Team are not playing to their potential

Analysis: Compared to last week, this was second-division fare, and compared to England versus the All Blacks it was second-rate stuff. Ireland are not playing to their potential, which I attribute to selection reasons, while the efficiency that was there a year to 18 months ago, and even the enthusiasm, has gone.

Tactically, that was an Australian team which was vulnerable, but Ireland's poorly- executed kicking game allowed them off the hook. When Ireland ran at Australia they were tentative, and look worried they weren't going to win, but by kicking the ball it took that threat away from Australia.

Admittedly, if Geordan Murphy's pass had gone to Tommy Bowe for that near-try just before half-time, it could have changed the game. The old championship minutes! Five minutes before half-time and five minutes after. But instead of scoring seven, Ireland conceded 13 points in that period.

Both sides were culpable for making individual errors in what was a very poor first half, and it struck me that there were some technical deficiencies that weren't there a few years ago.

For example, you would never see Shane Byrne's hands flapping like that a few years ago when throwing the ball into the lineout. After the hooker throws the ball, his hands should be pointing to where the ball is meant to go. His hands were flapping by his side. Technically they were bad throws.

Another disappointing feature was the passing of the Irish backs, which meant they had to stop running. They had to plant their feet to pass the ball, although Gordon D'Arcy was a notable exception. A few years ago that was not the case with the Irish backline.

There didn't seem to be an attitude that "we have to attack this Australian side", although again D'Arcy was an exception, while Andrew Trimble had a very good game, putting Lote Tuqiri on the ground every time.

Ireland's continuity was also poor. Even the ball placement was not good, and that wasn't the case a few years ago. Ireland would have been one of the best teams in the world at presenting the ball on the ground.

The backrow lacks a balance. There is no runner in there, and there is no runner in the tight five except for Marcus Horan. The bench was also poor.

Matt McCullough is a good kid but this was too soon and he was out of his depth here. When you think Bob Casey, Trevor Brennan and Leo Cullen are all playing good club rugby, it makes you wonder. McCullough had no physical presence and quite simply was not ready for international rugby.

All three outhalves on the pitch had poor games. For all Chris Latham's running power, David Humphreys shouldn't miss a first-up tackle like that, and Geordan Murphy should have made a better fist of his tackle too.

Ronan O'Gara had a tentative side to his game that wasn't there a few years ago. The arrogance and control he normally brings weren't there, and some of his kicks weren't struck with his normal precision. It kept taking the pressure off the Australians.

They are a very average side, one of the poorest Australian sides in 30 years. Even in the scrums the pressure was kept off them. Ireland didn't seem to think, "let's attack that scrum".

There wasn't the committed belief that was the case with Ireland before. The evidence was the lack of precision in the kicking, the lineout and the passing. The scrummaging was adequate without being ruthless, and there wasn't the overall ruthlessness that we've come to know from Ireland.

You think of the Munster game against Gloucester, and the mental drive they had to go out and do that. This Irish team didn't have the ruthlessness to do that, and this Australian team was beatable.

But as the Australians were let off the hook, their whole body language and whole mental approach changed. All of a sudden they got their confidence back, and any team playing with confidence becomes a different team. But there wasn't a lot of confidence there to begin with.

The Wallabies' moves and patterns were identical to what we've expected of them in recent years. Drew Mitchell is a really exciting player and they were efficient in some ways, but they made a lot of errors and they didn't do their homework. Doing cross-field kicks to Gaelic players? Murphy made one great take, but you wouldn't kick to Shane Horgan's wing in a hundred years.

Ireland need another big, physical presence on the pitch, a Leo, Trevor or Bob, and they also need to get some experienced heads back into the fold.

Ireland have got to get some woshkabomy, as Alan Gaffney calls it, or some passion, back into their play.

Selection issues, tactical issues and personal skills issues were obvious to me. When you're in trouble you've got to go back to what you've got, the basics that got you where you are, and have a more aggressive attitude, while every kick has got to have a purpose.

But this Ireland team are not doing their work with the same enthusiasm they used to have.

(In an interview with Gerry Thornley)