Bring in O'Mahony

7th Feb 2012

Much of the talk after Ireland’s defeat to Wales centred around two things. The Leinster/Ulster back row are not 'manning-up' to use rugger parlance and players don’t seem to be as hungry for success for their 'country' as much as they are for their provinces. We’ll come to the state of the Irish nation in a moment but in the short-term what this Ireland team badly needs is some more Cork men in the forwards.

If you could bottle controlled aggression and sell it you’d have to call it ‘Peter O’Mahony’ who has been outstanding for Munster this year. Jamie Heaslip, on the other hand, contributes little and is likely to be steamrolled in Paris on Saturday night. The Cork Con man would make a far better effort against Sarkozy’s men than some of the drift-alongs currently taking up space on the team bus.

Would put Heaslip's poor effort last Sunday to shame

When ROG came onto the pitch last Sunday it was like the fire brigade arriving just before a burning building collapsed – the damage had been done. Deccie needs to have this Corkman in the pivotal number ten slot from the get-go against the French and slap a captain’s armband on him too – the large Limerick lad is too busy trying to get his eight foot ten frame around the field to make crucial tactical decisions.

As regards provincial pride and its apparent inability to transfer to the national side commentators seem to ignore the continuing crumbling sounds of the Irish state. The “Ireland” rugby team is already a concoction of different states – the six counties, the Irish Free State (also known as IMF basket case number one) and, of course the jewel in the crown, Cork.

St. Peter and the Gates to Heaven: pick up the phone Deccie.

Although some may say we are connected to others on the island by a common culture or economy, the separate states we refer to are a state of mind.

The more the Dublin government bows to the whims of Sarkozy’s nation the more Irish pride is annihilated – it is no wonder that cranking up Irish pride on the rugby team is like trying to start an old banger that has been left rotting in a farmyard haggard with its engine covered in hay and poultry poop.

Unless wholesale changes are made to this team expect Sarkozy and the French cockerels to be glowing contently on Saturday night.