What Leinster have that Ireland don't

Leinster travelled to Bath just over a fortnight ago, and produced a display of inspiring running rugby that turned the Heineken form book on it's head.

Ronan O'Gara kicks - but can he offer much more?

For BOD was back at the helm, so Leinster's all-Irish international three-quarter chassis now had it's turbo thruster repaired and fully functional again. Leinster's backs shredded Bath's like six Irish swords through candyfloss. As Leinster had done to Bourgoin in December - and to Glasgow the week before Bath.

Yet when the Irish backs - Leinster's centre pairing reinforced by Geordan Murphy at full-back and with the raw pace of Tommy Bowe on the wing came up against Italy's collection of journeymen, they stuttered badly. Bowe's try was as dubious as it was gifted, and the rest of the time, Ireland could not find a way through.

Italy's defence was concrete. Gonzalo Canale and Mirco Bergamasco stuck tighter to Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy than chewing gum to a cinema seat. Without any space, neither could release Murphy, whose mazy running talents were limited to a brace of kick returns. Shane Horgan, so effective and streetwise against Bath, barely entered the game at all. Tommy Bowe was better but not by much.

Those illustrious five should, on paper, have found a way around their opponents, who rarely play together, were gathered from two different countries, and of whom two were being played out of position. Yet they didn't.

The chassis was there. The turbo thruster was there. The ignition was not.

Ireland's failing is Argentina's joy, for there are fewer finer fly-halves in the world right now than Felipe Contempomi. How Leinster's backs missed him on Saturday.

Ronan O'Gara is an excellent fly-half for percentages - with David Humphreys warming the bench behind O'Gara, Ireland are unlikely to ever get a percentage wrong in a game for the time being. But when it comes to adding that little bit extra, both are found wanting.

There is neither fleetness of foot, nor that extra-sensory touch of timing and placement to O'Gara's passing game that is subtle enough to unleash the full fury of the Irish outside three-quarters.

Italy's backs clambered all over D'Arcy and O'Driscoll, which ought to have freed up O'Gara for at least something. But there was nothing, save some goals, some exemplary kicking, and the missed tackle that led to Italy's try.

Had Contempomi enjoyed the possession O'Gara did on Saturday, it would have been a different game entirely. Contempomi makes things happen because he has the full bag of tricks. A pop pass, a switch, a dummy, a searing burst of acceleration, a chip and chase, these are tricks all integral to the Argentinian's repertoire.

O'Gara has very few of these. Pace is at a premium, and there is no subtlety or unpredictability to his game. Opponents can recognise what he will do, and get a half-second to defend accordingly, as Italy did.

Until Ireland find a young fly-half who has Contempomi's array of skills, their three-quarter talents will remain under-utilised. That Grand Slam dream many thought was so close will remain infuriatingly distant for the time being.

By Richard Anderson