BEFORE SATURDAY’S ENCOUNTER with Italy we heard the usual pre-match sound-bites from the Irish players and management.

We were all sure this would be “tough”, we knew it would be “a physical battle”, God knows it was forced down our throats that Italy would be “organised and motivated”.

We’ve heard it all before. They tell us every year, and then we go and beat them; usually courtesy of three or four tries in the last 20 minutes.  But this time around it seems they convinced themselves a little too hard that it was true.

Ireland, who started the game as 1/8 favourites, hardly played with the swagger and confidence that such heavy favourites would be expected to exhibit. The addition to the team of Heineken Cup form players such as Fergus McFadden and Sean O’ Brien should have added some much needed impetus into the team, but instead we were treated to more of the same stuttering and false starts that marred the autumn series and last year’s championship.

They say that form is temporary and class is permanent; but even the most optimistic of supporters would find it difficult to see a turnaround in the near future.

Ireland are playing with a lack of confidence and bravery. Players that are in the form of their lives with their provinces can’t throw simple passes under pressure with their country.

O’Driscoll, and in particular D’Arcy, will feel a little squirmish in their seats when the team sits down to analyse the recording. Ireland’s nO 13 should have provided debutant McFadden with a dream try after a rare flowing team movement, but instead he horribly overthrew into touch. D’Arcy will struggle to knock on as many balls in the remaining games combined. Fitzgerald provided glimpses of his promise as an international full-back, but was horribly out of position for the Italian try.

Italy, famous for having nothing much to write home about behind the scrum, showed Ireland how to attack from deep lines and provided quick hands and thinking in their try. It is baffling to think that Ireland, whose back-line has been lauded for years, must learn how to play attacking rugby from their Roman counterparts.

System failure

But it is over simplifying to point out individual mistakes by players as causes of the near defeat. The mistakes came about as the result of faults in the system, not in the individual. Ireland are not a balanced outfit. While the back-row combination of Leamy, Wallace and O’Brien had promise on paper; in reality it left Ireland devoid of destructive firepower. With each of them looking to get on the ball and make the big carries no one was left to hit the rucks and protect possession.

Scrum-half O’Leary struggled to get quick ball, and when he did he was left without his most attacking players as O’Driscoll or D’Arcy were forced to play the Richie McCaw role. The captain is consistently praised for his work in the breakdown, and so his enthusiasm and work ethic should be; but we don’t want to see him there. O’Driscoll should be seen attacking defences from deep at pace; not rucking or taking flat, slow ball.

O’Leary was arguably not the man to get the best out of this particular side, he might suit the territorial game often played by Munster; but he is not the man to create for a fast, mobile back-line.

Ireland have the players. The Heineken Cup shows, especially through the flying form of Leinster, that we can compete against the best. But the only way we can do this is if the right men are in the right positions. The current side is unbalanced and short of confidence; and change is necessary.