Defence
You’ll hear this cliché plenty of times during tonight’s Superbowl: Defence wins championships.
The Six Nations is not a high-scoring tournament, one try is very often the difference between two points and none and Ireland’s defence is strong by virtue of the familiarity each player has with the systems.
Half the countries in this year’s competition are coming in with new coaches. New coaches bring in new systems. These things take time to get used to and perfect. Ireland should be well ahead on that curve.
Stephen Ferris
Ireland’s best stocked area of the field is the back row and the jewel of that crown is our blindside. Line-outs, rucking, ball-carrying: Ferris will make the transformation from slow, to go forward ball which will allow Conor Murray and jonathan sexton dictate the flow of the game.
The fixture list
Our Grand Slam year was an odd number meaning we played host to England and France, but only one these is rival for the championship this time. Momentum is crucial and even if we do taste defeat in Paris, Ireland can get the ball back rolling with two more full houses at the Aviva. First things first though, we welcome Wales to the house of pain.
The back three
When Rob Kearney got injured in 2010 he was in dire rut of form, one which began after those nasty little ELVs made his once-primary trait (efficiently catching high balls) almost redundant.
When Kearney returned before the World Cup we all watched on, wondering if he could make the Leinster team ahead of Isa Nacewa. He’s done that, and learned plenty of Nacewa too; counter attacking and robustly breaking tackles – his drop goals could prove a huge asset too.
Rob Kearney fends of Mauro Bergamasco. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Outside of our full back we have two of the finest finishers Ireland has produced since, well, since Brian O’Driscoll. Tommy Bowe had to go to Wales to perfect his craft, but Andy Trimble has proven that Ravenhill is just as good a finishing school. The way he sneaked past Alesana Tuilagi last month was breath-taking stuff and showed a clinical instinct that Doug Howlett – in his prime – would have been proud of.
The form guide
This was the first time that we have had three teams in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals. Unfortunately, only two of them can possibly make it into the semis. The form shown in the climactic final weeks of the group stages proves that there’s not a thing in Europe that should frighten an Irish team.
Unfortunately, actually winning in France remains a big mental hurdle for Ulster and Leinster, but the northern province went to face France’s finest in an absolute bear-pit in late January. They came out swinging and left with what they needed, if not what they wanted.
