Six Nations: David Kelly – ‘New style but Ireland relies on key older players to make it’

“I think that’s fascinating,” he told us, “if the only tool you have is a hammer, treat everything as if it were a nail.”

Ireland may be looking for a new way of playing but still relies on a number of key old players to make it happen.

From Jonathan Sexton as the mainstay of the team, to Cian Healy’s enduring presence in the front row, and from Peter O’Mahony’s unrivaled tenacity in the back row to restoring dry heads In 3/4, Andy Farrell largely selected those who have performed in the past in the hope that they can thrive in the future.

The future is now.

If Eddie Jones sees Saturday’s clash as a semi-final knockout for his budding hopes, surely the same holds true for an Irish team betraying a much more consistent look , in terms of style and quality.

Form and logic dictate an outcome, as do analytic and analytic data, but there is a lingering sense of anxiety that this British side is capable of producing the kind of performance they have surpassed in many months.

This is their Six Nations bastion, after all, where only two teams have won the last decade of championships and where England have won four of their last five against Ireland.

If they can ask the harshest questions, the answers that Ireland’s veteran class can give in response will be key to the outcome.

Experience is a currency that’s hard to pin down, as New Zealand coach Steve Hansen rightly reminded Paddy after another failed prison break at the 2019 World Cup.

The important Irish changes for Saturday represent the replacement of 20 things with 30; their average age is 29.7; Britain’s is 26.8.

It’s 45 years of living and learning more, of falling and coming back again. All in all, they played 130 more Test games than their hosts.

But this only measures the past, not the present.

There will be a lot of new problems that need to be fixed.

On Thursday, England coach Matt Proudfoot identified the rallying dynamics arising from their latest meeting with officials.

Tom Curry has talked about how O’Mahony’s return could give Ireland some freedom from the breakup but has insisted that his side will focus on the contact.

Henry Slade has spoken about how England’s stuttering midfield could finally reveal its playing potential.

The experience of one side knowing what they’re doing can work against a side still unsure of what they’re doing. But it can’t be the only thing.

“Sometimes in your career you’re leaning on the experience you have and you can build on that.”

John Fogarty is speaking from Cian Healy’s Twickenham; but he could easily talk about any other veteran on the team.

“Cian is not the type of guy who would rely on what he did before. He is constantly looking to try and improve. You saw him move to the tight head and watched him successfully take the penalties against Leinster. “

Andrew Conway, whose choice is meant to be indispensable for Mack Hansen’s novelty, is conscious that he must not be reminded of what he has done before but of what he can add now. .

“You have to feel every game,” said the winger, who began his career with a championship win against England five years ago.

“It is always changing. We have to keep adapting and learning.

Leaving the over-reliance on Sexton, embraced by both players and coaches, is perhaps the clearest example of how Ireland has been married to real innovation.

And game management will also be needed as key interventions, such as O’Mahony’s famous late squad steal in ’17.

There are a lot of leaders out there in key positions,” noted assistant coach John Fogarty, before warning, “but even those, should not be distracted or distracted.

“They are really important players for us. We also have some young players who will bring a lot of energy but I think those players have to be clear enough in their heads, calm enough to be able to continue to give good messages when we’re on top or when we weren’t.”

From the explosions of 2012 to the doomsday gates of the 2019 World Cup, or even the concussion set of mishaps in 2020, not all of the Irish experiences here are enjoyable.

But the past has nothing to do with the present, only the present can draw the future.

How the senior men of Ireland navigate in the swirling sea of ​​uncertainty will determine the conclusion.

“You are always looking for consistency,” Curry reminds us. “That separates the good from the great – do it once a week.”

Like our old friend Mr. Maslow, he hit a nail in the head. We’ll wait for the hammer to drop.