THE worst day of Stuart Lancaster’s time as manager of England was that 30-3 walloping suffered at the hands of Wales in 2013. On that day his Grand Slam dreams disappeared. That misery will seem as nothing in comparison should Wales win again on September 26th at Twickenham.
Yesterday the prospects of another awful defeat increased – if Warren Gatland has the guts to go against the better part of his career long judgement as Welsh manager and start Justin Tipuric in the open-side jersey against England.
The man who has been the quietly suffering understudy to the injury-hampered Sam Warburton made only his 12th start in Dublin. The other 19 caps have been off the replacements bench. Warburton is a fine player and leader in his own rights and the Osprey is undoubtedly a tempting talent to throw into the fray as an impact substitute when the game breaks up.
But such is his form that to not pick him to play from the beginning is to waste the 60 or 65 minutes he prowls the touch line. Perhaps because of his dazzling handling and running skills the Welsh management are blinded to the basic work where he more than plays his part.
A dazzler more than a digger but if he is three quarters the player in the tight that he is in the loose it still makes him an amazing act. English fans remember the glitzy stuff from 2013 when he and Warburton combined to destroy England. Warburton switched to the blind side, Tipuric rampaged from the open side. Wales have not performed as well under Gatland, before or since.
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While England are struggling to find the formula to winning at the breakdown without one specialist included in their five back-row forwards, Wales have the option of fielding two of the best in these parts, in tandem. Just as Australia beat New Zealand with the twin threats of Michael Hooper and David Pocock terrorising their opponents at the point of contact, so Wales can give themselves a great chance to dominate this vital aspect of the game against England and hold their own against Australia.
To do this the manager would need to drop Dan Lydiate to the bench, something he has been loath to do throughout his span in charge. Gatland even changed a winning Lions side, in Melbourne against the Wallabies two years ago, to include Lydiate. If there is a physical battle to be won, then Lydiate is Gatland’s go-to man.
The blind side and his chop tackles are crucial to Wales’ efforts in the tight but with Tipuric making tackles around the ankles, waist and shoulders he offers grunt and grind, tackles and turnovers. England will be hoping that the well balanced back row of Warburton, Lydiate and Toby Faletau are named to face them, anything but those twin open sides.
Tipuric scored one try and he saved another, he made countless important tackles, key turnovers and scavenged on anything loose either on the floor or ricocheting off catchers. He did everything barring one of those trademark breaks and passes for which he is renowned in some quarters, distrusted in others. This was the most impressive individual performance of the warm up games. It could be the most important too, if Gatland trusts his eyes. It was quite a way to ruin Paul O’Connell’s Ireland farewell.
It had to be some performance to take the spotlight from another man who might – or might not – have a significant role to play in the melee of the World Cup back-row battles. Iain Henderson played second row and illustrated his diverse talents in the line out, as a carrier, as a defender and as a powerful counter rucker.
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Yet Ireland struggled at times in the line out and the necessity of Devon Toner’s all but seven feet were obvious for all to see. Henderson is best suited to Ireland’s requirements in his more usual and more familiar blind-side position.
Here is the conundrum for Joe Schmidt. The regular No 6, Peter O’Mahony, is one of those craggy workhorses who do so much work in the tight. He is an expert at the choke tackle, but there again Henderson is not bad either. He makes countless tackles but then again, so does Henderson and Mahony doesn’t have the football skills to take the line Henderson picked for his try or release others into space with those deft Ulster hands.
Paul O’ Connell, Toner and Henderson offer variety in the line out that will help an Irish set piece that struggled yesterday as it did in Cardiff in last season’s Six Nations. When Ireland face France they will be under enormous pressure at the scrum.
They have the guile and football vision to overcome that as long as they do not capitulate in the other set piece. Henderson, in the tight and loose is the man who can best fulfil the blind side’s requirements to keep Ireland clear of a daunting quarter final against the champion All Blacks.