Irish perform best when backs are against wall

Let’s try to remember that it’s the man wearing the jersey who hurts most after a loss

THE PREPARATION is complete. No more waiting. No more fitness tests. No more training camps. No more practice games. No more press conferences. No more speculation and opinion. Soon it will be played out on the world stage. It will be impossible to hide.

There is a wonderful saying that I heard many years ago which said ‘the game of rugby belongs to the players’. Not to anyone else but the players. If any generation of Irish rugby players deserve to own the game for a brief period it is this group.

So let’s make this personal. This generation are winners. They’ve won Heineken Cups, Magners Leagues, a Grand Slam. The only failure has been at consecutive World Cups. They have big game experience and individually they have the mental power of a winner and the spirit of a winning team. They have made sacrifices too. Supporters see the glamour, the National Anthem, the television appearances. They don’t see the endless preparation, the airports, the hotels, the training grounds, the ice baths, the press conferences, repeated drug tests. Why have they done it? The competitor in them drives their performance for one more, so far, unattained goal.

Rugby World Cup success.

So it will be personal for Ronan O’Gara, Paul O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan, Gordon D’Arcy, Leo Cullen, Jerry Flannery, Geordan Murphy and of course Brian ODriscoll because this is their last chance.

This group of players are on a par with any previous generation and, while comparisons are always inaccurate, the evidence suggests we’ve witnessed the greatest rugby era in Irish history.

When I arrived in Ireland in 1999 rugby was a minor sport. This generation has brought the game of rugby to the top of Irish sporting culture. More than anyone else Brian O’Driscoll has personified the growth. He has almost single handedly shouldered the burden of being the face of Irish rugby with dignity, talent, leadership, charisma and indefatigable drive.

Yet for all the talent, for all the qualities and all the success at provincial level, internationally the return of one Six Nations championship, be it a marvellous Grand Slam, is little return for more than a decade of hard work and is certainly not a reflection of the quality of the players.

This obviously sticks in the craw of these players. But expectation and success in Ireland has risen to over-expectation. The Irish public almost demanded a win in RWC 2007. That was not in line with reality. But also it was not managed well by the IRFU and the team.

Following what the public saw as failure, the vilification of the team and coach Eddie O’Sullivan in particular was the worst aspect of Irish sport I have witnessed. It was personal. There were paybacks. There were personal dislikes. Then, there were the cowardly e-mails, the rumour, the innuendo and the name calling. At best it was bad taste, but in my opinion it was callous and spineless.

As usual the cowards who spread the rumours claimed they would be justified post World Cup. But their accusations were baseless and founded on jealousy.

These players had given their life for Ireland over more than a decade. They did not deserve personal criticism. I hope the team succeeds but if they don’t let’s not sink to the depths that we did last time.

Currently Ireland doesn’t have form. With the exception of the England match (2011 Six Nations) it has been a very poor two years of international rugby. A lack of attacking cohesion has been the basis of the lack of performance.

What does Ireland have? They have desperation. Motivation comes from different places. In this last stand maybe desperation will bring out the best in the national side. To themselves they can say, “I will never play in another World Cup. I have to do it today.” That is a big motivation.

Pre-World Cup matches only give you three things, match fitness, a final squad selection and injuries. They do not give you success nor do they guarantee your performance. Ireland’s pre-World Cup matches should not be viewed as the guarantee of poor performance in the tournament.

What Ireland can do is take that failure and turn the pain into energy. That’s what Irish teams traditionally have in their heart when they play well. They perform when their backs are against the wall.

Let’s make one thing clear, this Irish team has its back against the wall and has one last chance. Despite what the IRB, major sponsors and some parts of the IRFU say, it is still a player’s game. Let’s all try to remember who hurts the most after any loss. It’s the man wearing the jersey.

I hope the game belongs to the men wearing the green jersey in this World Cup.