Space, glorious space.
After Ireland took months of frustration out on Italy, Joe Schmidt remarked that it felt like they’d released the pressure valve on their game, and it summed the day up well.
They played heads up rugby, reacting to their surroundings rather than playing out a series of rehearsed phases.
There was an identity to the players. In the games against Wales and France, at times it looked like they were filling roles in a system instead of using their strengths.
Keith Earls and Simon Zebo looked like free spirits with the ball in hand. Jared Payne was outstanding. They were given licence to express themselves, and the picture they painted was stunning.
Italy were ragged and patched-up and desperate, but Ireland never took pity on then, with a bullying display.
They sought space over contact and kept the ball alive. “Offload” has been the in-word in Irish rugby in the last 12 months, with so many calling for Ireland to ditch the ultra-safe ethos and test the limits.
The detractors always claimed that Ireland’s players just didn’t have the skill that their southern hemisphere opponents had, but on Saturday we saw that this theory couldn’t be further from the truth.
Jamie Heaslip’s first try was rugby at its finest. Six players touched the ball. Those six players passed it nine times. From 22 to try line, it was 19 seconds of bliss.
And it wasn’t an oasis in the desert. CJ Stander’s try was born from a magic moment between Sexton and Earls, which almost sent Andrew Trimble over in the corner.
Third place is now on offer with a win against Scotland, but there’s no fear Ireland will get complacent against Vern Cotter’s side.
For starters, Joe Schmidt will be desperate to get one over his former head coach, when they worked together at Clermont Auvergne, and before that at home in Auckland.
Secondly, they’ll be well aware that this Scotland team is pretty damn good.
Up front, they’ve contended with France for the best scrum in the championship, with the trio of Alasdair Dickinson, Ross Ford and WP Nel benefitting from being clubmates at Edinburgh. That familiarity with one another has seen them become a genuine weapon at the setdown, a far cry from the pack Ireland dominated at Murrayfield 12 months ago.
They’ll also trouble Ireland’s shaky lineout, even if Jonny Gray misses out through injury.
However, their biggest asset is the backline. Stuart Hogg is getting better and better at fullback, and his moment of brilliance for Tim Visser’s try left the French utterly stumped.
The selections to face Scotland will likely be the same.
There was a sigh of frustration last Thursday when the matchday squad was read out, with Jared Payne in the centre, and Stuart McCloskey not even on the bench.
But it’s hard to argue that the players involved didn’t justify their places on Saturday. Even Fergus McFadden had a significant contribution, showing his versatility with three separate appearances off the bench.
It’s also going to be difficult to justify dropping either Donnacha Ryan or Devin Toner for Ultan Dillane, with both players putting in outstanding shifts.
The only change I expect to see is on the bench. Dave Kilcoyne’s call up hints that Cian Healy’s participation is still in doubt, and if the Leinster man doesn’t prove his fitness, Kilcoyne will probably get the nod over Finlay Bealham, who earned his first cap at the weekend.
