Insider info is a threat to Irish Grand Slam bid

Published on Friday 13 March 2009 21:15

Brewer and Steadman could be Scotland's hidden aces

THERE are few aspects of this Scotland team unknown to the Ireland coach Declan Kidney and his side as they bid to take a step closer to a historic Grand Slam at Murrayfield this evening.

Ireland go into this RBS Six Nations match as firm favourites, having beaten France, Italy and England, while Scotland have slowly pulled themselves up from the floor after the horror show against Wales with improvements against France and Italy.

The optimists among us believe there is promise within Frank Hadden's ranks, and supporters will be heartened by the return at last to the starting XV of Chris Paterson. But one victory, over Italy, will not have the Irish quaking in their boots as they try to keep the focus from sliding beyond tonight's 80 minutes and to a potential Grand Slam match with Wales in Cardiff next Saturday.

What the Irish are unsure of is just how much insider knowledge might be working in Scotland's favour in this penultimate match of the 2009 championship; the semi-final in their quest for a first Grand Slam since 1948. Kidney has had little problem in guiding his Munster teams to victory against Frank Hadden's Edinburgh and, more recently, the Scottish sides coached by Andy Robinson and Sean Lineen.

Alongside Hadden this week, however, are Mike Brewer and Graham Steadman, the latter responsible for hiding Ireland's weaknesses over the past two years and attacking Scotland's as Ireland's defence coach. Brewer, similarly, has spent much of the past three years trying to undermine Kidney and Munster as forwards coach at Leinster. Steadman spoke during the week of his year as Munster's defence coach and last two and a bit in the national camp, and Brewer, the former All Black back row, has a similar appetite for putting his close knowledge of the Ireland players to Scotland's advantage. He was reluctant yesterday to discuss where he believes Ireland are vulnerable, preferring to talk them up, perhaps for a fall.

"They've got a special group of players at the moment," he said. "I would say the significant difference is their players put a bit more pressure on each other as far as not accepting mediocrity and not accepting losing. There's a bit in the Scottish rugby psyche that feels a good performance is adequate. It's not, and we've got to move on from that."

However, he believes Scotland can win, and if not stating why, pinpointed where he feels the game will be determined.

"The game has moved even more to the collision," he said. "In my time in Ireland, the times we beat Munster was when we won the collision and this game basically comes down to that.

"Strategy in a lot of respects goes out the window when you're playing this current Irish side. They suffocate you and slowly build a lead through pressure. If you're indisciplined and give away points then Rog (Ronan O'Gara] nails them and all of a sudden they're nine points up.

"When you start playing catch-up rugby, their physicality in the collision comes into the game."

Ireland possess an experienced, battle-hardened pack, six coming from Munster, a team with Heineken Cup success in their locker. Stephen Ferris, the tall, explosive and hard-hitting Ulster flanker, adds punch to the back row and will be in the Lions' thoughts, while Rory Best's displacing of Jerry Flannery may have surprised some but the Ulster hooker is a hard, nuggety scrummager, who revels in the graft of the game.

His lineout work has to be targeted by what may be the best Scottish pack of the championship so far, Alasdair Dickinson stepping in for the injured Allan Jacobsen but overdue a run at loosehead prop, Euan Murray having a full Test under his belt now after injury and Jim Hamilton's return adding size, strength and confidence to the boiler-house.

The near 20-stone lock may not last the game, but Nathan Hines' presence on the bench is reassuring, and while Jason White has his critics he has been a key pilferer at the lineout and just as Hamilton's battle with Paul O'Connell will be central to this game, so will White's ability to challenge and undermine Donncha O'Callaghan.

John Barclay has to show he has learned from his early match-up with Welsh veteran Martyn Williams in facing another experienced flanker in David Wallace, while Simon Taylor needs to lift his performance after good, but not brilliant displays against the terrier Denis Leamy.

If Scotland had motored on from their autumn Test displays, there would be real confidence against an Irish side that deserves to lead the championship, but has been retreating into its shell the more a Grand Slam rears on the horizon. But they did not, so a large question mark hangs over Hadden's squad.

With Chris Cusiter unlucky not to return this week, a big game is required of Mike Blair at scrum-half. Peter Stringer returns for the visitors with a point to prove and will quicken the service to Ronan O'Gara, and their match-up with Blair and Phil Godman will also determine which attack sparks and which burns out quickly.

The one relatively unknown factor for Ireland is the Evans brothers, Max and Thom, – if Scotland can actually use them, rather than leave them in the peripheral roles they had against Italy. Scotland will attempt to dominate Ireland up front, but all the while with the intent to provide platforms for the backs to take Ireland on; asking questions of the newly returned Gordon D'Arcy, O'Driscoll and the relatively young but elusive back three.

Ireland expect balls to be kicked to Rob Kearney, Luke Fitzgerald and Tommy Bowe, and will ask them to run more back than they have so far. But as Ireland will bid to play more ball-in-hand, so must Scotland, as there is nothing more frustrating for O'Driscoll & company than to spend lengthy periods chasing the ball.

And frustration is key tonight. Kidney will have the Irish players focused on winning at all costs; forget fancy rugby, concentrate on the one-point win and worry about flowing tries later; discipline and Paterson's and O'Gara's goal-kicking hugely important, but, one feels, Scotland will need to give vent to their full attack and take risks if they are to derail Ireland's Grand Slam campaign.

Brewer added: "We've got the personnel to compete, and provide a platform and enough possession to win the game; the management of the game, with Mike (Blair] and Phil (Godman], if they are provided with that possession; and finally, it will come down to which team wants to win the game more – which team has got an eye on England, or on Wales, instead of on the collision that is in front of them."