stu wrote:Performances have vastly (and consistently) improved this season over last.
This.
Although, if I'm honest, I think the main progress is Schmidt's selection policy. Under Kidney, you could bet Ryan and Bowe, for example, would already have played in this tournament. The likes of Moore would probably have been nowhere near the pitch, even if they had made it into the squad. Toner and O'Mahony have come along massively in the international game. The likes of Tuohy didn't look that out of place. Guys like Henry and Trimble, who might not be (everyone's) first choice have been selected for every game, they have performed well. Even when the likes of Bowe and Zebo or O'Brien, are back to full fitness, these guys have now created competition for shirts that should stand Ireland in good stead going forward.
There are still places where Ireland are a little threadbare; fullback, scrum-half and the centre immediately come to mind but, actually, the rest is looking rather good. Considering where Ireland were last year, that's a big improvement. I doubt many would have thought Ireland would have had the opportunity for a Championship win, basically, in their own hands at this stage. Even fewer if you'd suggested Ireland would be missing Ryan, O'Brien, Bowe, Zebo, etc. If one fails to see the progress there, I fear one has one's head in the sand.
At this stage, I think it could be a big backwards step if Ireland don't win in France because the form shown in the tournament so far suggests they should. A failure to win does not mean that the season is a failure, given where we were after the drubbing by a weak Australia side in the Autumn. But the progress is still there, even if, conditional on what has already happened having happened, not to win would be a huge disappointment.
