This Irish team, as we know, tend to start games brilliantly. They see them through to half time pretty well, and invariably finish strongly. But third quarters, for some reason, haven’t been their thing.
During the interval in the away dressing-room in Murrayfield last Sunday, as we now also know, on top of losing three starting forwards in the first 25 minutes, they still weren’t sure whether replacement hooker Ronan Kelleher could continue after the interval.
In the event Kelleher’s shoulder injury not only meant Josh van der Flier became an emergency thrower but within nine minutes of the resumption Cian Healy, after 121 caps as a prop, played at hooker for the first time since his Old Belvedere school days (he didn’t take the throw-ins then either).
That made Ireland winning the third quarter 7-0, and likewise the fourth, even more remarkable.
This third quarter factor was discussed at half time, prompting Andy Farrell to note sardonically: “Obviously, it’s very good coaching because Johnny couldn’t remember, but actually the third quarter of the game has been our worst quarter so far, and it was mentioned at half time about us being better in that regard.
“They went for it, didn’t they? They imposed their game on them. They didn’t miss a beat. Of course, there was a bit of organised chaos in regards to the players and the set-piece, but they went for them defensively in the scrum and attack-wise, we were getting over the gain line.
“We started the second half like that and the most impressive part is they kept playing like that right until the death. Could have, should have, would have maybe had a bonus point but it just shows the character of the side.”
Although Van der Flier, true to type, has occasionally practised his throwing not even Farrell could have planned for a rejigged Irish scrum, with Healy at hooker, winning the 54th-minute penalty from which Van der Flier’s throw would hit Peter O’Mahony in the build-up to James Lowe’s match-turning try.
“I’ve told all the lads to make sure that we tell all you guys that we practice it all the time, especially the scrum coach John Fogarty. He said: ‘You’re very welcome, Ireland’,” added Farrell.
“But, no, honestly when I say organised chaos at half time it was because we didn’t know whether Ronan was coming back out again. He was trying to get the feeling back in his shoulder until 30 seconds before we went back out.
“So, it was making a plan, and then Ronan came back out and we didn’t know whether he was doing the plan or not. So, ‘organised chaos’ is the right word but how we went about our business. Do you know what? Honestly, I said: ‘Embrace it lads. This is great; exactly what we want.’ Everyone was smiling and up for it. It says a lot.”
Farrell acknowledges that there was an element of luck, albeit liberally mixed with character, in making such resourcefulness work, and had the scrums or lineouts faltered we’d have been asking him different questions.
The Irish head coach also argued that by the start of the second half Ireland had nothing to lose. “What can we do? We can’t get the lads back fit again and come on, so it is what it is. I mean what a memory. That’s what sport is all about isn’t it, about memories. Next week is next week but we’ll remember that one forever.”
The tightness of the entire squad, and their unshakeable inner belief, helped pull them through.
“They do it for one another,” said Farrell, adding of Garry Ringrose’s landmark day. “Like I said to the lads in there, there’s no more fitting an occasion like that, how the lads dug in for something like Garry’s 50th. He might struggle remembering it as this moment in time, but I just said to him in there, the lads dug deep for you and he deserves all of that.”
Alas, Ringrose’s head knock, which required a 7½-minute stoppage, and Iain Henderson’s wrist surgery mean both will cruelly miss a once-in-a-career game when Ireland seek to seal a fourth Grand Slam next Saturday at the Aviva Stadium (kick-off 5pm). The IRFU have confirmed that Dan Sheehan (shoulder), Kelleher (shoulder) and Caelan Doris (hip) will be managed in camp this week. The six-day turnaround is unhelpful.
A chastened England will have an extra day to lick their wounds from Saturday’s record Twickenham 53-10 defeat against France, albeit their former defence coach does not believe that slightly freakish result is indicative of the threat they possess next Saturday.
“Oh no, I definitely don’t. The game ran away from them at 27-3. There’s probably no way back in that regard. You’re trying to chance your arm, your game plan is out the window a little bit, and the game just folds, doesn’t it?
“Those games are one-offs and there’s some great play from France, but I think it was more shock than anything. France were on a high and the emotions were probably dented a bit from England but knowing the players, knowing the coaching staff, knowing everyone involved, there’s no better occasion to try and turn it around then next week. They’re a good side. We’ve seen that time and time again. They’ll be a really, really tough opponent to beat next week.”
