Brian O'Driscoll: Invigorated
Among the dreary grind that has all too often passed for this year's Six Nations there's been some real high points: most of them tinged with red.
Wales have been this year's great entertainers, running in tries for fun in second halves of matches while graciously allowing opposing teams a good hard 40 minutes of attacking practice for first halves.
It doesn't please everyone: the Welshman in our office has aged a good decade during this campaign, Warren Gatland has apparently taken on the demeanour of a 'menopausal warthog' (more on that in a minute) and those who really care about the Welsh displays - such as the principality's populace - are all a little crestfallen by the careless way the Welsh have been going about their business of late.
But the rest of the watching rugby world are enjoying themselves enormously at Wales' expense in a tournament which still stirs the blood in the anticipation, yet is still failing to warm the cockles of the heart in the delivery.
There's plenty to anticipate about this weekend's match-up between Wales and Ireland in Dublin. For two teams who provided so many of last June's united and fun-spirited B&I Lions touring party, this match has tended to boil up some pretty weighty pre-match banter. This year is no different.
The sporting headline in the Western Mail on Thursday proclaimed: 'Our Warren called a menopausal warthog', in reference to a column in the Irish Independent which did indeed endow Warren Gatland with that epithet, as well as saying that the Irish preferred the company of the English to the 'self-absorbed' Welsh. If nothing else, that alone ought to be all the motivation the Welsh need.
Gatland himself is, apparently, 'to diplomacy what Smith and Wesson is to peace.' Very diplomatically put.
The column also went on to slight Shaun Edwards, the Cardiff crowd... pretty much everything hailing from across the Irish Sea but west of Offa's Dyke. Had Tom Jones sung at the pre-match last year, you can bet there'd be a joke about last year's Irish victory in Cardiff not being unusual or something.
On the subject of ast year, if you remember, it was Gatland's turn for the unprovoked banter. He called the Irish 'easy to dislike', later trying to explain that this was a well-intended compliment and that if all the hacks were going to misconstrue his words so he would follow Declan Kidney's method of 'spouting cliches and nothings.'
On the Lions tour that subject was raised, and he said that he merely didn't want to be a boring coach but that he might have to be. In response to this week's column, he uttered the following: "...we should permit this matter to rest and treat this article with the disdain in which it is offered.
"I genuinely urge true Welsh and Irish rugby fans not to let anything written in the original article to affect the respect and friendship they share for each other.
"It does not deserve to have any impact on what will be a great weekend for supporters from two great rugby nations."
Boring? Possibly. But it does bring us back to the rugby, where Wales appear to play in a manner consistently opposite to Gatland's PR techniques. In the year Gatland does indeed come forth and respond to a particularly juicy anti-Welsh article with no little 'cliche and nothing', the Welsh team is responding to blows of adversity with breathtaking periods of rugby, scintillating tries and long periods of domination. If only they could do it first...
Ireland's Tommy Bowe said in the wake of the win over England that he felt Ireland had their mojo back. Perhaps the writer who called the Welsh 'delusional' should have a look within the Irish camp.
Ireland do not have their mojo back. They were under the cosh for long periods against England and won by being extraordinarily resolute in defence against a physical but limited attack and taking their chances. When pitched against more sophisicated opposition in France a fortnight earlier, Ireland were blown away.
The fact still remains that good as Ireland are, they have a weakness in the scrum and a lack of dynamism up front which lets any team matching them for strength gain the upper hand.
Fortunately for Ireland, Wales do not have that strength, especially not now with so many frontline forwards out. However spirited the Welsh will fight, the Irish have too much firepower. Lest the Welsh should use the first forty minutes of the match to... well, whatever it is they have been doing this year, they may discover just how heavy that firepower can be.
Ones to watch:
For Ireland: Brian O'Driscoll wins his hundredth cap for his country, saying he feels invigorated by last year's Grand Slam. He looks it too - even in this apparent week of mudslinging between the two teams, old 'menopausal warthog' himself found the time to pay a glowing tribute. There's so much about O'Driscoll's play to watch and admire, so sit back and enjoy.
For Wales: Lee Byrne has had a distinctly ordinary season, missing kicks to touch in the corner, spilling high balls and even displaying an inability to count during the Ospreys' Heineken Cup match with Leicester. But he's still one of the best in the business when he turns it on. Woe betide Jonathan Sexton if he messes around with his kicks.
Head to head: The front row is where Ireland's weakness lies. Sometimes anyway. If Wales are awake, they should try and exploit this early.
Recent results:
2000: Wales won 23-19 at Lansdowne Road
2001: Ireland won 36-6 at Millennium Stadium
2002: Ireland won 54-10 at Lansdowne Road
2003: Ireland won 25-24 at Millennium Stadium
2003: Ireland won 35-12 at Lansdowne Road
2004: Ireland won 36-15 at Lansdowne Road
2005: Wales won 32-20 at Millennium Stadium
2006: Ireland won 31-5 at Lansdowne Road
2007: Ireland won 19-9 at Millennium Stadium
2008: Wales won 16-12 at Croke Park
2009: Ireland won 17-15 at Millennium Stadium
Prediction: It's difficult to see Wales possessing the mean streak needed to bully Ireland out of the game. Ireland by eight.
The teams:
Ireland: 15 Geordan Murphy, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Brian O'Driscoll (c), 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Tomas O'Leary, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 David Wallace , 6 Stephen Ferris, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 John Hayes, 2 Rory Best, 1 Cian Healy.
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Tony Buckley, 18 Leo Cullen, 19 Shane Jennings, 20 Eoin Reddan, 21 Ronan O'Gara, 22 Robert Kearney.
Wales: 15 Lee Byrne, 14 Leigh Halfpenny, 13 James Hook, 12 Jamie Roberts, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Richie Rees, 8 Gareth Delve, 7 Martyn Williams (c), 6 Jonathan Thomas, 5 Luke Charteris, 4 Bradley Davies, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Matthew Rees, 1 Paul James.
Replacements: 16 Huw Bennett, 17 Rhys Gill, 18 Ian Gough, 19 Sam Warburton, 20 Dwayne Peel, 21 Andrew Bishop, 22 Tom Shanklin
Date: Saturday, March 13
Venue: Croke Park
Kick-off: 14.30 GMT
Weather: Dry, breezy, 10°C
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
By Danny Stephens
Comments
Dropgoal says...
This is the litmus test. Are we as good as think we are or have we more holes
than Swiss cheese? Perhaps we are somewhere in between and that might
not be enough to stop leeks from flying across O'Connell St late Saturday night.
One thing for sure, win or lose the Welsh will be singing in every hotel bar
tomorrow night. They can drink and party as good as the best and if they bring
their A game the Shamrock could well be in deep trouble. Roll Ireland.
Posted 21:34 12th March 2010
markkell says...
It's important to remember that Franno's quality as a player has just about been equalled by that of his journalism i.e. second rate hack!
Posted 18:28 12th March 2010
Ahab says...
Wales, for all the entertainment, have riden their luck so far and I believe it will run out on Saturday. Their great comebacks where really about the opposition allowing them back into the game and if they give Ireland a head start they'll be sunk. Ireland by at least 14 points.
Posted 17:02 12th March 2010
yrugbyYnot says...
No prizes for guessing Danny is Welsh then.
Posted 10:32 12th March 2010