Phase after phase Ireland pressed. The game was won but there was another try for the taking.
Kieran Marmion was on the pitch for three minutes and most of the dirty work had been done.
Ireland led 19-9 and they had an attacking lineout about 12 metres from the French line. There was just enough time left to take it and launch one last attack.
Vice captain Jamie Heaslip barked out the instructions and Ireland put together nine phases after Niall Scannell’s initial throw was overcooked. The closest they got was when Peter O’Mahony was taken down within five metres of the line.
However, when Simon Zebo and Keith Earls got forced back on the next phase, Marmion had seen it enough. He yanked the ball from the next ruck and launched it into the West Stand. Groans accompanied the game’s final action, but there were plenty of cheers to drown it out.
Job done but many Irish rugby fans were perplexed at the Connacht scrum-half ending the game when there was another chance for a try.
“F**k sake Marmion,” one fan bellowed. “We had them.”
This is where Irish rugby is at now – unhappy at just beating France 19-9.
However, Marmion’s decision could yet prove very costly. Ireland gained 0.42 World Rugby rankings points to consolidate their 4th place position. The World Cup groups will be decided after Six Nations concludes and Ireland will get a top seeding if they are in the top four of the rankings.
Had Ireland got a try from that final play, their rankings points would have been multiplied by 1.5 – working out as 0.63.
With Scotland on the charge and Ireland facing Wales away and Grand Slam champions England next, every single ranking point could yet prove crucial. Following the game, Iain Henderson defended Marmion’s decision but the logic was somewhat skewed. Henderson said:
“Well, we had the risk of them going the length and getting a losing bonus point… It was a bit of a no-brainer [as] a couple of seasons ago it came down to points difference.
“Them getting a losing bonus point might have been more annoying than maybe the points difference changing by a handful. We’re equally happy to get a win, at the end of the day, and i’m sure Joe will be happy as well.”
Ultimately, Marmion’s decision to kick the ball out may not be key but any more stumbles from Ireland and we could be left lamenting those lost rankings points.
And it would have been great to see him show more attacking ambition. Ask yourself, what would Conor Murray do in a similar scenario?
