ball.
Negatives:
Gordan Darcy
A great servant but his form has dropped of again from the world cup and was very lucky to keep his place throughout the tournament. His best years are definitely behind him.
Jamie Heaslip
A slight improvement against England but was outplayed by his opposite number in all 5 games of this years championship. Is it simply the balance of the back row that is root of his poor form or something deeper?
Declan Kidneys Selection
I think everybody was disappointed he left Donnacha Ryan on the bench for so long, never tried a Ferris O Mahony O Brien combination and persisted with Darcy at 12. He does deserve credit for trying O Gara at 10 and Sexton at 12 but surely that should have been tried before the World Cup considering O Garas age.
Three things to remember:
The great English side of 2003 only ever won one Grands slam.
In 2003 when England won the world cup they had only two teams in the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup and none in the Semi Finals.
The most important thing for 2012 is that were in top 8 of the IRB rankings come the end of September.
Summer Tour
The summer tour is a good chance to do a little bit of experimenting because sadly what ever team we do put out we will probably lose to New Zealand whereas in November it is critical we get two wins so there is little room for tinkering then.
My team V New Zealand Saturday 9th of June
R. Keanrey
T. Bowe
K.Earls
B.O.Driscoll
A.Trimble
J.Sexton
C.Murray
C.Healy
S.Cronin
M.Ross
D.Ryan
P.O.Connell
S.O.Brien
P.O.Mahony
J.Heaslip
T.Court
D.Varley
S.Archer
D.Tuoghy
R.Ruddock
P.Marshall
I.Madigan
S.Zebo
......and the debate/abuse begins.
I think the main talking point in the backs is obviously the inclusion of BOD but I think he could really create room for the outside backs provide leadership and sure up the defence. It would be great to see Keith Earls work of some of does offloads and Johnny Sexton try his famous loop move with Drico outside him.In the front row I'd leave Rory Best at home for the simple reason we have so much depth in the hooker position we need to decide which candidates are able to step up to International rugby. There are doubts about Cronins throwing but there is only one way to find out if he can handle the pressure and that's by putting him in the deep end. I think Varley has been very solid all season for Munster and the summer tour gives him a good opportunity to taste international rugby. I think we have to give O Mahony a run at 7 and why not do it against the best in the world? I would also give Ferris the summer of due to his injury history. I would put Archer on the bench because like all tight heads he needs experience and also there isn't many others around. Tuoghy has been fantastic all year for Ulster and has been very unlucky to be considered 5/6 choice by the management. Having Paul Marshall and Ian Madigan on the bench may be risky but I think its worth the gamble. Both men have proven they can make an impact from the bench for their provinces and it would be a great experience for the duo. I would love to see Madigan play with Sexton at 12 as they could share the kicking duties and allow Madigan to express himself just like Copper and Barnes for Australia except without the back yard spectaculars. Simon Zebo has been electric for Munster since December and is now the form winger playing in Ireland at the moment. Yes there are concerns over his defence/concentration but his ability to finish is nearing world class. He is also a strong ball carrier and like Rob Kearney has a massive left boot.
Thanks for your time.
