It was a particularly complicated match in Dublin on Saturday. The Shamrock XV, despite having their hearts pumping, lost out to France by a crushing 27-42 scoreline. A huge surprise, which plunged the Irish into deep disarray.
Ireland, the colossus with feet of clay? There’s every reason to believe that the usual favorite of the Six Nations Tournament was more fragile than first thought. But what happened?
Starting from a position of strength, the XV du Trèfle set the pace. The French then put up a relentless defense, fiercely demonstrating their desire to turn the tide.
After the break, the French came back strongly, outflanking the outgunned Irish and scoring 5 remarkable tries.
A very fine game, extremely well contested, but which revealed all the weaknesses in the game of an Irish team hitherto reputed to be invincible.
For Brian O’Driscoll, former captain of the Irish rugby team, the Shamrock XV fell victim to a certain arrogance. Their position as eternal favorites led them to sin out of pride, and the fall was painful.
The rout was total, and the failure is now bitter.
What will happen next? This Saturday, March 15, Ireland take on Italy. An eagerly-awaited match in which the Irish will have to redouble their efforts to erase the disappointment of their defeat by Les Bleus.
There’s no longer any hope of a Grand Slam: positions now need to be consolidated if there is to be any hope of a place in the competition’s top 3. At present, Ireland are in 3rd place, with France in first place and England just behind. But another rout could prove fatal, and deal a decisive blow to the team’s future in the tournament.
For the Greens coach, it’s time to get back on track, review the basics and show some humility. Now is the time for introspection, consolidation and a better understanding of what happened.
As for the predictions for the next few games, they’re all over the place (see the Rugby section on Sportytrader). Many are hoping that the Irish will emerge from this nightmare, while others believe that the team won’t be able to get their act together against the Italians.
As a reminder, matches between Ireland and Italy usually end in an Irish victory. But the Irish’s collapse against the blues may have had a potentially profound de-motivating effect on the Greens.
The answer is on Saturday March 15 at 3.15pm at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. There’s no doubt that the Irish will do everything in their power to bounce back and eliminate the Italian team. A very sharp team, whose ambitions are to crush the Irish at any cost.
It’s a high-voltage Saturday, and promises to be a match of great beauty and intensity! Fans are sure to enjoy this anthological battle! So get out your jerseys, and cheer on your teams: they’re already ready for battle!
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