Just ahead of the team, the crowd had sensed the outcome. As the final stages of Ireland’s competition unfolded, with Ryan Baird launching into another carry and recycle, The Fields Of Athenry started to echo from the stands. Even while Bundee Aki and James Lowe shouted, gestured, and resist accepting victory prematurely, their fans had seen enough. With cameras in hand, supporters rose in anticipation, their confidence unshakeable.
The moment the ball went sailing into Row Z through Lowe’s kick, the Irish squad melded into their spectators’ fervor. Their fatigue and weariness visible, something expected. They had just achieved consecutive championships, a World Cup squeezed in between, an unprecedented feat in the era of the Six Nations. It must have seemed as if they’d been competing round-the-clock, their abilities perpetually tested, with unceasing pressure.
Now, despite claiming their completion as Europe’s undefeated top team, queries remain. It was apparent that this wasn’t a flawless performance from Andy Farrell’s men. Their game was littered with blunders, struggling more than necessary to send the Scots packing. When Jack Crowley initiated the play following Huw Jones’ try, a single error could have tipped the balance in Scotland’s favor, confronting them with only 14 players. It needn’t have been so close-run.
Nevertheless, champions they remain. Having confronted the harshest tests, they emerged with accolades and celebrations. Their aim for 2025 is a groundbreaking three-in-a-row in the tournament’s history.
So, what’s the final inference? At some point during the past week, it became a common expectation to pose the question of this Irish team’s greatness. Debating the issue might appear fruitless when there isn’t an absolute answer. But the persistent desire to label and define, even if it takes away from living and enjoying the present, is understandable when considering this specific Irish team.
Although the World Cup couldn’t ascertain it and neither could this Six Nations, it may not be feasible to perceive oneself as a magnificent team if monumental matches are won (against South Africa and France) yet several others are lost (against New Zealand, England). However, conversely, it’s worth noting that this is only the third Irish team in history to secure consecutive championships. Consequently, if this isn’t a marvel, what can we infer about the previous teams? Were they simply respectable teams or mediocre at best? Such speculations tend to turn trivial rather quickly.
More relevantly, a team never remains static; it’s always evolving. To imply there’s a persisting team called ‘Ireland’ would be incorrect. The squad that played here with Scotland, and the one that competed last week in Twickenham, including the team that participated in the World Cup, and all the other formations are unique in their own right. It’s a constant sentiment of Farrell, who perceives his team as an ongoing journey.
Isolated to the backline in this context, Ireland were missing out on players like Mack Hansen, Hugo Keenan, Jimmy O’Brien, and Ciarán Frawley. Keith Earls and Johnny Sexton decided to hang up their boots post the World Cup. In the final calculation, Harry Byrne was handed the responsibilities of the outhalf and Jack Crowley was given the role of fullback- as the game had to go on even with Byrne in the sinbin leading Crowley to step back to the 10, but you see the point, don’t you? Digressing from whether or not this is a formidable Irish team, exactly who are we focusing on?
Farrell made it clear post-game, “Change is inevitable each year when we consider players and injuries,”. He added, “Staff members often rotate, with some coming and going. Last week’s defeat, in my opinion, turned things around for us. A selection of these players, albeit unwittingly, have grown accustomed to tasting victory. But, what makes the Six Nations unique and why it’s challenging to complete a Grand Slam is the variability that occurs on a weekly basis. Players give it their all every match.
“Speaking about the lads who are unaccustomed to defeat – I’m yet to question them – there’s a possibility they might arrive for matches with the mindset, ‘We are acing it’. But, in reality, during the tournament of Six Nations, nothing is ever definite. The match last week was a rigorous assessment, just as it ought to be. And tonight was no different, a legitimate test.”
While Ireland deservedly triumphed, their path to victory was littered with errors, the type that draws scrutiny from nitpickers. One might question whether a truly outstanding squad would mishandle as many scoring opportunities as the Irish did. Would a top-notch team repeatedly fumble or concede as many penalties? Would they linger in the foe’s territory for most of the second half, leaving the game’s outcome uncertain till its final phases?
Ireland might fall short of the elusive ‘greatness’ label, but as they clinch another Six Nations title, they’re sufficiently competent to get the job done, until a truly great team emerges.