Brian O’Driscoll scored a try four minutes into his return from injury on Sunday but it proved to be a rare highlight for Ireland as they opened their World Cup campaign with a scrappy 32-17 victory over Namibia.
O’Driscoll, who had been in danger of sitting out the first game after fracturing his sinus three weeks ago, scored the first of his team’s five tries that earned his team a bonus point to leapfrog Argentina at the top of the Pool D standings.
With hosts France also in the group, Ireland went into the game determined to rack up a massive score to build up a big points difference — which could decide which teams advance to the quarterfinals — but their strategy backfired horribly.
Namibia, who were the easybeats of the last World Cup after losing 64-7 to Ireland and 142-0 to Australia, embarrassed the Irish with two second-half tries from flanker Jacques Nieuwenhuis and centre Piet van Zyl to leave the Irish shaking their heads having led 20-0 after half an hour.
Wing Andrew Trimble and lock Simon Easterby both scored in the first half but their only five-pointers in the second were a penalty try and a dubious late score by replacement hooker Jerry Flannery.
The Irish were never in any danger of losing the match but their performance does not auger well for their prospects in the tournament as they squandered numerous scoring chances through sloppy handling and reckless tactics.
Instead of sticking to their traditional game of kicking to the corners and using the set-pieces to wear down their opponents, they pushed the ball wide at nearly every opportunity, playing into the hands of the willing Africans.
They made a bright start when O’Driscoll opened the scoring in the fourth minute when he chipped over the defence and won the race to the ball.
Trimble then scored in the right corner after flyhalf Ronan O’Gara caught the Namibians napping with a perfectly-timed cross-field kick to the unmarked winger.
The expected rout looked likely when Easterby barged his way over after driving maul in the 29th minute but the Irish started to lose their way and Namibian flyhalf Emile Wessels opened his team’s account with a penalty on the stroke of halftime.
Ireland secured the bonus point early in the second half when French referee Joel Jutge awarded a penalty try when Namibia collapsed a scrum on their own line but the West Africans dominated the rest of the game.
Ryan Witbooi burst through a hole to set up Nieuwenhuis then van Ziel won the race to a grubber kick from Heini Bock before Flannery restored some daylight when he squeezed over in the corner. – Reuters