Hero to Zero

It’s not easy to become a hero. Harder still to remain one Particularly if you’re an Irish international rugby player. Two weeks ago they had to fight their way through hoardes of well wishers in the aftermath of the Welsh game. On Sunday they were able to make their way through Heathrow Airport almost totally unmolested. The odd, muted, good wish rang out. Who was it once said that a clap on the back is just eighteen inches from a kick up the rear.

Two weeks ago as we celebrated the six try-fest victory over Wales the question asked was, whether we were that good or were Wales that bad. Well, on that particular day, yes, we were that good. After Saturday’s game the same question was asked and the answer is that England were simply awesome. For most of the opening half they played a brand of rugby that no side would have lived with, in a manner that would have made any opposition, invidually or collectively, look poor.

They started the second half in similar vein, added fourteen points in as many minutes, before the Irish managed to stem the tide.

England took their foot off the pedal ? Yeh right !

At half time Clive Woodward asked his side to be ruthless, he told them ‘not to forget Dublin’, this was payback and the second half was meant to be record breaking time.

For the final 25 minutes, we kept the best team in the world, a side that started with seven Lions, scoreless. A side whose number 10 will find it very hard to surpass the masterclass performance he produced. So credit where it’s due and let’s take some solace from the final 25 minutes when we managed a try and might have had at least one more.

It’s probably too early for those with the long knives (short memories) to go for the management, so instead it’s ‘off with their heads’ for some of those who were feted a fortnight ago. This site was inundated with calls for change. Galwey must go, Clohessy too, Horgan instead of whoever, bring back Mother Theresa. Laughable really.

No, overall of course the team didn’t play well, individuals certainly underperformed and they’re honest enough to accept that. But those calling for wholesale changes deserve to be disappointed. If the players were good enough to be selected to play against England they’re good enough to play against Scotland and they deserve the chance to redeeem themselves.

So let’s cut out some of the nonesense that’s been spouted and give this side a break. They didn’t set out to disappoint. And who knows. We might be looking back in twelve months time and thinking ‘maybe it wasn’t so bad to be beaten by the world champions’.