Sometimes, even the best laid plans can go awry, as destiny occasionally looks unfavourably upon a gamble, regardless of one’s meticulously thought out strategy. When Ireland’s head coach, Andy Farrell, decided to pick a bench with six forwards and only two backs, namely Ciarán Frawley and Conor Murray, he was hoping that unplanned changes to the backline would be kept to a minimum.
However, by the halfway point of the match, Ireland had already utilized all their backline alternatives as injuries took out two players. Six ready-to-play Irish forwards, clad in tracksuits, were now accompanied by two benched backs in dangers of being lost to the game entirely.
Ireland’s left wing, Calvin Nash, had his unfortunate run-in when he made an ill-advised tackle on Tommy Freeman, tossing the proverbial dice and coming up short. His technique proved wanting in the clash, and his resulted orientation after the collision left him vulnerable.
Despite his bravery and commitment, he was outclassed by his English counterpart, who not only survived the impact but managed to turn it into an advantage, resulting in a triumphant try for England’s centre, Ollie Lawrence.
After undergoing a failed Head Injury Assessment, Nash was substituted and his position was filled by Hugo Keenan, with Frawley stepping up as well. Keenan adapted to his old position on the left wing, where he had previously played early in his Test career. The new arrangement had Frawley and Keenan switching between defending the wing and the full back, with Frawley eventually settling into the latter role.
The challenge for the Irish team now lay in ensuring fluid communication between Frawley, Keenan, James Lowe and Jack Crowley when he recessed to the backfield, especially as they were struggling to find their groove.
Around the 30-minute mark, Frawley managed to catch high balls twice, the latter which provided an opportunity for his team to reset. Keenan also proved his mettle in his new role, creating a partnership with Robbie Henshaw to prevent George Furbank from scoring a try.
Keenan managed to pull off a remarkable catch following a box-kick from Jamison Gibson-Park, setting the stage for James Lowe’s initial score. The perfectly timed hand-off from Jack Crowley to Doris was breath-taking in its precision. Subsequently, skillful passing from Frawley to Lowe led to the decisive scoring move.
Although Ireland was generally inferior in the first half, they nonetheless led with a scoreline of 12-8 at half-time. However, they would require a bit of luck with regards to injuries. Their luck ran out just after the 50-minute mark, following Furbank’s try for England.
Frawley endured an ankle injury a mere minute and a half prior and was somewhat impaired in his attempt to halt the England fullback. His game came to an abrupt end when he reemerged from the tunnel five minutes later, tracksuit in hand.
Gibson Park was relocated to the wing in another tactical shift, where he performed impressively. Despite Ireland’s valiant efforts and Lowe’s second try bringing them tantalisingly close to a win, England delivered a decisive counterattack snatching the win. England prevailed for the majority of the match, proving their superior performance.
Sometimes the outcome is not tied to technique or strategy. In this case, Lady Luck didn’t favour Ireland – such is the nature of sports.