subscription only
Careful what you wish for are the words often shared at moments of perceived peril or limited choices. The sporting equivalent being the play-offs for EURO 2016 in soccer parlance or the knockout stages in rugby world cup language. Both of which see Irish teams actively involved with the rugby XV facing their high noon on Sunday at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. A venue that has been kind to Joe Schmidt’s Irish teams in the recent past and one hopes will remain so in the showdown with Argentina. For Martin O’Neill’s XI the Sabbath will reveal the Republic of Ireland’s playoff opponents with a choice of Hungary, Sweden, Bosnia Herzegovina and Ukraine on offer. A Hobson’s choice it could be argued.
On the battlefield the casualty rate for both panels has accumulated with injuries already removing Captain Paul O’Connell, Peter O’Mahony and Jared Payne in the rugby squad. The task further complicated by the suspension of Sean O’Brien following a one week suspension after being cited after the clash with France last Sunday. The coach and backroom team left to magic a side fresh enough to challenge the Pumas knowing that stand off Johnny Sexton is also a marginal call following his abductor injury last weekend. All making for an emotive last stand for this Irish team desperate to overcome the difficulties to honour their side lined warrior captain.
The omens so far are encouraging given the victory in the second half against the French ensured a possible meeting with the current world champions, New Zealand, was avoided. Unfortunately having seen that wish fulfilled there has been a price to pay with the injury count and also meeting a Puma team on top of their game. Albeit porous in defence - according to the stats – but deadly in attack in this tournament with the most points scored of all teams. Their kicker Nicholas Sanchez the talisman and fourth highest points scorer so far. A total of twenty points more on the board than Jonathan Sexton - whose tally is 31 thus far.
More worryingly perhaps is that Ireland’s opponents lead the total metres made and also top the number of offloads. Two powerful combinations on the field of play enhanced further by proving also the leading team in clean breaks. For Ireland it is the line out steals that are their highlight with a number of other areas proving the two teams are very closely matched. With Joe Schmidt’s team leading the carries over the gain line and able to build on the promise shown in the French match. Yet demanding the same precision from Devon Toner, Ian Henderson, Chris Henry, and Jamie Heaslip up front. Supported by an encore from the midfield of Keith Earls, Robbie Henshaw and Rob Kearney.
After all Argentina are Ireland’s rugby world cup bogey team
In 1999 Argentina won 28-24 in the pool playoff and deprived Ireland of a quarter final spot after both teams came second in the group phase. That outcome was reversed in 2003 at the Adelaide Oval with Ireland beating Argentina – albeit marginally – by one point to earn a quarterfinal place against France. Then four years later in Stade de France one September evening Argentina consigned Ireland to fourth place in the pool group following a 30-15 mauling by three Felipe Contempomi penalties and three drop goals from Juan Martin Hernandez. Confirming the Pumas devastating toll on the Irish in recent tournaments.
And bogey sides is what the Republic of Ireland will want to avoid in the draw on Sunday morning at UEFA headquarters in Nyon. A process that allows the eight remaining third-placed teams battle for the four last places at the finals in France next year. So Ireland as a non-seeded team face a number of tricky opponents with Zlatan Ibrahimović and company in Sweden the least worst option possibly. Albeit great box office from the fans perspective were the first leg away and the return leg prove the decider in mid-November. As a trip to Ukraine these days is hardly appealing and the welcomes in Budapest or Sarajevo just as emotive.
For O’Neill the result in Warsaw proved that the heroic performance against Germany by the supposed second string was a one off event as he resorted to the tried and tested for the Poland trip. That lack of courage duly rewarded in a game without the polemic Wes Hoolahan and reverting Robbie Brady to left back rendering the campaign null points. Rather that retain that same skillful duet in the middle and retain possession to stifle the chances for the on form Robert Lewandowski. But that kind of bravery seems to have skipped a generation and not inherited from Brian Clough.
Potentially one factor that strangles Irish chances over the two legged play-off now that the scoring machine Shane Long is also missing for next month’s double header.
In contrast Schmidt’s men delivered an unlikely performance against Italy in the second last pool game and went off the understood script. Thankfully it proved the exception to the rule and matters resumed their normal levels – if not exceeded them – in the second half against France. Again the supposed second stringers delivering on the night at second row, out half and back row in the nation’s hour of greatest need. Their reward now being retained for a repeat performance as the casualty rate from the very physical encounter took its torrid toll.
However world cups are made of this and the winning team always do so without one or two key players. Never more so than in Eden Park four years ago when the All Blacks - already without Dan Carter for the final - then lost Aaron Cruden after 34 minutes. With Stephen McDonald coming on to slot home that vital penalty when needed that ensured the Kiwis repeated their first win of 1987 on home soil twenty-eight years later in Auckland when the tournament returned home. In what was the tightest margin ever in a rugby world cup final.
And tight margins will be what it is about on Sunday in Cardiff with Ireland facing an unpredictably dangerous Puma XV now the beneficiaries of years playing in the Rugby Championship. An experience which has clearly strengthened their play and makes them perhaps a more dangerous adversary this weekend than a more predictable New Zealand. A nation that Ireland almost beat at the AVIVA and down under which might have offered some extra motivation – if needed.
The opposite might be the case when the squad watch videos of previous battles with the Pumas and so Coach Schmidt will not allow them wallow in the past. So we can expect another milestone performance on Sunday afternoon as the players address the absence of the three O’s - O’Connell, O’Brien and O’Mahony. Schmidt won’t lack bravery on the big occasion. A strength that has seen him take Leinster to the Millennium in 2011 and win. Then travel to Paris to defeat France - in their own backyard - for the 2014 RBS Six Nations championship. Then a season later overcome the defeat earlier this year in Wales – the only blemish at international level so far – but one did not impair Ireland retaining the Six Nation championship.
In the soccer play-off’s O’Neill might fancy the Sweden trip given the choice as in 1976 Euro qualifying campaign the Irish manager scored one of the winning goals in Stockholm for Northern Ireland. No doubt such statistics will be used in the same way he shared with the Irish squad his own unbeaten record in the Euro 84 qualifying campaign against Germany over the two legs. A fact which proved very useful indeed at the AVIVA last week given that vital – yet unexpected - three point win against the reigning world champions. However similar positive anecdotes about Budapest, Sarajevo or Kiev might be in shorter supply.
As the hour draws nearer to Sunday the two Ireland's are preparing for what fate bestows on them in the sporting arena. But only one of the teams faces the chance of a stepping into the unknown as no Irish rugby team has reached the semi-final stage. Whereas the European Championships is territory that the nation walked in 1988 and more recently in 2012 hosted in Poland and Ukraine. The difficulty on both occasions failing to progress out of the pool group and reaching the quarterfinals.
Something the rugby squad have surpassed already and now seeking to set foot in the semi-final.
Sunday Bloody Sunday!
Ireland: R Kearney; Bowe, Earls, Henshaw, D Kearney; Sexton, Murray; Healy, Best, Ross; Toner, Henderson; Murphy, Henry, Heaslip.
Replacements: R Strauss, J McGrath, N White, D Ryan, R Ruddock, E Reddan, I Madigan, L Fitzgerald.
OSMedia - All righst reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment