November has been the month of false absolutes in Irish rugby.
New Zealand have lost their aura and never again will Ireland have anything to fear from the black jersey. False.
Ireland’s attacking game is the best in the world. False.
Joe Schmidt has Australia back to its best. False.
Frawley is finished. Prendergast has the 10 jersey and is ahead of Crowley. False, false, false.
Although the Autumn Internationals have reinforced that, on any given day, all of the top eight teams are capable of beating each other – which is wonderful for our game – November did confirm that South Africa are above the rest.
They have the most efficient setpiece play in the world, in front of multiple combinations of skilled halves. Their three-quarter line is filled with athleticism, and their back three possesses the one quality that only “the big fella upstairs” can instil in a player: electrifying pace.
This is all being conducted by Rassie Erasmus, the tactical master who has this Springboks team set to continue delivering trophies to the South African people.
After the national heartbreak of their early exit from RWC 2023, the French rugby team has become the personification of their nation’s beating heart – Notre Dame cathedral.
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Like the inexpressible beauty of the cathedral’s complete restoration, reopened with great celebration this week, Fabien Galthie has remodelled his broken World Cup team with new material, based on the ancient designs that have served French rugby so magnificently across the ages.
All successful French teams uniquely have, at their heart, “le petit general”. A scrumhalf who runs the show. In Antoine Dupont France has the greatest number nine that I have ever seen.
I was never fortunate enough to witness the brilliance of Gareth Edwards, who is the only post-second World War scrumhalf that could be considered as Dupont’s peer.
We are very fortunate to live in a time when we can enjoy such mesmeric talent as Dupont – he is an absolute joy to watch.
In round three of next year’s Six Nations, Ireland will have a mountain to climb when Les Bleus arrive in Dublin.
When Scotland put Australia to the sword some began to wonder if the coming Six Nations will be the year that the Scots finally display the consistency required to win the trophy. In the recent past, they have defeated both England and France away, only to fall in maddening circumstances to a depleted Wales at Murrayfield. So the doubters remain.
What is not in question is that when the Scots have their heads screwed on the right way they are capable of playing the type of quality rugby that will make Ireland’s trip to Murrayfield in round two highly challenging for the men in green.
Up until the moment they walked away from Twickenham with the Ella-Mobbs Trophy in their kit bag, the Wallabies’ year had been miserable. With a single win in the Rugby Championship, losing both Bledisloe Cup matches and conceding a crushing 67 points to the Pumas in Santa Fe – the heaviest defeat in their 125-year history –2024 could not end quick enough for the Wallabies.
However, in Australia when you beat England, especially at Twickenham, many sins are forgiven.
As the Australians jet home for a well-earned rest after a 10-month campaign and the count down to the arrival of the Lions begins, they have established some hope.
The Lions tour and the tens of thousands of supporters that will flood the country will go a long way to relieving Rugby Australia’s massive debt and provide the Wallabies with the opportunity to potentially re-establish themselves as Australia’s most loved sporting team.
Joe Schmidt’ team has also provided Ireland’s opponents with the defensive template of how to nullify the much vaunted Irish attack. The Wallabies’ defensive system at the Aviva was a fully connected, ever advancing golden tide, that also empowered the freedom of a “shooter” to fly out of the line and pick off a key attacker.
It was an effective throwback defensive system from 20 years ago. Expect to see it again during next year’s Six Nations.
While England lost their three big November matches, it was not by much. With memories of their Grand Slam-ruining win against Ireland last year, history tells us that dismissing the English is folly.
As the Owen Farrell-George Ford era is coming to its end, England have settled on the talents of Marcus Smith as their long-term outhalf, while Ireland remain entangled in a loveless “ménage à trois” for their preferred number 10.
While all serious considerations must have Jack Crowley ahead of Sam Prendergast and Ciarán Frawley, the looming Champions Cup games will play a significant role in the final selection for Ireland’s outhalf and several other positions within the team.
With the hopeful return of Tadhg Furlong to the starting team, almost every seat on Ireland’s reserves bench will be open for a highly-contestable selection process that has stalwarts like Iain Henderson, Rob Herring, Conor Murray and Peter O’Mahony fighting to keep the coming generation at bay.
Craig Casey’s cameo against the Wallabies was full of energy and speed, while choosing the best starting combination between Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki and Robby Henshaw will require the biblical wisdom of King Solomon.
The truth remains that Ireland’s performances this November were well below world class. If repeated next year the unacceptable number of unforced errors, lineout failures, huge penalty counts and several players displaying hands like Venus de Milo will make success impossible.
As Simon Easterby takes charge as the new interim head coach, he has a huge task ahead of him if Ireland are to keep their grip on the Six Nations trophy in 2025.
