Win may have far-reaching consequences

ON RUGBY: A historic triple whammy over the Southern Hemisphere by Europe's leading triumvirate. Further evidence of the closing gap perhaps, not all that relevant in the context of the World Cup, but great to behold nonetheless.

Conditions decreed Ireland's win over Australia was the most surreal of Saturday's hat-trick, as they were more suited to Ian Thorpe than the Wallabies' dry-trackers. Cometh the summer in Brisbane then, or more pertinently, the World Cup meeting in Melbourne in November next year, and this will be even more of a one-off.

The temperatures are already in the 20s in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth this week, and an Australian summer of bush fires is already under way again. It makes you shudder to think what conditions the blazers might have forced the players to perform in at the World Cup, when downpours such as Saturday's will be non-existent. In any event, with the Wallabies at home, on a hard, dry track and nearer full strength, they'll also use the memory of this day.

Still, the reverberations and confidence generated by this win could be far-reaching. The bottom line? Ireland wanted it more. No question. Ireland also needed it more.

Epitomising the level-headed, professional mood of the squad more than anybody, Irish coach Eddie O'Sullivan said afterwards: "The main thing is that we proved today is that when we get into a winning position against these sides, if we keep our composure, keep our strength of character, we can win the game."

Ireland had to take that step, and last Saturday wasn't a day too late. Victory over Fiji next Sunday would then give this team the chance to claim another piece of history against Argentina the following Saturday, when a sixth successive win would equal the Irish record established in the late 1960s.

It's not exactly a record to write home about, and should be erased from the record books, though the previous landmark also featured a win over Australia garnished by five championship wins. While the initial three of this sequence against eastern Europe's finest were hardly in that category, the victory over the world champions gives the winning run more credibility.

As well as a tribute to everyone involved - almost overlooked was that Declan Kidney pressed the right motivational buttons while the set-piece work was testimony to Niall O'Donovan's input - Saturday's win was further reward for the provincial structure and the benefits of the Heineken Cup.

In the last three years the Munster rejuvenation was rightly credited for helping to revive Ireland's fortunes, so it's only fair that the Leinster set-up take a bow now. The ripple effects ought to benefit them in turn. However, with 17 of the 19 players used on Saturday drawn from two provinces (and ironically, coached by Australians) it also shows the need for careful player management and rest.

Twickenham was yet another all white-All Black thriller, and further evidence that while New Zealand may have the best number one side in the world, they certainly have the best second string. In an era of defensive supremacy it was also evident that pace, particularly Doug Howlett, power, in Jonah Lomu, and some of both in Tana Umaga, can breach even the most disciplined of rugby league-drilled lines when assisted by kindred free spirits throughout the team.

IT HELPS when you're empowered to try daring passes or offloads in the tackle, or play what you see in front of you. That said, Jonny Wilkinson gave as fine a demonstration of that as anyone when, aware that the excellent referee Jonathan Kaplan was playing advantage, shaped to take a drop goal, spotted no one was filling in for Ben Blair at full back, and chipped over the All Black line, ran on, gathered and scored.

Perhaps England were mentally unhinged by their second-string opposition but, Wilkinson apart, their backs never quite scaled their counterparts' heights. They may have had the psychological boost of the win, but the All Blacks may take home more kudos from the exercise. A host of their "second-stringers" threw down markers, not least the awesome openside Marty Holah. And Carlos Spencer is invariably worth the admission money alone.

For all their promise and new, more adventurous running game under coach Rudolf Streauli, the evidence of the Tri-Nations that the Springboks are the weakest of the Southern Hemisphere big three was reaffirmed by Saturday's match-ups. The poor set-pieces and lack of basics from their pack will have had Afrikaaner traditionalists gnashing their teeth. Granted, they were up against a juggernaut French pack, with a particularly grizzled tight five, varnished by perhaps the best back row in the world. Imanol Harinordoquy, the find of last season's Six Nations, is no one-season wonder.

Pilfering Springbok lineouts, taking the ball up and making hits, the highlight was one of his one-handed, flipped offloads in the classically French counter-attack off turnover ball which culminated in Fabien Galthie's cross-kick for Cedric Heymans to score.

Echoing that try by Philippe Saint-Andre in Twickenham 11 years ago, when Didier Camberabero also cross-kicked from the right touchline after Serge Blanco had initiated a try from behind his own line, the cross-kick remains a curiously under-used tactic, yet quintessentially French.

The game also served to underline how vital Galthie, who missed the summer tour, is to France's hopes in the World Cup next year. Galthie will turn 34 by the end of the Six Nations, but he remains as important to France as Brian O'Driscoll is to Ireland.

He's belatedly won a half-century caps now, but 27 of them have come in his 30s and he should have won a lot more. France have traditionally enjoyed their most productive times with a strong, domineering scrumhalf and how successive French coaches ignored him, most ridiculously Pierre Berbizier, until Bernard Laporte gave Galthie his head looks even more mystifying now that he's become the main man.

With Saturday's win, Les Bleus have now beaten the All Blacks, Australia and South Africa in successive years at the Stade Velodrome, Marseilles' eminently more inspiring and atmospheric ground. It's as well they don't play all their home Six Nations games there.

Mind, much more of this and one day they might.