Former Irish internationals Ralph Keyes, Ciaran Fitzgerald and Ollie Campbell tell the Irish Times' Gerry Thornley what Ireland did wrong and how they can progress after going so close against France.
"Imagine, for a moment, that Seán Cronin holds on to that fateful 78th-minute pass from Brian O’Driscoll against the French last Sunday. Ireland recycle the ball off Cronin and, as they had done in four multi-phase attacks inside the visitors 22 (including the over-ruled Luke Fitzgerald try early on), eventually cross the whitewash again. We’d have been heralding a famous four-tries-to-one Irish win and there would already be muted talk of a Grand Slam.
"It would be full steam ahead with the running game, but of course, on such wafer thin lines are many Test matches decided, and this is a results business. But in the fall-out from the infuriating defeat to France, there has been exasperation and sympathy rather than condemnation for the Irish team.
“Definitely one that got away, for sure,” says Ollie Campbell. “To score three tries to one and lose by three points, oh that will hurt. That will hurt for a little while.”
"As Campbell acknowledges, the championship is probably out of reach already given how England boosted their points difference against an Italian team who suffered a hangover from their near-miss against Ireland and optimistically went for a more attacking but strictly non-tackling outhalf in Luciano Orquera."
RSS feed
