There is no substitute for today.
Flat-lining form and poor results prompted talk of the Ireland team shifting towards tomorrow, with declarations of the need to find more players, to deepen the pool, broaden the base, widen the net.
In sport, though, the future never sells itself. Without evidence of what tomorrow might bring, impatience builds in the here and now.
No one understands that better than Andy Farrell, a man whose first sporting act was to start in one of the toughest field games in the world.
Powerhouse: Stuart McCloskey on the charge during his huge dislay in Twickenham yesterday
His second act has involved building a brilliant coaching career in his second code.
And underpinning all of his success has been a clear-eyed understanding of what it takes to win.
It demands showing up today, not finding consolation in what the future might bring.
He has eschewed the comfort of four-year cycles in favour of building teams that want success now.
In this calculation, success breeds success.
For much of the past two seasons, the sums haven’t added up, but this rout of a highly fancied England shows that there is still compelling proof of the Farrell approach succeeding.
The sums stacked up.
The most persuasive case was made by a handful of veterans who people might doubt could still be a part of the Ireland team come the World Cup in 18 months’ time.
Their performances here were a timely reminders of an ageless point: form trumps age, always.
Impact: Ireland subs Tom O’Toole, Cian Prendergast, Ciaran Frawly and Tommy O’Brien celebrate the win over England in Twickenham yesterday
Jamison Gibson-Park illustrated the truth of it with practically everything he did. This was one of the outstanding performances by an Irish player in the modern age, given the pressure the team was under, the hostile surrounds, and his own circumstances.
Nobody seriously believed that Gibson-Park or Josh van der Flier were in terminal danger of losing Ireland jerseys on an ongoing basis when they were dropped for the Italy match.
With the benefit of hindsight, Farrell’s team selection for that game was a calculated risk. He gambled that a heavily rotated side would still have enough to get past the fast-improving Italians.
It did, but only thanks to the impact from the bench, with Gibson-Park’s contribution a big one.
Ireland’s Jamison Gibson-Park after his side’s victory against England in Twickenham
The experiment succeeded in giving Robert Baloucoune and Cormac Izuchukwu a chance to make claims that won’t be easily denied, especially in the case of the brilliant Baloucoune.
And the impact made in Twickenham by Tommy O’Brien after coming on early was another big stake claimed by a player breaking through.
Similarly, Jack Crowley did enough to shut down the out-half chatter for another round or two.
But the Italian lesson was also that there can be no discarding many of the old troopers with big service.
That’s partly because Ireland don’t have the luxury of an extensive cast of hopefuls. But it’s mainly because these are brilliant players who have invariably delivered for Farrell.
They did so here again, led by the dazzling scrum-half.
No England player was on his wavelength when he took a quick tap from a penalty and dived over for the vital opening score. That was only a taster of a display that showcased his staggering physical fitness in tandem with his mental alertness.
Touchdown: Ireland’s Jamie Osborne crashes over for Ireland’s fifth try in Twickenham
His kick ahead in the second half saw Marcus Smith react too casually, allowing Gibson-Park and Jamie Osborne win a penalty from which the full-back eventually went over.
The ragged English legions could barely lay a finger on him.
They were worn out from trying to quell Stuart McCloskey’s latest blockbusting show. They couldn’t contain him when he attacked, and they found him everywhere in defence, a crushing, merciless presence.
He ran Gibson-Park close for man of the match.
McCloskey has been Ireland’s player of the championship so far, and broke new ground in the green shirt in this match.
He was sensational, from the break that paved the way for Robert Baloucoune’s try, to the brilliant defensive hand that tapped the ball back and denied England what looked a certain try.
Perhaps the highlight was his speed in covering Smith’s run towards the corner after intercepting an attempted pass by Crowley. Not only did McCloskey stop the English replacement, but he also then hauled him into touch to give Ireland the line-out throw.
His Test career has come alight at the age of 33 – another cautionary reminder that tomorrow mustn’t dictate planning.
If the next cycle was all, then a man in his twilit sporting years would be overlooked for a younger talent.
McCloskey’s late bloom shows the absolute primacy of picking on form – and then rewarding it by sticking with it.
Time of his life: Flying Ulster wing Robert Baloucoune on his way to the tryline yesterday
Even if Bundee Aki had been available for Paris, McCloskey’s performances in the autumn and his form for Ulster, by a distance the most impressive Irish province this season, would have seen him the only option to start at inside centre.
In the midst of two sub-par performances in the opening rounds, McCloskey’s game has actually looked more rounded than ever. He is the team’s most proficient off-loader, and before yesterday was their most effective attacker.
He had plenty of company in that regard in London, but this was a win sourced in brilliant basics.
Job done: Ireland captain Caelan Doris congratulates late call-up Tommy O’Brien yesterday
Henry Pollock was the talk of the build-up as a big figure started his first Test match. He was part of an English back row that was comprised of three openside flankers, suggesting England would look to dominate the ruck.
They never got a sniff. Pollock’s most notable input was to get a yellow card as Ireland scored their fourth try early in the second half, but otherwise the breakdown was governed by another pair of Irish old-timers.
Tadhg Beirne was yet another strong contender for the man-of-the-match award, with van der Flier not far behind him.
They play the game with similar temperaments: no histrionics, no chest-beating, no nonsense at all. Instead, they get the job done.
And rarely as well as they did here.
On a day of unconfined joy, they were to the fore as Farrell’s dogs of war backed up bark with bite.
These are men for today, and they won’t easily surrender tomorrow, either.
