Are we kidding ourselves about Ireland and the recent generation of players? Viewed dispassionately, Ireland’s results graph over the last seven or eight years would suggest that a relatively golden if slightly unfulfilling era (circa 2000-2007) peaked with that epic, 43-13 win over England and the eight-try, 50-pointer in Rome which ultimately left them one try shy of a first championship title since 1985.
Three Triple crowns in the previous four campaigns are not to be sniffed at, and set against the 1990s, which yielded nought, the Noughties have indeed been comparatively bountiful. Yet – and sorry to go on about this – since that 51-24 win over an Italian side which had enjoyed its best Championship, Ireland have played 15 Tests against countries ranked in the world’s top 10 and have won only four.
Nor do they read like an A-list of scalps – Italy at home twice, and once fortuitously, Scotland at home and an injury-depleted Argentina at home.
Set against the 11 defeats, that would suggest, in line with the world ranking, that Ireland are on a downward graph.
In any event, it’s clear that a change in coaching and strategy was required, with one eye on a rebuilding job. Alas, although the IRFU said they deal in World Cup cycles, the reality is that they have never done so, and so it is that Declan Kidney and his coaching ticket have effectively missed out on the first year of a World Cup cycle, while the need to hang on to eighth place in the rankings for last December’s World Cup draw further reduced their scope for manoeuvre.
Three Triple crowns in the previous four campaigns are not to be sniffed at, and set against the 1990s, which yielded nought, the Noughties have indeed been comparatively bountiful. Yet – and sorry to go on about this – since that 51-24 win over an Italian side which had enjoyed its best Championship, Ireland have played 15 Tests against countries ranked in the world’s top 10 and have won only four.
Nor do they read like an A-list of scalps – Italy at home twice, and once fortuitously, Scotland at home and an injury-depleted Argentina at home.
Set against the 11 defeats, that would suggest, in line with the world ranking, that Ireland are on a downward graph.
In any event, it’s clear that a change in coaching and strategy was required, with one eye on a rebuilding job. Alas, although the IRFU said they deal in World Cup cycles, the reality is that they have never done so, and so it is that Declan Kidney and his coaching ticket have effectively missed out on the first year of a World Cup cycle, while the need to hang on to eighth place in the rankings for last December’s World Cup draw further reduced their scope for manoeuvre.
