The first thing that needs to be pointed out about emerging Ireland’s vexed three-match tour of South Africa is that it was never part of the original plan for the current four-year World Cup cycle. It has been imposed on all four provinces as part of and by extension the United Rugby Championship – following Ireland’s hugely successful tour of New Zealand last summer.
Andy Farrell, the Irish management and the IRFU were fully vindicated on the merits of the two extra games against New Zealand Maori on top of the three Test series.
Of the 42 players (including Michael Bent) who were eventually brought to New Zealand, 25 of them took part in both Māori games and of these, 16 did not take part in either of the tests. These matches were an invaluable investment in the growth of players such as Ciarán Frawley, Craig Casey, Joe McCarthy, Cian Prendergast, Nick Timoney, Gavin Coombes. Hopefully the benefits will trickle down to the World Cup, which was the main focus for the tour expansion.
Therefore, based on this experience and the pinnacle of their series win over the All Blacks, the Irish management and IRFU were of the view to expose another layer of players to the Irish coaches, training methods and playing style in a touring environment.
[ Excellent displays aplenty as Emerging Ireland easily beat Griquas ]
“This tour of emerging Ireland is of vital strategic importance in a Rugby World Cup year,” said IRFU Performance Director David Nucifora.
Farrell also said: “This opportunity provides another window for players to develop and show that they can thrive in the intensity of a home environment.”
You can understand the reasoning. No doubt Farrell will learn a lot as an interested observer, as will Simon Easterby, Paul O’Connell and Mike Catt coaching the 35-man squad currently in South Africa, most of them for the first time. , and that the players themselves will be grateful for this opportunity.
However, the vital strategic importance of the tour was rather undermined by the quality of the opposition, judging by the first of three games last Friday. The Griquas side that faced Ireland were just three from the starting XV and seven from Matchday 23 which lost the Currie Cup final to Pumas (Ireland’s next opponents on Wednesday) 26-19 in June.
It was indeed a Griquas B/C team. The level of opposition that the Irish provinces have faced and will continue to face in the same period of time is of an altogether superior quality.
“It will put a bit of pressure on our player resources,” Nucifora also admitted at the time of the squad announcements. Yet this “stress” has been absorbed entirely by the provinces, to varying degrees, and the All-Ireland League. The squad in South Africa has a more even geographical spread than would be the case for a senior tour, with a dozen players from Leinster, 10 each from Munster and Ulster, and six from Connacht.
Ironically, however, given their strength in depth, Leinster were arguably the least damaged. Indeed, the tour may have even contributed to Leo Cullen fielding strong squads in home wins against Benetton and away wins against Ulster, although the loss of a dozen players has undoubtedly doubt affected his selection planning.
Ulster, on the other hand, may have taken the biggest hit and in light of that easy 54-7 win over Griquas B/C, wouldn’t Robert Baloucoune have been better served playing away against the Scarlets and especially at home against Leinster in a top of the table derby last Friday night, as well as next Saturday’s game against the Ospreys? Wouldn’t it be the same for Tom Stewart, Nathan Doak, Ethan McIlroy and Stewart Moore, who would also have participated in these games and would have at least been on the bench at Kingspan Stadium last Friday evening? This is now more relevant given Jacob Stockdale’s ankle injury and Rob Herring’s concussion.
Just as pertinently, especially given Aaron Sexton’s difficult evening and Herring’s 23rd-minute departure, if Baloucoune started and the others were on the bench, could Ulster have completed their comeback with a draw? or even by imposing?
We dare that Graham Rowntree of Munster would have been least inclined to vent his frustration with Farrell, given his working relationship and friendship with the Irish head coach, and Catt as well, and being the newest head coach with his head on the block. .
A positive consequence was that Conor Phillips made his senior debut and Patrick Campbell his URC debut, while another academy player, 18-year-old striker Ruadhan Quinn, became the youngest player to s line up in a competitive game for Munster in the professional. era with his catchy, hard-on-the-bench cameo.
Yet if Diarmuid Barron, Tom Ahern, John Hodnett, Shane Daly and Calvin Nash had been available for the past two weeks, could Munster have beaten the Dragons rather than losing to them last Sunday? Could they have saved a fourth try bonus point in another painful second-half failure to score a point against Zebre last Saturday in Cork?
We’ll never know. These are hypothetical questions, but it is not unreasonable to suggest that this tour of emerging Ireland materially influenced URC games.
Connacht were perhaps the least affected, though remembering Caolin Blade would have been lost to them on the Emerging Ireland tour injury-free. Already denied Mack Hansen, Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham and Cian Prendergast for their URC opener in Ulster, this quartet were able to play away against Stormers, Prendergast and Dylan Tierney-Martin starting this game before to join emerging Ireland. crew. Neither against the Griquas, although they presumably will against the Pumas, but wouldn’t they have done better playing against the Bulls last Friday and Connacht’s upcoming home derbies against Munster and Leinster?
There lies another snag. After taking on the Cheetahs next Sunday, the emerging Ireland side won’t return to Ireland until next Tuesday, which could also make some of them doubtful for Round 5 of the URC.
The IRFU is also part of this competition, and the URC caught it off guard and said nothing. Yet however IRFU dresses it, this tour has also devalued the URC. And however it is dressed, will this tour really affect a possible World Cup quarter-final in 54 weeks against France or the All Blacks?
#Gerry #Thornley #Emerging #Ireland #tour #devalued #URC
