Click:block making machine
AT THE VERY first breakdown at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening, we got a sample of the pressure that was going to come the way of the Ireland halfbacks.
With Kieran Marmion standing over the ball, readying himself for a box kick, we can hear England captain Dylan Hartley over Jérôme Garcès’ ref mic.
“Marmion, Marmion, Marmion!” shouts Hartley.
Marmion was impressive for Ireland. Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO
It was the beginning of a theme, with England’s players consistently audible over the ref mic throughout the final game of the Six Nations, always signifying who they intended to put pressure on.
Johnny Sexton was the name on their lips much of the time, but Marmion was in the crosshairs too.
“I knew they would probably be trying to put me and Johnny under pressure,” said Marmion after completing 68 minutes of Ireland’s 13-9 win.
“I could definitely hear them at all the rucks and stuff, giving me a good bit of verbal pressure. The thing is to just try and ignore that. I knew it was coming and you just have to get on with it and do my job.
There’s nothing new here, of course, and halfbacks are always the obvious focal point of the defensive team’s pressure, although Rory Best and Joe Schmidt certainly weren’t pleased with some of the borderline shots on Sexton.
“I guess it probably worked in our favour,” said Marmion of those hits on Sexton after he passed and kicked.
“They were giving away cheap penalties and Johnny has to try and wear that and get on with it. You do that for the team and he’s a professional who has been in the game for so long, he knows what’s coming. He gets on with it really well.”
Marmion box kicks for Ireland. Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO
It was steadying for Sexton to have a scrum-half as composed as Marmion providing passing service, with the Connacht man having only found out on Thursday afternoon that he would win his second Test start against England.
The 25-year-old has had to be patient sitting behind Conor Murray in the scrum-half pecking order, but took his chance impressively with the Munster playmaker out due to a shoulder injury.