Ireland's scoring power could be key

Simon Lewis
Ireland head coach Declan Kidney is correct in highlighting the similarities between his side’s and England’s improving form over this year’s RBS 6 Nations championship, even if the two camps began from very different starting points.

There is one other difference, however, and that has been their respective scores. The contrast in England and Ireland’s focus of attack will be a major point of interest in tomorrow’s showdown.

Having achieved the dubious honour of scoring only two tries in their first three games of 2012, even fewer than either Scotland or Italy, Stuart Lancaster’s new-look England broke out of their shells to defeat France in Paris 24-22 by three tries to one.

Five tries in four games is still way behind Ireland’s championship-leading 13 from two wins, a draw and a defeat but the nature of those scores is also markedly different to Kidney’s team.

England’s first two tries came from Charlie Hodgson charge downs to seal narrow wins over Scotland and Italy while the three against France were not so much products of expansive rugby but of direct, hard running.

Manu Tuilagi’s opener from midfield was a brilliant, power-packed run from 30 metres out while Ben Foden’s try was reward for a great supporting run on number eight Ben Morgan’s shoulder.

The third was perhaps the pick of the bunch and ironically came from a forward, flanker Tom Croft’s solo effort to slide past Aurelien Rougerie and wrong-foot full-back Clement Poitrenaud. That was enough to give a full-back palpitations although Kearney has done his homework.

“I think their forwards are creating a lot more tries,” Kearney said this week.

“They are a big physical side and they like to take on teams up front. I think that has how they have won a lot of their games in the Six Nations.

“Okay, obviously they do have some good firepower in places out in the backline. Hopefully we can control them this weekend and defend them like other teams have and try and limit your Ashtons and Fodens to as few tries as possible.”

Like Ashton, Kearney is yet to get on the scoresheet but his contributions have been considerable in Ireland’s evolving backline play under Kidney’s attack coaching triumvirate of Les Kiss, Mark Tainton and Merv Murphy.

Of the 13 tries scored just three have come from forwards while Tommy Bowe’s second try in Paris was straight out of the top drawer in terms of expansive rugby as Ireland ran it from deep inside their 22, found the wing hugging the touchline on halfway and  watched the Ulster-bound Bowe chip Poitrenaud and finish superbly.

“I think we are improving,” Kearney said, “we are scoring more tries, of all the teams in the Six Nations we’ve scored the most tries, so that’s a good thing.

“Our backs are scoring lots of tries, I think we’ve improved in the green zone area, in the opposition 22, we are starting to put a few more tries away there and be a bit more clinical.

“So I’d say in terms of that we probably are [evolving], as that was one area where we fell down hugely against Wales in the World Cup quarter-final, we got a lot of ball in their 22 and just couldn’t turn any of it into points.”

Not that try counts matter too much if you are heading into the final game with nothing to play for but pride, added Kearney.

“It probably just highlights your discipline and your defensive errors a little bit more. When I hear a stat like that that’s probably the first thing that jumps out at me.”

“We know we lost the Welsh game with a poor defensive display and France kicked more penalties than we did. So I suppose defence and discipline are probably the two shortfalls of this Six Nations.”

 

Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/WITdXlBN5nM/post.aspx

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