Ireland v. Wales
06/03/08 21:18 Filed in: Sport
This weekend sees the
first ever visit of the Welsh rugby team to Croke
Park. They're not the first Welsh team to run out
onto the hallowed ground though - the football team
came here last year, and Stephen Ireland scored the
first soccer goal in Croker in a 1-0 win for the home side.
Eddie O'Sullivan would take the rugby equivalent of a 1-0 win next Saturday. His charges won unconvincingly against Italy in the opening match of the Six Nations, followed by the customary defeat to an ordinary French side the following week. Then last Saturday week, Ireland notched up a five tries to one win over a hapless Scotland.
On the other side of the draw, Wales shook off their 20-year Twickenham hoodoo with a win over England in their opening match, followed by solid home wins against Scotland and Italy. They remain the only unbeaten team in the competition.
Both teams go into Saturday's match on the back of wins and good performances, and on paper there is little to separate them. Ireland have a relatively settled team (although Eddie has made a few changes, some by choice, others forced upon him.) Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards are finding their feet in the Principality, and so are using each game that comes along to test new combinations of players.
Wales are a confidence team. When they play well and string together a few wins they become unbeatable, like in 2005, when they won the Grand Slam. But when they are lacking confidence, they are dreadful. This season their tails are up, the passes are sticking, the breaks are working, and they are getting the benefit of the doubt in the refereeing decisions. They will come to Croke Park on Saturday expecting nothing less than another notch on the 2008 Grand Slam belt.
Ireland have been dealt a blow by losing both their first and second choice full-back to injury. It means that Rob Kearney will have to start at international full-back for the first time, with Tommy Bowe switching wings and Shane Horgan coming in. Having a rookie at full-back is always a worry, particularly with as wily an out-half as Stephen Jones in the Welsh team. Hopefully Kearney will have as assured a performance at full-back as he has had at wing so far. My worry is Horgan's fitness. He's not had a happy season so far, blighted by injury and struggling to find form. He'll have Shane Williams to contend with on Saturday, and will need to be on top of his game to contain the Taffy Twister.
The restoration of Paul O'Connell to the second row means that we have leadership in the pack for the first time this season. The leader of the front eight is normally either the hooker, a second row or the No 8. Jackman and Best have had mares at the lineout, and in all we have coughed up roughly one in four. Jamie Heaslip is too inexperienced at this level to be a true leader yet. So it's good to see POC back, as hopefully he will be able to keep things steady upfront and ensure that we manage to get and retain possession.
I'm not going to call it. It's too close. However Ireland have the experience, the capacity and the home advantage to prevail on Saturday. Let's hope they do.
Eddie O'Sullivan would take the rugby equivalent of a 1-0 win next Saturday. His charges won unconvincingly against Italy in the opening match of the Six Nations, followed by the customary defeat to an ordinary French side the following week. Then last Saturday week, Ireland notched up a five tries to one win over a hapless Scotland.
On the other side of the draw, Wales shook off their 20-year Twickenham hoodoo with a win over England in their opening match, followed by solid home wins against Scotland and Italy. They remain the only unbeaten team in the competition.
Both teams go into Saturday's match on the back of wins and good performances, and on paper there is little to separate them. Ireland have a relatively settled team (although Eddie has made a few changes, some by choice, others forced upon him.) Warren Gatland and Shaun Edwards are finding their feet in the Principality, and so are using each game that comes along to test new combinations of players.
Wales are a confidence team. When they play well and string together a few wins they become unbeatable, like in 2005, when they won the Grand Slam. But when they are lacking confidence, they are dreadful. This season their tails are up, the passes are sticking, the breaks are working, and they are getting the benefit of the doubt in the refereeing decisions. They will come to Croke Park on Saturday expecting nothing less than another notch on the 2008 Grand Slam belt.
Ireland have been dealt a blow by losing both their first and second choice full-back to injury. It means that Rob Kearney will have to start at international full-back for the first time, with Tommy Bowe switching wings and Shane Horgan coming in. Having a rookie at full-back is always a worry, particularly with as wily an out-half as Stephen Jones in the Welsh team. Hopefully Kearney will have as assured a performance at full-back as he has had at wing so far. My worry is Horgan's fitness. He's not had a happy season so far, blighted by injury and struggling to find form. He'll have Shane Williams to contend with on Saturday, and will need to be on top of his game to contain the Taffy Twister.
The restoration of Paul O'Connell to the second row means that we have leadership in the pack for the first time this season. The leader of the front eight is normally either the hooker, a second row or the No 8. Jackman and Best have had mares at the lineout, and in all we have coughed up roughly one in four. Jamie Heaslip is too inexperienced at this level to be a true leader yet. So it's good to see POC back, as hopefully he will be able to keep things steady upfront and ensure that we manage to get and retain possession.
I'm not going to call it. It's too close. However Ireland have the experience, the capacity and the home advantage to prevail on Saturday. Let's hope they do.