The junkies in the stands call for Kidney’s head

When the Irish Six Nations campaign kicked off in Cardiff at the start of February, a nervous sense of excitement was in the air. After a promising November series, the Irish supporters had cause for optimism. A narrow loss against South Africa, was followed by two convincing wins over Fiji and Argentina. When the curtain came down on a relatively successful November series, all eyes became firmly fixated on the first week of February and the beginning of the 2013 Six Nations.

Following the success of the Irish provinces in the European cup, many fans began to wonder if the glory days of 2009 were on the horizon once more. The success-addicted rugby-junkies had gone cold-turkey over the last couple of years,  and could feel their addiction nearing the surface once more. As Six Nations fever began to edge ever closer, thoughts of another Grand Slam began to spread throughout pubs in Ireland. The pandemic was back and the Heineken dealers in Dublin 4 were back on the take. One by one, the rugby-junkies emerged from their hideouts. Tossing hurleys and soccer balls to the ground, they were ready to go back on the ‘gear’, albeit this time it was of the Puma type.

Rugby-fever was as contagious as Italia ’90 and as promising as a young Katie Taylor. The people wanted a Six Nations to remember and sadly, that was what they got.

The game in Cardiff began in the best possible fashion,  with new kid on the block Simon Zebo touching down for a memorable try. Scores from the boot of Jonathan Sexton and a Cian Healy try followed, giving Ireland a commanding 23-3 lead at half-time. Wales were shell-shocked, Ireland were in dreamland. On that first-half performance, Irish hopes of a Grand Slam did not seem so far-fetched. When Brian O’ Driscoll went over for another Irish try, the rugby junkies in the stands were visibly riding a thrill that had not been experienced for a long time. Ireland were back.

However, with all highs there must be a low, and down came Ireland. Wales began to batter the Irish line. It seemed that the Irish heads were already back in Dublin envisioning the visit of England. Wales scored three tries, but Ireland escaped with a win.The sound of the referee blowing the final whistle was as much a relief than a cause for celebration. An excellent first-half performance, somehow turned into a terrible second-half showing. None of that mattered to the junkies in the stands however, as they looked forward to getting their next hit in the form of England’s arrival to the Aviva.

Sadly, the lows of the second-half performance in Cardiff showed no signs of disappearing as a lacklustre Ireland fell short against the old enemy. 6-12 England read the scoreline, but in truth it was never in doubt. The Irish rugby junkies were feeling sick to their stomachs, reeling from a bad batch so cruelly delivered by the boot of Owen Farrell.

Alas, all was not lost and hopes turned towards a possible championship victory. It was nowhere near as satisfying as the feel of a Grand Slam, but good preparation for the chills and spills of cold turkey that awaited Irish rugby addicts in the troubling gap between the Six Nations and the Lions Tour.

Up next was a game in Murrayfield against a physical Scottish side. The build-up was dominated by the decision of Declan Kidney to nominate Ronan O’ Gara as the sacrificial lamb and feed him to the pack of snarling media wolves by bringing in Paddy Jackson. Kidney knew it was a big decision and seemingly shattering the confidence of a 128-cap veteran was the act of a man desperately clinging on to the edge of his IRFU career.

The decision backfired, as the lack of confidence in Paddy Jackson’s kicking led to missed opportunities and kicks to touch when a strike at the posts would have been the better option. Despite dominating Scotland with nearly 80% possession, Ireland somehow left Murrayfield on the wrong side of a crushing loss.

It is said that an addict is most dangerous when it is strung-out. As the effects of their stimulant wears off, addicts can transform into vicious people. This was evident in the aftermath of the Scotland loss, with calls for Declan Kidney’s head engulfing every media outlet. The Irish coach had been the provider of so many great hits for Irish rugby junkies  in the past, but that was all forgotten. The dealer’s supply had run out, and with it so did people’s faith in his ability. Declan Kidney’s days are numbered and it looks like one or two new dealers are ready to set up in Lansdowne Road.

SPORT IS EVERYTHING. Richard Barrett.

