
WHILE the full-time score in the Aviva probably flattered England, it didn’t look like things were going to pan out that way in the first half. The general consensus ahead of the game was that an Irish win was a certainty but I was less convinced. Though they lost three out of four in a terrible November series, England had looked like a side who could beat anyone but who lacked the stamina and composure to do so.
Their current problems can be traced directly back to the acrimonious departure of Felix Jones from the set up in August 2024. Felix handed in his notice because he didn’t see himself staying there long-term. A disastrous bit of news for Borthwick and the RFU, who had hired him seven months earlier, but these things happen in professional sport.
The mature and measured approach would have been to have him work through a transition period where he could continue to implement the defensive system that saw the Springboks win back-to-back World Cups, and which already started to pay dividends, while teeing things up for a successor to take over. Instead, they took the nuclear option and jettisoned him from camp, sending him into exile for an undefined period of time.
They haven’t managed an 80-minute performance since then and their defence has been a disaster. Despite suffocating Ireland at times on Saturday and stifling their momentum by catching them behind the gain line, England ran out of steam in the third quarter through a combination of fatigue, poor decision-making and a general lack of cohesion in their defensive line.
A system is neither useful nor sustainable if you can only stick with it for part of a game and while I still don’t think they are a long way off, England, with the embarrassment of riches they possess, still haven’t found a way to click.
But what of an Irish team that was also coming off the back of a lacklustre Autumn series, albeit one that still looked decent on paper? A bonus point win against the old enemy is pretty much all you could ask for to kick off a tournament and while it wasn’t a perfect performance, Ireland will be happy with most of what we saw. There was significant pressure on the pack to get the set piece right and they delivered in abundance, winning 100% of their 23 lineouts – a tournament record – and seven scrums.
23 lineouts is an inordinate number to be given in a test match and this actually reflects how much of a thorn in Ireland’s side the lineout has been over the last while. If teams see their opponents’ lineout as a major threat, they will try to keep the ball in play and avoid giving them the platform. If they see it as a weakness, they will be happier to kick to touch and have a cut off turning it over.
For reference, France and England had the next highest number in the round with 15. You often see a tendency to complicate lineouts for the sake of it in today’s game and so it was refreshing to see Ireland go back to basics on Saturday. According to the smart ball data, Ireland won 19 of their 23 balls at or near the front, with an average distance thrown of just six metres.

This was the right approach to take after what has been a significant period of stuttering and inconsistency out of touch. They set their stall out with Ryan Baird walking to the front and going straight up in the first set piece of the day. More of that please. Get your hooker into the game, get the ball in and out and put everyone at ease. I’ve always been a big believer in taking the low hanging fruit and it doesn’t get much easier than that.
Speaking of hookers, there is understandably a lot of focus on our out-halves at the moment and how lucky we are to have two exceptional talents in the same position. Sometimes we overlook the fact that we are similarly spoiled in the middle of the front row. Rónan Kelleher and Dan Sheehan are both world-class operators with contrasting profiles that complement one another beautifully.
While both are skilful, ball-handling hookers, Kelleher is more of a traditional operator, abrasive and comfortable in tight exchanges. Sheehan, on the other hand, is like having a fourth backrow in the team. Not just any backrow either, an Ardie Savea, Justin Tipuric type who will make line breaks and create and score tries.
Sheehan’s bonus point try against England was his ninth in the Six Nations, placing him joint-top of the list of forwards in the history of the competition. Not bad for a guy who made his tournament debut just three years ago. The try in question encapsulated everything that sets Sheehan apart from other hookers and what arguably makes him the best in the world at the moment.
Sheehan starts the entire move with a no-look tip on to Jack Conan before contact to put him through a gap. After getting back to his feet he pulls width and gets deep enough to take a pass of Robbie Henshaw, who is out the back of the forward pod. He throws a 20-metre skip pass to James Lowe, then shows his anticipation by continuing to track the play upfield.

When Lowe breaks Tommy Freeman’s tackle on the touchline, Sheehan is ready to accelerate and be an option on his inside and when he gets his opportunity, powers into the space, breaks Marcus Smith’s tackle and finish impressively to make it the perfect return to international rugby. Having three key involvements that include starting and finishing a try is something we rarely see even from playmakers, let alone front rows.
Sheehan is 26 and Kelleher turned 27 less than two weeks ago, meaning all going well these guys will be around for another six or seven years at least. Given tight forwards often don’t peak until they hit 30, we should be excited about what this combination will grow into in the coming years. Sheehan is probably first choice but the way things are nowadays, one will play 50 and the other 30.
It’s not starters and reserves anymore but starters and finishers. Even if Sheehan is perceived as the better individual, the way he impacted the game off the bench on Saturday shows how in certain situations, he might be better positioned as someone you can spring from the dugout to run riot and turn a game on its head with half an hour to go.
Most of the discussion around selection in this tournament is going to revolve around the number ten jersey. Sam Prendergast had some excellent moments and key involvements in attack but his performance was far from an emphatic statement that he will be the rightful owner of the jersey for the foreseeable future. Sprinkled among the good stuff was some loose kicking, inaccuracy off the tee and questionable decision-making.
Jack Crowley had an excellent final quarter after entering the fray and looked the more composed and experienced of the two as he steered Ireland into command of the game. He has had multiple gauntlets thrown down to him over the last few months and it is testament to his character that he has met every challenge head on.
I’m sure he will take great heart from his performance at the weekend and hopefully, he gets a fair crack of the whip in the coming weeks.