Ireland must look to the future. England's third dominant victory over Andy Farrell's team in 13 months came in the exact same fashion as the prior two. Ireland's older players simply aren't capable of creating the power game that Ireland need now.
Ireland had the perfect start to last Sunday's game. Conor Murray received a deep kickoff from George Ford. He drew in a defender then shifted the ball to C.J. Stander. Stander generated go-forward ball, before a second phase set Murray up to box kick. It may draw the ire of fans around the country, but this was one of Murray's best box kicks. He moved the ball to the halfway line from inside his own 22.
Ireland had executed a perfect exit after a poor kickoff from England.
But that was the end of the quality play. England's lineout was basic. They moved quickly to the line, but they didn't catch Ireland napping. The Irish defence had time to set itself and challenge. But they didn't. Peter O'Mahony was at the front, with Devin Toner at the back. O'Mahony had Tadhg Furlong in front of him looking to lift. Instead, O'Mahony only ever faced the English lineout. Jamie George threw to Courtney Lawes at the front for an uncontested win.
Lawes could toss the ball from the top of the lineout to Ben Youngs. The English scrum-half caught the ball moving at speed and threw it inside so Manu Tualagi could attack the Irish line for the first time.
An uncontested lineout win at midfield is the last thing this English team needs. O'Mahony played the lineout as if the maul was the biggest threat that England possesses. And Ireland continued to play that way. Two minutes later, on the Irish 22-yard line, England got another uncontested lineout win to get quick ball and set Tualagi into the middle of the field. This time the centre ran right through Johnny Sexton for a huge gain.
In the sixth minute, a third lineout went uncontested. All three went to the exact same spot. None came with any disguise. England simply lined up and lifted Lawes at the front to win the ball. They got clean platforms to build momentum from, attacking the Irish defensive line at speed. In those six minutes, the game was already over. It was still 0-0, but Ireland needed to disrupt the foundation if they were going to contain England's brutality.
The seventh minute brought with it a fourth uncontested lineout win for England and a fifth arrived before the 20th minute. It wasn't until England had a five-metre lineout in scoring position that Peter O'Mahony got up to challenge and win possession.
A team with Devin Toner, Peter O'Mahony and Josh van der Flier in it were never going to contend with England like this. Picking a pack that includes those three forwards forces you to play a certain style. None are physically-imposing figures, so Ireland can't match the power game of the best teams in the world with them on the field together. To contend with England, New Zealand, South Africa and France, Ireland need to start to look to the next generation.
It should be easier to do now that the Italy game has been postponed.
Without another home Six Nations game upcoming, it's time to focus on this team's building blocks that can carry over into the future. For all of the failings around him on Sunday, James Ryan was exceptional. He showed the requisite physicality to match England and compete at their level. Tadhg Furlong didn't, but Ireland know he has the ability to moving forward. Andrew Porter likely has too so he will either challenge Furlong for the tighthead spot or move back to loosehead to maximize the talent in the starting 15.
Caelan Doris, Max Deegan and Ronan Kelleher should start now. Ireland don't have a second row ready to eclipse Iain Henderson, but Ultan Dillane deserves to be ahead of Toner in the pecking order. Ryan Baird is the favourite to eventually start alongside Ryan.
Irish rugby has more talent than it has ever had. Last year's under 20 team won the grand slam, this year's under 20 team is on course to repeat in more impressive fashion. Ireland's under 20 team did to England's under 20 team what England's senior team did to Ireland's senior team last weekend.
Sunday's game wasn't a one-off, it was the end of a 12-month siren signalling a time for change.
Cian Healy put in a dominant tackle at the start of the game. He lined up Sam Underhill, squatted into his technique and drove the ball carrier backwards. He won at the point of contact and drove England backwards. It was a tone-setting tackle. The kind of tackle Sebastien Chabal got as a welcome to Thomond Park when Munster wanted to front up back in the day. You can't just have one though. Ireland only had one.
Tualagi was Ireland's Chabal on Sunday.
Engalnd's first setup came off quick lineout ball. Eddie Jones didn't do anything new. Underhill was in position as first receiver but Tualagi came in on a crash ball from a wide starting point. It's a familiar concept for England. Josh van der Flier is easily identifiable in the red scrum cap. He rushes up, eager to meet Underhill as deep as he can because he knows Underhill will win at the point of contact. Reaching him at speed and behind the gain-line can offset van der Flier's lack of power. He can't hold his position then attack in the tackle like Healy did in the previous example.
Van der Flier is in the 10 channel to protect Johnny Sexton. He doesn't. Sexton can't stop Tualagi so Tualagi breaks through the Irish line for a huge gain.
Sexton fronted up after this play. He, along with James Ryan and Bundee Aki to a degree, showed some mettle. They were lost in the overall tentativeness of the team. One of Ireland's biggest players (physically and metaphorically) was particularly exposed. Jacob Stockdale made a huge mistake for England's second try, but he had another mistake that was just as bad.
Stockdale is Ireland's biggest winger by a distance, but he's also Ireland's most timid winger. Alan Quinlan has repeatedly criticized his lack of aggression when the ball is in the air this season. Here he shows off that timidness when the ball has already come down. He should easily drive Johnny May into touch. Instead, he inexplicably leaves his feet and allows his lower body to get ahead of his upper body while he jumps toward the ball.
May should be blown into touch. He should be in real pain and losing possession. He winds up creating a ruck 10 metres infield without taking any punishment.
Tualagi then did what Stockdale should have done. He lined up CJ Stander, lowered his upper body and drove his legs to blow the Irish player up. Ireland were lucky to get the ball back. They then lost it immediately when O'Mahony threw a bad pass from a good position out wide. O'Mahony is a specialist forward who is physical, excels at the breakdown and has huge lineout value. He offers no value as a ball carrier. Neither does Devin Toner nor van der Flier.
Having fewer forward who are threats with the ball makes it easier for the defense to shut down your ball carriers. This is a great position for Ireland to attack from, but Maro Itoje is able to consume James Ryan as the ball arrives. Itoje shoots up to Ryan because he knows Toner is no threat regardless. Toner can't step anyone to offload and he can't break tackles, so Itoje can forget about him before Murray even releases the ball.
Itoje and a second defender shot to Ryan instantly. A third accounted for Toner before then joining the Ryan tackle.
David Kilcoyne makes an outstanding clearout at the following ruck to prevent the turnover.
Josh van der Flier is a key player for Ireland moving forward. Unlike O'Mahony, Toner and even Stander, he's still relatively young. Van der Flier has huge success for Leinster each and every week. But he doesn't have that same impact for Ireland. In Ireland's worst performances from the past 12 months, van der Flier's anonymity is notable. This play sums up the difference for him playing at international level compared to provincial level.
Van der Flier is undersized. It doesn't matter much for Leinster because very few club teams have three back rows who are bigger than him who can match his athleticism. The best international teams do. On this play, van der Flier does everything right and is in great jackal position, but the first contact from Underhill moves him off the ball.
He was unlucky that the referee didn't give him the turnover, but it was also too easy for Underhill to get him off the ball. Van der Flier is often a moment away from making the play for Ireland that he makes repeatedly for Leinster.
It was too easy for all of England's players. Even Stander, who was man of the match against Scotland and Wales, was exposed by the bigger opponents. He could only latch onto Itoje on multiple occasions. Ireland's performance shouldn't be framed against the wins against Wales and Scotland, it needs to be framed in the context of the last 12 months.
Turning to the future is about setting ourselves up to win grand slams and win world cups, not cling to the dying embers of a team we hoped would be better than it was.
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