A Scrumptious Battle Ahead- 6 Nations 2013

It is that time of year again. Spring is beginning to break through the Winter’s sky. Cue the Six Nations. November brought mixed fortune for Europe’s elite, and teams look to either carry on their momentum or set the record straight. Throw an approaching Lions Tour into the mix and it makes for a mouth-watering prospect.

Hopes, if not expectations, are high in the Ireland camp. A solid Autumn Series has laid a platform for Declan Kidney’s charges to launch an assault on the Championship. Tommy Bowe, Stephen Ferris and Richardt Strauss aside, Ireland go into the Wales game with a clean bill of health. A new wing partnership of Simon Zebo and Craig Gilroy will be the only major shake-up from last year. They look set to challenge the defences of Europe, and they will score tries. All four provinces had wins on the final match-day of the Heineken Cup which should see them traveling to Cardiff with a pep in the step. Should they overcome the Welsh, the path becomes a bit clearer. They have England and France at home; the former have not come out of Dublin with 2 points in the 6 Nations since 2003, whereas that year was the last year the French were beaten at Landsdowne Road, which makes for a happy hunting ground for Les Blues. Kidney and co are due a big year. Watch this space.

The dust still hasn’t settled on England’s resounding win against the All Blacks in November, having lost the two previous games versus Australia and South Africa. Stuart Lancaster’s charges are tipped by many for the Grand Slam, but with trips to Dublin and Cardiff ahead of them, it may not be all so simple. Owen Farrell is the key man for them. They fought fire with fire against New Zealand and came out on top, but the Northern Hemisphere game is a different entity entirely. The out-half is the key role in the European game. No team has won a Grand Slam without their number 10 firing on all cylinders. He must make sure he nails his kicks; the ability to release the likes of Ashton and Tuilagi is redundant should he miss from the placed ball. We saw this side of him on his visit to Thomond Park earlier in the season. If he ticks, England will tick; and if England tick, they will take some stopping.

The other obvious contender for the title are France. Les Blues displayed a tour de force in November, swatting aside Australia and Argentina before stuttering to a labouring win over Samoa, which raises the age-old question; which France will turn up on the day? Over the last few years, we have seen the good, the bad and the ugly from the French. They lost to Italy on their last visit to Rome, but marched onto the World Cup Final a few months later. Pascal Pape takes over the captaincy and he will need everything his colleagues have to offer in their arsenal if the French are to claim the title for the first time since 2010. With daunting trips to Dublin and London, it would be a deserved title for Phillipe Saint-Andre’s men if they could pull it off.

For a team defending a Grand Slam, very few fancy the Welsh. Having been whitewashed in the Autumn, they must regroup to find that free flowing rugby which saw them power through the competition last year. If they get it right, the big running backs will be a threat to anyone, and few can cope with the power and pace of Alex Cuthbert, George North and Jamie Roberts. However, there is a feeling that it is simply not their year, and should they lose to Ireland on the opening day, things could start slipping very quickly with a visit to Paris the following week. They will not be happy with it, but having already slipped outside of the top 8 in the World Rankings, they could be looking at finishing in the bottom half of the table here too.

Scotland finally parted ways with Andy Robinson, after a disastrous three games before Christmas, culminating in a humiliating loss to Tonga at home. Scott Johnson has come in as interim coach to try steady the ship. A win at home against Italy is a must. From there, it is difficult to see where Scotland are going to get their wins from. Home fixtures against Ireland and Wales look their best bets, but 5th would be a good return for them having got the Wooden Spoon in 2012.

Italy must be tired of being the nearly men of Europe. Having just missed out against the touring Australians two months ago, Jacques Brunel’s charges are agonisingly close to finding the break-through. Having not gone through a tournament without a win since 2009, Sergio Parisse and co are making strides in the right direction. Competing in the Rabo Direct Pro 12, most of the players will be used to playing against the top players on a weekly basis. Italy are becoming an increasingly tricky proposition in Rome, and do not rule them out to grab another win against the traveling Irish, Welsh or French.

You cannot win the Six Nations Championship in the opening two rounds, but you can certainly lose it, and it is a vital springboard for success. There will be thrills and spills, cheers and jeers, and plenty of tries. It is the greatest rugby competition on the planet. Enjoy.

SPORT IS EVERYTHING. Brian Barry.