For all the brilliance of Ireland’s attacking game under Andy Farrell, they take particular pride in their defence. So it was that Caelan Doris said Ireland “enjoyed the nil part” in Sunday’s 36-0 win over Italy. And with good reason.
Defences win championships, it is said, and since the start of the 2022 Six Nations, Ireland have conceded the least number of tries, namely 12.
To put this in context, over the same dozen rounds, next best is Shaun Edwards’s French defence, with 27 conceded, followed by Wales (32), Scotland (33), England (35) and Italy (57).
Sunday was the seventh time Italy have been held scoreless in the Championship, and the first in 37 meetings with Ireland, and Farrell was pleasantly surprised when informed it was the first time an Irish side had shut out any team in the Championship since the 17-0 home win over England in 1987.
“It’s huge but it isn’t just the defence. Well, I’m not downplaying our defence because our defence was outstanding. You’ve got to want to keep people out as well and the hunger to do that was obvious. It’s obvious as well that points mattered. It isn’t just about scoring tries, it’s keeping the opposition to a minimum.
“But what was really good about last week is that our game is becoming more joined up and if your game is more joined up then you’re able to have the energy to be able to defend like we did.
[ Six Nations: Ireland run in six tries and complete shutout victory over ItalyOpens in new window ]
“If our set-piece is so dominant, it gives you a little bit more energy because you’re playing on the front more and playing in the right parts of the field. As far as our attacking game is concerned, not over-playing gives you more energy with your defence.
“At times I thought our defence was well in control, which is unbelievably pleasing.”
Nobody epitomises this more than James Lowe, for in addition to his powerful running, offloading, finishing and howitzer left boot, he now relishes defending where once it led to him being dropped.
“He’s always there for us with his weapon of a left boot but he ran with intent and he’s a big man, hard to stop, got good skills at the line as well. It was a hell of a try and I suppose that’s what got him man of the match in the end because I thought a few people ran him close as well.
“I thought Hugo [Keenan] was immense,” said Farrell. “Ryan Baird had some lovely touches within the game as well and to a man I thought it was a great performance. So, for him to come out and get the man of the match says it all really.”
The problem for Baird is that, as Jack Conan also knows, backrow is an uber-competitive area, but also Peter O’Mahony is captain. In any other era, Stuart McCloskey could have won 50 caps but Bundee Aki is liable to return next Saturday week against Wales, and it would be no surprise if Robbie Henshaw retained the “13” jersey even if Garry Ringrose is fit.
But by starting 21 players in the first two games, Farrell admits he has been given a few selection headaches.
“That’s what we wanted, and that’s what we do it for, to give people a chance because if you’ve no headaches we’re in the wrong place as a group. So, we’ve got a few more, haven’t we, after that performance? And we welcome that.”
A four-into-two conundrum applies in the secondrow as well as in midfield.
“All four of them are in very good form, and it means a lot. James [Ryan] was always going to try to prove a point, Iain Henderson has been outstanding, absolutely, off the bench in the last few games that he’s done that for us, big Joe [McCarthy] keeps rumbling on, Tadhg Beirne was immense last week so competition is exactly the way it should be. We call those a great problem to have and as it comes down to the type of game and the opposition that we’re playing against.”
[ Ireland 36 Italy 0: How the Irish players rated in the shutout at the AvivaOpens in new window ]
Farrell is likely to revert to Beirne and McCarthy despite Ryan’s energetic performance.
The round-four trek to Twickenham now looks like the biggest obstacle to this team becoming the first Irish side to achieve back-to-back Grand Slams, for which they are now 4/9 in the betting. Ireland are also 22-point favourites against Wales but one of the keys to Ireland’s success is the respect they afford all opponents.
“For anyone to be in with a shot at Twickenham, they’re going to have to put up a gutsy performance,” said Farrell. “I thought they [Wales] rode it very well. England put it up to them with line speed in the first half and Wales needed to find a way. They did and they put England under a lot of pressure.
“I’ve no doubt that they’ll gain a lot of confidence with the type of performance where they should have, would have, could have [won] in Twickenham. They’ll look to build on that now. They’ve got another couple of weeks to try and get on the right side of the result at the Aviva.
“So, it’s going to be a tough game for us. The tournament has just started for us now. It’s a good start but with all the Triple Crown games coming together it’s going to be an exciting middle and end to this tournament.”
