Plan B? There Is No Plan B!
08/03/08 21:46 Filed in: Sport
Well, we're back to
square one again, aren't we? Ireland were deservedly
beaten today by Wales in a really poor match. In the
end they were flattered by the scoreline, as
opportunities aplenty were squandered by the men in
red.
It seemed as if Ireland simply had no game plan whatsoever. The limit of their ambition seemed to be to deny the Welsh any possession, but sadly, they had no idea of what to do with that possession. Half an hour in, the Welsh had them sussed, and as a result Ireland were left chasing shadows. The only Irish players that seemed to have any creative nous were Rob Kearney and Jamie Heaslip, but whenever they got a head of steam going, they were let down by the support players.
Looking forward to next week, I expect Wales to close out the deal by beating France in Cardiff. Unlike Ireland, Wales aren't scared of their shite of France, and also unlike Ireland, they can actually go all the way, as they did three years ago. Ironically, I wouldn't be surprised if Ireland were to beat England, as this seems to be the sum total of Eddie O'Sullivan's ambitions.
This will not be remembered as a vintage Six Nations year (except in the Valleys, of course.) No team has stood out, and to be honest, Wales, even though they will probably land the Slam next week, are no great shakes. A good three-quarter line, decent half-backs and Martyn Williams, and that's about it. Let's face it, any team with Gavin Henson in it can hardly be considered great.
Currently, Ireland are second in the table, but will fall to third tomorrow once France beat Italy. If we lose to England next week, we will finish fourth, our worst ever finish in the Six Nations. In one way, it might be a good thing as then it would be further impetus for the IRFU to say "Adios" to Eddie O'S.
It seemed as if Ireland simply had no game plan whatsoever. The limit of their ambition seemed to be to deny the Welsh any possession, but sadly, they had no idea of what to do with that possession. Half an hour in, the Welsh had them sussed, and as a result Ireland were left chasing shadows. The only Irish players that seemed to have any creative nous were Rob Kearney and Jamie Heaslip, but whenever they got a head of steam going, they were let down by the support players.
Looking forward to next week, I expect Wales to close out the deal by beating France in Cardiff. Unlike Ireland, Wales aren't scared of their shite of France, and also unlike Ireland, they can actually go all the way, as they did three years ago. Ironically, I wouldn't be surprised if Ireland were to beat England, as this seems to be the sum total of Eddie O'Sullivan's ambitions.
This will not be remembered as a vintage Six Nations year (except in the Valleys, of course.) No team has stood out, and to be honest, Wales, even though they will probably land the Slam next week, are no great shakes. A good three-quarter line, decent half-backs and Martyn Williams, and that's about it. Let's face it, any team with Gavin Henson in it can hardly be considered great.
Currently, Ireland are second in the table, but will fall to third tomorrow once France beat Italy. If we lose to England next week, we will finish fourth, our worst ever finish in the Six Nations. In one way, it might be a good thing as then it would be further impetus for the IRFU to say "Adios" to Eddie O'S.