The sensational and historic victory over New Zealand was a mesmerising moment for Irish rugby and built on the success of back-to-back Six Nations titles in 2014 and 2015 and a first-ever win over the Springboks on South African soil. But the moment to bask in that glory is at an end. The task now for the squad that conquered the seemingly unconquerable All Blacks is to ensure this is not a flash-in-the-pan but merely a building block for future success.
The ultimate goal must still be a semifinal berth – or better – at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. In the more immediate term, the chance to create more history and beat the Kiwis back-to-back will present itself in a week’s time; and the chance to become only the second nation to beat New Zealand, South Africa and Australia in a calendar year can become a reality in two weeks. England first achieved the feat in 2002 and repeated it in 2003.
Before that Ireland must dispatch Canada at Lansdowne Road and that match represents another important opportunity for Irish rugby. Ireland have never lost to Canada in seven attempts, with a 27-27 draw in 2000 the only blot on Ireland’s copybook in this fixture. Most recently Ireland comfortably saw off Canada 50-7 in the 2015 Rugby World Cup pool stages. A first defeat is unthinkable for Joe Schmidt’s side, even withstanding the 15 changes the coach has made to the side that started at Soldier Field against Steve Hansen’s Kiwis.
A win is the first and most important priority from this weekend’s encounter; however, within that target there are several players who have much to gain from impressive showings in the Dublin 4 encounter.
1. Paddy Jackson
After missing last week's game versus the All Blacks, Paddy Jackson has a massive point to prove against Canada on Saturday.
His performances over the last two seasons with Ulster and on the summer tour of South Africa earmarked him as the heir apparent to Johnny Sexton’s No 10 jersey. He now has another out-half in Joey Carbery to battle with even to claim the No 22 jersey against New Zealand next weekend. Schmidt will want to see more of the same from Jackson: wise use of possession - of which Ireland will likely have 70% of - and a flawless kicking game.
He has all the ability to mastermind a total destruction of Canada, however, there will be question marks around his concentration and focus given the last few weeks of turbulence in his life. He needs a big one.
2. Cian Healy
For so long one of the first names on an Ireland team sheet, that is no longer the case. Jack McGrath has firmly established himself as the first-choice loosehead for Ireland and rightly so with a string of top-level performances.
Healy by contrast has been plagued by injuries over the last two years and his right hand is believed to still be limited in its movement, which no doubt hampers all aspects of his play. However, at 29-years-old Healy is still young for a prop and he will feel confident that he can muscle his way back into Ireland’s first XV.
His scrum and lineout game on its day is still a match for McGrath’s, but what can elevate him back into the first team is his play in the loose. He is one of the squad’s most devastating carriers and if he can recapture that form with ball-in-hand over a sustained period of time he will force Schmidt to reconsider the No 1 jersey in the first team.
3. Peter O’Mahony
Along with Rory Best, Peter O’Mahony is the natural leader of this Ireland group. Epitomising mental strength, and in many ways the natural successor to Paul O’Connell as Ireland’s talisman and heartbeat. Like Healy he has struggled with injury over the last two seasons and that has halted what seemed an unstoppable rise to the height of the game.
What O’Mahony does best are the basics: ruck, maul, and set-piece, while also chipping in as a fulcrum of attack. His Munster teammate CJ Stander is ahead of him in the packing order and will be very hard to displace in the No 6 jersey, but again like Healy, at 27-years-old O’Mahony is still in the middle period of his career.
With Jamie Heaslip now 32, a long-term partnership with O’Mahony at 6 and Stander eventually replacing Heaslip at No 8 seems likely. The Canada tie is O’Mahony’s first chance on the road back to regaining his first-team slot.
4. Sean O’Brien
The Tullow Tank is the third player on this list that has seen injury slow down a meteoric rise. When fit Sean O’Brien – in the view of most – is the first pick at seven for Ireland.
With Jordi Murphy ruled out for nine months with an ACL injury in his left knee, the openside slot to face New Zealand next weekend is wide open. Josh van der Flier stood in ably for Murphy when the latter suffered his injury just before the half hour mark against the All Blacks and has shown for Leinster that he has the perfect combination of grunt and skill to make the seven jersey his own.
However, if fit, O’Brien’s ability as a carrier of the ball is too good for Schmidt to ignore. A big performance against Canada is likely to see the Carlow man parachuted back into the first team.
5. Garry Ringrose
Since his arrival into the Leinster first team in 2015, the 21-year-old Blackrock College product has looked every inch the complete centre. At 1.88m and 92kg he has the size to mix it with the Jamie Roberts bulldozer-like centres of the Test rugby world, while at the same time possessing the same sort of grace and vision on the ball that Brian O’Driscoll displayed.
Following the brilliance of the Robbie Henshaw-Jared Payne partnership against New Zealand he won’t be getting a starting berth against the All Blacks next week but he’s playing to keep hold of the number 23 jersey. Along with Carbery he is the most exciting young talent in Irish rugby at the moment and this debut is his chance to prove the old adage, “if you’re good enough, then you’re old enough.”
6. Keith Earls
Like Ringrose, Keith Earls is playing for the 23 jersey in the All Blacks rematch. His try-scoring prowess is his main selling point; his 17 international tries attest to that. He also has the experience of 52 caps to his name, and an established working relationship with Schmidt. His versatility in being able to cover both centre and back three also makes him a very valuable option on a matchday replacements bench.
These factors mean that he could very possibly slip into the 23 jersey ahead of Ringrose should he perform at his optimum against Canada.
