It’s not crazy to think this might be the last ever Six Nations ‘A’ international. A sobering thought, one of the negative after-effects of professionalism. Every year we lament the loss of the tradition, and this year even more so with only this solitary offering as the Wolfhounds host the Saxons. With Scotland pulling out and Italy before them, is this opportunity gone the way of the dodo?
If this is to be the end, at least it should be a memorable one, with both sides fielding their strongest lineups in recent memory, with a World Cup carrot dangling underneath the goal posts. This game won’t buy anyone a ticket, but it might just get their foot in the door, and with numerous injuries hampering both nations it could mean a very rapid elevation into the senior side over the coming days and weeks.
Ireland, in fact, have opted to field a ridiculously strong side with 7 of the side that faced Georgia in November and the rest upgrades if anything. Iain Henderson and Sean O’Brien return to the green jersey after months on the sidelines and both will know that a strong showing will put them right into contention to face Italy next Saturday. Henderson looked excellent in an hour-long shift against Leicester this past weekend, his first match of any kind since May of last year, while Lions tourist O’Brien has only had a few minutes with Leinster reserves since the first week of September. With Chris Henry’s future uncertain and Stephen Ferris already on the alumni list, the ‘Tullow Tank’ is an absolutely vital component of any Irish assault on Webb Ellis.
Speaking of Lions tourists, incredibly there are three others in the Wolfhounds run-on side. A veteran of both the ’05 and ’09 tours, Gordon D’Arcy gets a start for some meaningful game time, while two ‘forgotten’ Lions reappear alongside. Neither Luke Fitzgerald nor Keith Earls have made a test appearance since 2013, and in some respects it’s amazing that either are still in any position to challenge for another given their horrendous injury record since the halcyon days. With numerous challengers now both in the midfield and on the wing, it’s hard to see either really getting another crack, but at the ripe old age of 27 apiece they may yet have some miles left in the tank.
Elsewhere the favoured starting props for the Azzurri match, Jack McGrath and Mike Ross, also get a run around. A pair of New Zealanders, Michael Bent and Nathan White, provide cover on the bench and should get a fair bit of time, with the latter a good bet to take part in the senior tourney if he comes through unscathed. Ian Madigan gets first dibs on the no10 jersey, and with Jonny Sexton still on the shelf it’s a real opportunity to jump the line ahead of slight betting favorite Ian Keatley, left out of the match day roster.
Surging Leinster prospect Jack Conan makes his senior representative debut after impressing at every level thus far. A big, physical runner, as befits his name, the 22-year-old has already put in a couple man-of-the-match performances as a stand-in for Jamie Heaslip, and looks a ready-made successor at both club and country for his provincial captain, or perhaps even a competitor if he continues to take his chances.
Of course most of the talk heading into this game has surrounded the rather large persona occupying the no12 jersey for the Saxons. It surprised no-one to see him named, with Stuart Lancaster voicing his intention to blood Sam Burgess even before he ever took his first steps in rugby union. It would be a bit indulgent to declare his performances thus far as impressive. Arousing perhaps, but not compelling. Burgess has certainly made a statement with his physicality, but we already knew about that part of his game. In Cork he’ll be up against two Lions centres. That should give us a much better idea of how he’s adjusting to the complexities of midfield defense.
Setting aside the obvious, there are a few other questions to be answered from the English. Matt Garvey is another giant tearing up trees at Bath, and at last gets his chance to wear the red rose. Though he is usually seen on the blindside flank, he’s clearly seen as a second row by the England management, hardly surprising given his bulk. It’s his impressive mobility for such a massive unit, however, that makes him stand out and allows him to excel as a back row. Equally unique are his abilities at the breakdown. There aren’t a lot of second rows walking around at test level who win turnovers with any regularity.
Henry Slade is another captivating selection, so too Ollie Devoto, unfortunately on the bench but sure to see game time. They have striking similarities – both are flyhalves who have played largely in the midfield at their club, both are tall with long strides but surprising footwork, both are left footed goal kickers. Devoto is the bigger of the two but mostly a reserve at Bath, Slade a little more refined and firmly established as first choice at Exeter. There are more than a few who think either or both would look very much at home in an England shirt sooner rather than later.
A couple others worth keeping tabs on are out wide. England’s wing troubles are well documented, and Marland Yarde has underachieved since moving to Harlequins this season. Months ago most would have pegged him to be starting against Wales next weekend, but on form Jonny May is clearly ahead, and Yarde has some catching up to do. Chris Ashton is a Lancaster special on the right wing. How he finds himself ahead of the spectacular Christian Wade is anyone’s guess. The rest of England has moved on from Ashton, it’s a shame the England management haven’t gotten over that hump just yet.
Sure it’s only a one-off, and the scratch nature of the sides mean that defensive patterns will be sketchy and phase play will be off the cuff, but the unpredictability combined with the undeniable class on either side of the ball make this one well worth watching. Trying to guess which side wins almost doesn’t matter, since the result is ostensibly meaningless, but don’t tell the players or coaches that. Even a mild psychological blow is one worth sending.
Given the disparity in test experience it’s hard to imagine Ireland losing, and a gap of around 15 points sounds reasonable. However, allowing for random bits of genius from the young English reserves and adjusting for a spot of wet weather, maybe Wolfhounds by 8 looks more likely.
IRELAND ‘A’ vs ENGLAND ‘A’
Friday, January 30, 19:45 GMT, Cork
Referee: Neil Hennessy (WRU)
Assistants: Simon Rees (WRU) & Stuart Kibble (WRU)
TMO: Gareth Simmonds (WRU)
