IT’S NOT ENTIRELY clear (at least not to us) whether Italians put the same stock in Gio Visto as the wider world puts in Déjà vu. But whatever you call it, it’s hard to escape a familiar feeling each time Ireland take on Italy in the Six Nations.
‘They’ll fade away after an hour’, ‘they don’t travel well’, ‘it’s better to get them later in the Championship’: All pre-cooked analysis that has been wheeled in and out of cold storage for over a decade each time the Azzuri come into view in the spring.
‘Improving’ must surely be the worst of them all, a condescending pat on the head for the team annually expected to finish sixth out of six.
“Well, we haven’t used any of those clichés this week anyway,” smiles captain Paul O’Connell.
“In terms of softening them up, I just don’t buy into that any more. They finished very well against France, they’re physically very fit.”
Nothing concentrates the mind like defeat either. And so with not only last year’s loss in Rome hanging over many in this squad, but the narrow defeat to England a fortnight ago too, Ireland are once again immersing themselves in the minute detail rather than allowing minds stray onto the grand scale that these games can represent.
“For us, the talk has been about individual preparation. At times, in the England game you can focus on the occasion a little bit.
“But if you can focus as an individual on learning your job inside-out, making sure you know it without having to think about it; that puts you in a position to execute it really aggressively with a lot of intensity.
“That’s the thing for us this week, not worrying about occasions. Brian breaking a record or playing his last home game, or the fact that there’s a possibility of a Championship… we just focus in on trying to get the little things right that we didn’t get right against England – and do it with a little bit more aggression and intensity.”
Patience is apparently a keyword among Joe Schmidt’s squad this week (and not just for those left on the outside of the matchday squads). While we the rugby-watching public see Italy without Sergio Parisse as the ideal chance to increase a slender leading margin on the Six Nations table, Ireland as a group are vowing to take it slow.
“I think we can get carried away being too concerned with points difference.” says Andrew Trimble. “Italy beat us last year and that’s the first thing we’ve got to get right.
“Taking opportunities – that’s something we want to work on; when we have a side on the rack we want to put it away.”
Another key indicator for Trimble and his colleagues in the backline will be shoring up the defensive line breached emphatically by England for the crucial score at Twickenham. Though Ireland have conceded just one try in three games so far this Championship, Les Kiss and Schmidt will have been drilling the need to keep another clean sheet into their team.
“The Italian line speed is going to be very difficult to play against,” says the wing, “we just have to have our wits about us. Just have to make sure we’re working hard for ourselves, giving each other options and trail runs.
“First, obviously, we have to soften them up a bit,” adds the wing, though his sentiment is not as contrary to his captain’s view as it sounds. He adds: “Make them think twice about coming up out of the line. They shoot up a lot, they get up in your face and make it very difficult to play.”
‘Still relevant’
It is up front, though, and at the set-pieces where some of the kinder Italian well-worn phrases still hold true. If he hadn’t already known, O’Connell has been shown plenty of footage to reinforce the point.
“Certainly about their pack, [the cliches are] still very relevant. Their pack is incredibly tough and has been since I first came into the Six Nations. Joe was showing us some plays that they did out wide off line-outs; they start with turnovers where they got penalties off scrums after they had turned people over and were able to kick for the corner. They’ve done that repeatedly over the years.”
The Munster lock added: “We scrummed really well against England and that’s going to be a massive part of the game for us at the weekend. ”
“When you look at some of the penalties they’ve won against Wales. And [also] when France had a big five metre scrum, Italy drove them back three metres, popped them up and won a penalty. I think you’ve got to pay credit to a team who does things like that under pressure. Historically, they’ve scrummed really well.
“Guys like Jack McGrath and Marty Moore are new in, I think they’ve done really well and it’s probably the best scrummaging squad I’ve been involved with for Ireland, but this will probably be the biggest test in the championship for us now.”
I’d go on about O’Driscoll being to old to start international games now, but Castrogiavanni! He’s been playing tight head since the stone age. Whatever about BOD and Darcy having longevity, to play tight head at his age is some achievement.
Castro is three years younger than O Driscoll but he really does look like he belongs in the Stone Age. Parisse is one who could break O Driscoll’s record. He has a good few years in him yet and is over the 100 cap mark.
It’s never easy against the Italians and every year they’re getting stronger.theyre no longer the push over side they were a few years ago
Come on Ireland win this game by a big margin it will, give us confidence to beat France. Come on POC lead by example as usual and BOD play well and show that ur still good enough to play at this level and show the people your not only picked by reputation.
From Munster by any chance Adam?
From Leinster by any chane Jaymie ?
No ulster.just find it strange why Munster supporters seem to hold a grudge against other provinces.we are all on the same team after all
From Ireland are we Jaymie and Diarmuid?? Dividing the one team into it’s quarters does nobody any favours. Adam isn’t saying what he said because of any tribal favouritism, his comment was just out of pure ignorance of the game. Nobody from Munster, Ulster, Leinster or Connaught that understood the game would make such ridiculous comments about Brian O’D.
True ted pure ignorance
it’s Connacht not ‘Connaught’!!
We are all Irish. Lets get behind the team and stop the bickering. Come On Ireland.
Maul, maul, maul, maul, maul and when they are sick of mauling, again maul, maul, maul, final whistle.
A week of mauling practice, and you’ve guessed it, against the French maul, maul etc. Collect trophy and give gushing interviews hailing the complexity of the game plan.
That’s fine by me, if we win the championship I don’t care how we do it.
Right on!!!!
Although tongue in cheek and obviously exaggerated, I’m quite serious and base my theory on the facts.
Ireland destroyed and demoralised the Scottish and Welsh packs with its brilliant maul.
With Sean O B and Tommy Bowe missing we lack serious game breakers.
Our set pieces, defence have been brilliant in all games so far.
The one major tactical difference in the England match was the scarcity of mauling.
Having played in the forwards for a great mauling team I know how effective it can be. Equally, I’ve been on the wrong end of a strong maul. There is nothing you can legally do to prevent it’s progress. The ref gets pissed off and sides with the dominant team, and with a good kicker the points flow. Space is created accross the pitch for tries or you just continue and drive over.
If you have a potent weapon then use it.
Agreed, however the biggest single issue that this Ireland team faces is line speed. The England game proved they had no effective tactical innovation for dealing with it. Hopefully Saturday will bring something new.
Time to forget about the cliches and kick on…..d’oh.
In fairness though Eddie O’Sullivan was the cliche king.
At least he spoke about something.kidney could be interviewed for 20 mins and yet say nothing.