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The world at their feet? By Michael O'Brien
The records books will show that Ireland lost both their rugby challenge
games in Argentina this summer but at the end of the day few will recall
the ins-and-outs of the mini-tour to South America.
They may however recall the impact made by a number of fringe players
in the Irish squad as the World Cup gets ever closer.
So who were the players to shine in an Irish jersey and are they good
enough to nail down a starting place in the Irish 15?
Jerry Flannery
Vying for perhaps the only World Cup shirt still up for grabs, Flannery
will make sure Rory Best is the least comfortable of the most recent Triple
Crown winners heading to France.
The Munster hooker’s trademark combatitive performance in his one
outing, the 22-20 first Test defeat, was one of the undoubted positives
to come out of the tour.
Flannery threw the ball as accurately as he threw his body fearlessly
on the line throughout. With equally tireless running, he continues to
inch closer to reclaiming the No.2 jersey.
Two seasons ago when Flannery became both a Triple Crown winner and European
champion his place in the Irish starting XV seemed in little doubt. But
such has been Best’s sheer consistency in taking advantage of his
rival’s autumn injury trouble, this is one race that won’t
be decided until the early hours of a September selectors meeting.
Brian Carney
A tour in which neither side showed their full hand before a vital showdown
for a third World Cup running became, for the Irish at least, all about
Brian Carney.
The former Great Britain rugby league international who was the top try
scorer in his last one-and-only season of the ultra-competitive Australian
league, continued to show his potency with a debut try in the opening
Test.
The intercepted score, in which he appeared to read Felipe Contepomi’s
mind before the Argentinean game-winner had even made it up, proved exactly
what the now Munster wing can bring to the World Cup party — something
different.
It’s unlikely that either Denis Hickie or Shane Horgan have any
major worries about their positions in the golden Irish backline but it’s
almost certain Carney will be in France competing at least. It’s
far likelier that it could be Andrew Trimble whose seat on the bench who
may be sacrificed for the 30-year-old jack-in-the-box.
Gavin Duffy
If the two Test defeats showed up one glaring worry, it’s Ireland’s
complete reliance on both Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy
to make the backline not just flourish but tick.
Injury to either man would probably all but end any serious World Cup
ambitions.
However if such a situation were to emerge at centre or indeed anywhere
in the backline — then Gavin Duffy has certainly played himself
into contention as a replacement.
Having won his first Irish cap on the wing the former Harlequin started
at full-back in the first Test and inside-centre in the second, rarely
looking out of place at either position.
On Saturday he turned in a solid centre’s display, while a week
earlier dealt exceptionally well with a barrage of Contepomi bombs over
the backline. The Connacht man may not even feature come World Cup time
but he should now at least be on the plane.
Alan Quinlan
On his 30-man squad for the World Cup, Eddie O’Sullivan said he
was 60 per cent sure of its members before the tour and is now 80 per
cent certain post-Argentina.
A large bulk of the remaining sleepless night-inducing 20 per cent is
likely to be taken up by all matters back row.
With Simon Easterby, David Wallace and Denis Leamy pencilled in as first
choice and Neil Best likely to remain number one replacement, the list
of those next in line is staggering.
Stephen Ferris, Keith Gleeson, Jamie Heaslip, Shane Jennings and Alan
Quinlan will be hoping O’Sullivan chooses a 16-14 squad split in
favour of the forwards, meaning at least two more back-row men can travel.
But if it is only to be one more then Quinlan, the try- scoring hero against
the Pumas four years ago, put in a second Test performance to ensure he’s
in pole position. |
