IT’S ONE YEAR since Joe Schmidt’s first run of games as Ireland coach. There has been so much rugby played since – the All Blacks capitulation and a championship win – that it is easy to forget how disappointing Ireland’s 32-15 home defeat to Australia in Schmidt’s second outing was.
In the immediate aftermath of the defeat, many players said that while Schmidt’s attention to detail was impressive and welcome, they might have had information overload for the game.
Ireland captain Paul O’Connell likened it to Leinster’s initial competitive outings under the New Zealander – they lost a couple and George Hook said Schmidt had lost the dressing room; in September! – and the second row said the squad is determined not to have a repeat of last year when they face the Springboks.
We were given a lot of information before the Australia game last year but I don’t think we had the right mental attitude to execute it. If we don’t have that tomorrow it will be a very tough game. We need to match South Africa’s intensity in our first game having not played together since the middle of June. That is a big thing for us – being able to hit the ground running and start as if we have played six or seven games in a row.
All week, South African coach Heyneke Meyer has said he sees the next four weeks as a beginning of a World Cup year rather than an end of season tour. You would think given the selection of Robbie Henshaw and Jared Payne, that is Schmidt’s thought process too but O’Connell said the focus was on the autumn of 2014 rather than 2015.
“We haven’t discussed it [The World Cup] that way,” O’Connell said.
“I don’t think that Joe goes about things that way. We had a camp in September, October and November to build up to this three-game series. Since we came in two weeks ago we have been focused on getting a world class performance against South Africa.
“We haven’t been focused on the World Cup, we have just tried to be prepared for everything South Africa will throw at us.”
So we are a year in to Joe Schmidt’s tenure and it is safe to say that the expectations of fans, players and pundits has been met. O’Connell took time to praise the detail-orientated nature of his head coach and how he puts his players in the best position to succeed.
“Joe is very clear with what he wants from each player out on the pitch,” O’Connell said.
“That is very enjoyable for players when you know that if you know your role inside-out that you have a very good chance of playing well.”
“You come into camp knowing that he will be very well prepared for the defences you will be coming up against and the challenges you are going to face. It is then up to you as a player to be physically and mentally ready to execute that plan.”
It must be annoying for the competitive animals who make up the Ireland squad to have to deal with defeatist questions about the amount of injuries the team has suffered but when you compare the health of the respective teams, it makes for grim reading.
O’Connell says that the absent players aren’t talked about and was keen to talk up the pack who delivered Ireland the 6 Nations title last March.
We have a really strong pack and there is some inexperience in the team but there is a lot of experience around those players as well. It isn’t something you think about, you just get on with it. Then when we get those guys back it will be a bonus to the team. South Africa have just blitzed New Zealand and this is a massive challenge for us. For the likes of the guys that were picked like Sean Cronin and Jack McGrath, it is a brilliant opportunity for them. It is the kind of game that will be fewer for me in the future. Some of my best memories in rugby has been for Ireland and the Lions versus South Africa. They are a brilliant rugby team and a brilliant rugby nation. We aren’t thinking about the injured guys.
