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IRISH FORWARDS OUTPLAY WALES IN TRIPLE CROWN RUGBY TRIUMPH

Well-deserved victory at Ravenhill

By P. D. MacWeeney

Saturday, March 13th, 1948, will go down as a red-letter day in Irish rugby history, for by beating Wales by 2 tries (6 pts) to 1 try (3 pts) at Ravenhill we won the Triple Crown for the first time since 1899, and set up a new record by defeating the other four countries taking part in the international championship for the first time in the same season. No wonder Ravenhill was packed with 32,000 spectators who produced the most encouraging and incessant roars, and when the final whistle was blown about half the crowd invaded the pitch, seized the fifteen Irish players and chaired them in. Souvenir-hunters removed J.C. Daly's jersey, and altogether everyone was in a happy frame of mind.

On the run of play it was a victory most thoroughly deserved, for even if Wales looked the more dangerous team in the first forty minutes, they were penned in a vice-like grip to their own territory throughout the whole of the second half. They tried every possible gambit to open up the play and get their powerful back division into action, but it was quite unavailing. The Irish forwards established a complete supremacy; the backs covered and tackled with deadly precision, and once the lead had been secured eight minutes after the interval shrewd touch-kicking kept Wales in the right quarter - from Ireland's viewpoint.

HARD TACKLING

It was a less attractive game than that between Ireland and England at Twickenham a month ago, for it was, in the main, a grim affair of tackling and spoiling, but it was tremendously exciting , as there was always the possibility that Bleddyn Williams, clearly the most talented runner with the ball on the field, would produce something exceptional , as he did when scoring the Welsh try. A couple of times in the second half his side-step carried him past several opponents, but Irish defenders appeared to spring out of the ground, and eventually he was surrounded and hemmed in.

It is easy to put a finger on the reason for Ireland's four victories this season. Not only can the pack be rated as one of the best - if not the best -we have ever had, but for the first time those eight forwards could maintain their tremendous pace right to the final whistle. Had there been any sign of a crack on Saturday, Wales would have won, but, the longer the game went, the more dominating the Irish pack became.

In each of the last three matches the weather conditions have been almost ideal for open rugby, yet our forwards have imposed their tactics on the opposition, and never more clearly than on this occasion against a back division which has been rated as a class above those of any of the other countries. Every Irish forward is able to combine the qualities of hard, honest work in the set scrums and the loose mauls and speed in attack or defensive covering. McKay and McCarthy are two exceptional backrow men, but they never have to work alone, for they the closest support from O'Brien, Callan, Nelson and Daly. McConnell is the ideal solid front-row man, and Mullen completes the ideal eight by his skilful hooking and the manner in which he can bind the others around him to make a powerful unit in the battles for possession.

Experienced as they are, the Welsh backs were rattled to the heels by the astonishing speed in following-up shown by the Irish forwards. Any kick ahead, or along the ground, found four or five Irishmen tearing after the ball with such speed that Trott, usually the coolest of full-backs, simply could not resist the temptation to look up, and, having done that, he was engulfed in the flood before he could clear to touch . . .

KYLE'S SKILL

As an attacking force, the Irish backs were far below the technical ability of their opponents. Strathdee's passing was indifferent at times, and neither McKee nor Reid could make much impression when in possession. The ball never seemed to travel with any smoothness out to the wings, who had no opportunities from orthodox movements, but Kyle was always there to take any reasonable pass, and, having decided that Irish passing was likely to give Wales opportunities, he decided to use the kick ahead, or to touch, with his usual shrewdness.

From Monday, March 15, 1948