Bowe dives over for his first try
Ireland 22-10 USA
Jack Leahy
Sports Editor
Whether it was the laboured performance, the careless intercept try, or the grim sceptre of Eddie O’Sullivan reappearing on the Irish rugby scene, Ireland’s 22-10 victory over the USA was unerringly reminiscent of a certain clash with Georgia in 2007.
‘A win is a win’ will no doubt be Declan Kidney’s post-match rhetoric, and to be fair such a result was never in doubt.
The conditions once again prohibited expansive rugby, with the first half littered with Irish handling errors. Unsurprisingly, Gordon D’Arcy was right up there among the major culprits.
Tommy Bowe squeezed over for a try just before half time to give Ireland a much-needed boost. Rory Best dived over after a well-worked rolling maul and Bowe added a third soon after before Saracens centre Paul Emerick plucked D’Arcy’s aimless pass out of the sky and touched down.
Perhaps the most worrying aspect of the performance is the comprehensive manner in which Johnny Sexton added his name to the list of those for whom place-kicking has proven exceptionally difficult.
Sexton managed only one penalty from five efforts before being replaced by Ronan O’Gara early in the second half, reigniting once again the great Irish sporting debate.
Early momentum came to a flaccid halt as an error-strewn backline allowed the play to descend into scrappiness.
Sexton converted his second effort to make it 3-0 before feeding Bowe an inside pass with the last move of the half as Bowe marked his return from injury with a try. Sexton converted.
James Paterson kicked his side’s first points before any irrational fears of defeat were dispelled by Bowe’s second try, finishing off a rare period of fluent back play, and Best’s apt conclusion to a stampeding maul.
Hopes of a bonus-point victory were never realistic given the conditions, and USA captain Tom Clever made it even more difficult for Ireland to get clean ball with a performance that saw him cover an immense amount of ground.
And the backs’ unimpressive day was epitomised by D’Arcy’s loose pass, intercepted and finished by seasoned campaigner Emerick to graphically recall the ghosts of the 2007 group stage fiasco.
In the end, enough was done to secure victory and the inquest can just about hold off. What’s important now is that any lingering doubts are well and truly exorcised before another ball is kicked – probably off target – in anger.
