Not all black as Irish best of the rest

RUGBY/Autumn Internationals:Rankings are such an inexact business they should always be taken with, so to speak, a large dose of salt. After all, how else could football continually rate Mexico and the USA as global superpowers?

Usually rankings correctly establish the number ones, be they Roger Federer, Tiger Woods or the All Blacks, but after that they are very arbitrary and more often than not, relatively meaningless.

When the IRB world rankings were introduced prior to the last World Cup, there was much scoffing globally at the notion of Ireland briefly being ranked third on the planet. Now, at a time when pundits galore, from Pat Lam to Thomas Castaignede to some here at home, rate Ireland as the second best team in the world, the official rankings rate Ireland fifth.

As this was the last time all the world's leading nations compete in earnest at the same time prior to the 2007 World Cup, it made for a brief but compelling window of opportunity to rate the relative healths of the contenders.

Viewed strictly in the context of this window there is indeed a strong argument for rating Ireland ahead of the peloton chasing the All Blacks, though again how relevant this is remains a moot point.

It won't count for much when Ireland begin the Six Nations with what appears their trickiest assignment, away to Wales, and it will count for even less when the World Cup kicks off next September.

Although Ireland under Eddie O'Sullivan reached something of a nadir in the autumn of 2005, generally November is a good time of the year for Ireland, as they also won three from three in 2002 and 2004.

It is perhaps when the benefits of the IRFU's central contracting system and careful husbandry of its frontline players are seen at their best.

The physical development of the players was one of the most striking features of the wins against South Africa and Australia, and is also the product of four years' careful planning by IRFU fitness director Liam Hennessy and the Irish team's fitness coach Mike McGurn.

All of this has been done in conjunction with the provinces, where the Heineken European Cup success of Munster, Ulster's Magners League triumph and Leinster's strong showing in the Celtic League and in Europe, has provided a production line of fit, confident, well coached and successful players.

O'Sullivan and his management team have harnessed the three main provinces into a winning outfit playing, as Lam noted on Sunday, a notably broader game than a year ago and more so than any of their Northern Hemisphere rivals; Wales being the next best exponents.

Taking the last 28 minutes in Perth as a blip in part brought about by fatigue, Ireland's performances away to New Zealand last summer stack up very well now. Furthermore, on a line through South Africa, Australia and the Pacific Islands, they are currently in better shape and form than Wales, France, England, Italy and Scotland, who still look heavily reliant on their absent backrower hitmen Jason White and Ally Hogg, perhaps in that order.

Of the 17 head-to-heads between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere teams this past month, it's interesting to note that the latter have nine wins to the south's seven, with one drawn. Of those seven home wins, three came against an under-funded, under-prepared, depleted pick Pacific Islands.

Of the other four, France and England scraped lucky wins over Argentina and South Africa - this despite the Northern Hemisphere teams being at home and in fresher, early-season mode.

By contrast, Ireland's wins over South Africa and Australia were the pick of the Northern Hemisphere performances and results. Their ambition and confidence has grown, so too their squad, with real choices now at numbers two, four, six, nine, 11 and 15, and improved options at eight, 10 and 12, allowing for Shane Horgan's versatility.

Indeed, it has almost gone unnoticed that the exceptional Horgan became the latest to pass 50 caps and is now Ireland's third highest try scorer of all time. In his own modest, unobtrusive way, Horgan is becoming a bit of a legend.

All that said and done, O'Sullivan could do with some more options, not least at prop, where the Irish scrum is still a work in progress.

Admittedly, both the Boks and the Wallabies were in relatively experimental mode, with Jake White leaving most of his frontliners at home, which puts England's troubles in perspective. One always felt they were a little flattered by their effort against a rusty All Blacks four long weeks ago, and it's as well they didn't meet them last weekend.

The pity is England will probably now change their head coach, with the inevitable galvanic effect that will have, all the more so if Martin Johnson is part of the new ticket. With opening Six Nations games at home to Scotland and Italy, they could come to Croke Park with renewed momentum, all the more so if there's an injection of fresher, more dynamic forward talent in the likes of Jamie Forrester and Tom Rees.

Like with England, everyone says that after a summer rest and a lengthy spell in camp in readiness for hosting the World Cup, France will be a different force come next September.

Maybe so. But like England their structures work against them: they are suffering from having too many imports domestically, look old and weary, and are struggling for an outhalf.

Reviving memories of their near collapse against Ireland last season, they were out on their feet in the last quarter against the Pumas.

Wales, too, assuredly suffered for Gareth Jenkins' overt loyalty to a clearly injured Stephen Jones, even though James Hook looked a better option against both Australia and the All Blacks. Wales could be a different proposition come that Six Nations opener if he starts taking the ball up straighter and flatter again, and Gareth Thomas returns.

All the while, every other coaching ticket and video analysis department will be studying the magnificent All Blacks more than anyone else. From one to 15, or to 45 for that matter, they are all in utter tune with what they are doing, whether in an increasingly aggressive, swarming defence, or in their stunning lines of running, support play and handling.

They have set the bar, ridiculously high. At the moment, at least, Ireland are the closest to reaching it.

AUTUMN TESTS

WEEK ONE

England 20 New Zealand 41;

Wales 29 Australia 29

WEEK TWO

Ireland 32 South Africa 15;

England 18 Argentina 25;

Wales 38 Pacific Islands 20;

Scotland 48 Romania 6;

France 3 New Zealand 47;

Italy 18 Australia 25

WEEK THREE

Ireland 21 Australia 6;

England 23 South Africa 21;

France 11 New Zealand 23;

Italy 16 Argentina 23;

Scotland 34 Pacific Islands 22;

Wales 61 Canada 26

WEEK FOUR

Ireland 61 Pacific Islands 17;

England 14 South Africa 25;

France 27 Argentina 26;

Italy 41 Canada 6;

Scotland 15 Australia 44;

Wales 10, New Zealand 45