It was early November 2018 and Ireland returned to Chicago for a rematch at Soldier Field. Joe Schmidt’s team made history in an unforgettable week in Windy City two years ago.
A 111-year six-shot was up against the All Blacks, just days after the Cubs – Chicago’s longest running baseball team – won their first world championship in 108 years.
Therefore, the International Federation of Democracy has made sure to return to the scene of one of the biggest days of absence for the national team. The rumor on the street was a rematch against New Zealand that was brought to the table, but the New Zealanders weren’t too keen on the idea. Got it after what happened in the US in 2016.
The Confederation went ahead with its plans and Italy was enlisted as an opposition. Suffice it to say it was a disappointing sequel. The half-full soldier’s field was the scene of an emphatic 54-7 victory for Schmidt’s team. Ireland was flying at the time. She already had a Grand Slam and a streak of victories over Australia in her pocket. Leinster won all the trophies on display in 2018.
There were more positive emotions in Chicago. Andrew Porter, Tudge Byrne, Joey Carbery and Jordan Larmore were all impressed. Beginner quartet with a great future.
Larmour had a great day, the stadium lit up with a great hat-trick. The legendary Leinster winger throbbed with life as he arrived in the mixed box after the match to answer questions from Irish reporters in attendance.
The answers given on such occasions are usually quite ordinary, but Larmour was defiant when the microphones were shoved in his face.
“In the long run, we want to be World Cup champions,” he said at the time.
“But there is a good amount of rugby to be played. There are three more big games coming this month. But the sky is the limit for this team.
Looking at all blacks, no one is afraid of them and no one is afraid of them. They are a quality team. We are too. We just have to come that day and we can change them.
Larmour likely received an ear clip from the IRFU communications team due to his outburst. It’s funny how Ireland moved on and beat the All Blacks for the second time a few weeks later at the boisterous Aviva Stadium. The noise machine went into overdrive after that. Maybe this group can boldly go where no Irish team has gone before? We all know what happened in 2019.
The World Cup in Japan proved to be a familiar and frustrating experience. Schmidt became heavily dependent on a group of players who surpassed their best levels. The depth – or lack thereof – in key positions is revealed in real-life encounters with Japan and New Zealand.
Andy Farrell was there to testify everything. He will soon come out of Schmidt’s shadow to take first position. One of his earliest acts was the appointment of Johnny Sexton as captain. It didn’t seem like a long-term strategy at the time. Changing the culture of the environment and the game plan were big projects. It took more than two years, but Farrell gradually gave his mark to the process.
Basically, he seems to have heard the lessons of 2019. There have been no claims of world domination from this field, but there have been knowingly hints of France in 2023.
The selection of the team this afternoon is crucial on this front. Sexton is off the bench as Carbery takes home the Six Nations title for the second consecutive time. Dan Sheehan starts his first test. Ryan Bird gets his first start at the Six Nations Championship. These two talented strikers only have 11 games to play. Both could be leading the next World Cup. Mike Lowery in his debut. Mac Hansen earned his third title. Craig Casey and James Hume on the bench.
It’s a young group armed with an expansive game plan. They should exploit the efforts of today’s Italians, who arrived in Dublin with 34 consecutive defeats. There has been a lot of talk this week about the points difference and the title hunt in the coming weeks.
The first Six Nations Cup from the strong days of 2018 will be very welcome for this group.
Farrell is clearly thinking big. The short-term match-after-match, league focus focusing on Irish teams has cost them dearly on the bigger stage, over and over again. For all the glory of the Six Nations and the many memorable campaigns in November, seeing an Irish team make a serious impact at the World Cup would be unprecedented. And this is a group that has the potential to finally appear at the Universal Exposition. This third round meeting looks like a stepping stone for next year.
Farrell has a couple of chests to mark. Guaranteeing winning bonus points and a big point total is the first priority. Seeing Carberi, Sheehan and Bird tear him apart would be another plus. Despite this, the ultimate goal is to improve the depth scheme for the overall scheme in 2023.
The program is not the most forgiving, and perhaps the most challenging, in the 36-year history of the tournament.
The bonus for overtaking Springboks, Scotland and Tonga is a quarter-final against France or New Zealand.
Farrell’s men will be vulnerable no matter what happens in the next 18 months.
Flying under the radar as you build a young and strong team can be perfect for them on the road. Ireland had a group of seniors with a big goal behind them in 2019. Once again, we all know what happened there. Therefore, a new approach is needed.
Farrell seems to agree. We are about to witness a first phase of the great plan against the Azzurri.
