Ireland's Narrow Rugby Victory Over Italy Sparks Concerns Over Team's Future
On the walk down Lansdowne Lane toward Ireland's Six Nations showdown with Italy, a group of buoyant Italian supporters, inexplicably dressed as French chefs, mingled happily with Irish fans. 'All of us Italians are crazy, you'll see,' one shouted ominously amid the pre-match banter. He wasn't wrong. For large portions of this nervy encounter in Dublin, the possessed visitors looked poised to make history.
Italy's Dominant Performance
Whether it was their utterly dominant front row, their chaotic and feral back row of Michele Lamaro, Manuel Zuliani and Lorenzo Cannone, or the midfield majesty of Tommaso Menoncello, who is off to Toulouse next season, a flurry of blue-clad players were inspired. The Azzurri have known nothing but misery in this part of the world. Underdogs would have been an understatement.
They had lost all 13 of their visits to Dublin in the Six Nations. Indeed, of the 26 games in this fixture, they had been successful in just one: a 22-15 win in Rome 13 years ago. You had to go back to 1997 for Italy's last win in the capital, three years before they were invited into the championship.
For context, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson, Joe McCarthy, Cormac Izuchukwu, Caelan Doris, Craig Casey, Sam Prendergast, Rob Baloucoune and Jamie Osborne weren't even born the last time Ireland lost a home game to this opposition.
Relief and Shock at Final Whistle
Italy almost made history yesterday. Gonzalo Quesada's side came perilously close to breaking their 29-year hoodoo in this part of the world. They will be kicking themselves on the flight back to Rome. They did more than enough to secure a historic result. The Azzurri had the better scrum, oodles of possession and the more potent attack.
There was a vulnerability about this experimental Irish team, perhaps still reeling from that hammering in Paris, and Italy almost capitalised. The flashpoint was undoubtedly Menoncello's dashing midfield break in the second half. His subsequent pass to Louis Lynagh, another brilliant outside back in a blue jersey, was chalked off by the TMO for a forward pass.
A few minutes later, Baloucoune was dancing his way over the line for what proved to be the crucial score. That and Jack Crowley's 63rd-minute penalty was just enough to see this one home. There was a mixture of relief and shock at the final whistle. Ireland got out of Dodge with a win. And they knew it, too.
Worrying Times for Irish Rugby
Much was made of the new fresh blood in the Irish starting line-up. Consider for a moment how many familiar faces were missing because of injuries, suspension or non-selection. Finlay Bealham, Andrew Porter, Jack Boyle, Tom Stewart, Tom Ahern, Ryan Baird, Cian Prendergast, Josh van der Flier, Harry Byrne, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Tommy O'Brien, Jacob Stockdale, Mack Hansen and Hugo Keenan weren't involved for all sorts of reasons. That's a decent starting line-up right there.
These are worrying times for the national team and this performance will do little to quell the existential angst flowing from every corner of the Irish rugby sphere at the moment. This was another error-strewn, disjointed performance. You could pin some of that down to all the changes.
To give head coach Andy Farrell credit, he could easily have rolled out the old reliables for this one. Then again, the frontliners haven't exactly been tearing up trees either.
Positives Amid the Gloom
There were some positives to take. Baloucoune, making his first international appearance in four years, was a bright spark. Not only did the 28-year-old produce some brilliant moments in attack, he lorded it in the skies. You could track Jack Conan's try all the way back to Baloucoune winning the first kick-off of the second half. Has he done enough to start in Twickenham next week? He made a big case here.
Ditto, Crowley. The Munster out-half entered the fray with 25 minutes of the edgy contest left and had some big moments. He looks in pole position to win back the No10 jersey next week because this was yet another mixed bag from Sam Prendergast. Yes, there were lovely moments in attack. You always get that from the Leinster No10.
But there was too much indecision. And a brace of shanked conversions from the kicking tee was clearly a symptom of a player lacking in confidence at the moment. Stuart McCloskey was another player who put in a big shift. The Ulster centre is a big unit but he is far from a crash ball merchant. McCloskey laid on tries for Jamie Osborne and Baloucoune with his sleight of hand. Ireland will need more of that next weekend.
Looking Ahead to England
Izuchukwu was another fresh face who put himself about. Again, was it enough to put him in the frame for England? Tadhg Beirne or Van der Flier are likely to come back into the mix. Farrell is still scrambling around trying to find his best team at the moment. Italy have no such problems. The visitors had settled combinations across the board, a healthy age profile and a high ceiling. Can we say the same about Ireland at this point in time?
This display won't alleviate fears about this squad's decline. They are definitely going through a period of transition. For how long? Ah, there's a question. If you were looking at this current malaise with a glass half-full mentality, you would be hoping that this thing will bottom out midway through next year, just in time for a big tilt at the 2027 World Cup.
The other scenario doesn't bear thinking about. That this squad is on an alarming slide and there is no end in sight. Ireland slipped to fifth in the world rankings earlier this week, their lowest position in four years, and few could argue with this team's place in the global pecking order.
The real concern is that Ireland are now in real danger of becoming a mid-tier team which can be picked off by opponents which previously caused no fear in Irish ranks. At times, this felt like a throwback to the bad old days of the '90s. We might have to get used to it. Things are going to get worse before they get better.
