Bundee Aki’s verbal abuse of match officials following Connacht’s home defeat by Leinster last month has cost Ireland his services for the first three rounds of this Six Nations and reminded rugby’s law enforcers of his country’s decline in disciplinary standards.
There was a meltdown at home to South Africa last time out in November, with a 20-minute red card and four yellows, not to mention 18 penalties, numbers not conducive to successful performances and Ireland cannot afford a repeat in Paris on Thursday night.
Misgivings about law changes which encourage kicking and lead to more scrums off the back of increasing aerial knock-ons also need to be parked and Andy Farrell’s men have to get on with the job of adapting to the new rugby landscape rather than railing futilely against them.
Ireland’s lineout had been an ongoing concern through the Autumn Nations Series but the source of much of its woes against the Springboks in that 23-14 defeat three months ago came at scrum-time, when loosehead pair Andrew Porter and his replacement Paddy McCarthy were both yellow carded as the set-piece imploded under heavy pressure from the world champions.
Porter and McCarthy as well as third-choice loosehead Jack Boyle are all now injured and that may give Ireland an opportunity to present new pictures to match referee Karl Dickson. Andy Farrell now has Jeremy Loughman starting with his Munster team-mate Mikey Milne set for a third cap off the bench against France and both will have given Dickson memories of solid, clean scrummaging after an excellent performance at scrum-time for their province in Toulon last month. Every little helps.
Echoes of Ireland’s 2022 visit to Stade de France abound here as Andy Farrell sends a team featuring seven players in his matchday 23 who will be playing in the stadium for the first time. Caelan Doris was not the first Irishman to reference the defeat four years ago with several players referencing the occasion of a full house, brass bands and ear-busting decibels from the stands inhibiting their performance.
For Sam Prendergast, Jamie Osborne, Tommy O’Brien, Stuart McCloskey, Jeremy Loughman, Mikey Milne and Craig Casey, the noise and raucous atmosphere will not come as a surprise after being prepped in advance but that does not mean their first taste of it on Thursday night will not be a shock to their systems. Overcoming the pitfalls of a night out in Paris will be so important to the success of Ireland’s mission to defeat France and get their Six Nations campaign off to an unexpected winning start.
