IRELAND SKIPPER PAUL O’Connell insists his charges are ready for a war of attrition against Italy on Saturday.
Yesterday, Declan Kidney unsurprisingly named an unchanged side from that which he selected for the postponed clash in Paris.
And the tournament captain reckons the XV who take the field for the 1.30pm kick-off will be rearing to go.
“Italy are a very tough physical side so there’ll be a lot of sore bodies after the game on Saturday. That’s not ideal but we just have to get on with it,” the Munster man said yesterday.
“It’s going to be a really tough game for us. It’s probably the most physical challenge of the whole tournament, the Italian game. Whenever we played them in the past, they’ve obviously an excellent maul, an excellent scrum, they’re excellent around the fringes. It’s going to be a tough game on the bodies this weekend.
“They’ve kept the ball in hand a little bit more, they’ve been a small bit more expansive, but they’re still really tough up front. When you’ve such strength as they have up in the scrum and in the maul, why would you go away from it? So they’ve been really good at that aspect of the game, but they’ve kept the ball in hand a little bit more, attacked the short sides a little bit more, so I think they’ve looked a very good team in the last two games.”
Best laid plans
The ridiculous scenes on a half-frozen Stade de France pitch a fortnight ago, of course, put a new shape on Ireland’s schedule. But, O’Connell insists, he and his team-mates will just carry on, as always.
“There’s nothing you can do about it, you just have to get on with it. I suppose some guys with knocks have probably gotten the benefit of it, a few other guys would’ve liked to have played games and gotten a few games under their belt. It is what it is and you have to get on with it,” O’Connell told a press conference at Carton House yesterday.
“We’d a good week’s training last week in our provinces and we were together for one day, we’d a good day. So we came into camp this week in good shape and refreshed so that’s the positive of it. Four games in a row now. Some guys like that, other guys aren’t too pushed about it either. But it is what it is and guys have just gotten on with it.”
I Connell ya hoor ya
Another fully loaded week of cliches.
Bit like Shay Given saying he’s ready to put gloves on.
“We’re ready to put our bodies on the line, insists O’Connell”
We really don’t expect you to go that far but what ever turns you on Guys :-)
Bored of hearing quotes from the Lads such as this, theyve been saying this for the past ten years under o’Sullivan and under Kidney,one match after another they dont perform,one great season with the makings of some of the best players in the world in all this time is beyond shocking. The run of failures is never ending it seems and with so many they out weigh the little wins they get here and there,theyre always on the back foot and it seems they can never do the basics and win a feckin match like the fantastic sporting professionals they all are,everytime you give a little grace to the idea that they will finally come together and do what we all know theyre capable of, it all blows up in your face, 10years of it is way too long to be spouting the same story with the same results
Get your boots and show everyone how its done
Already have and continue to do so with or without boots.
I already have and continue to do so with or without boots.
Such pointless and stupid comments don’t keen to be said twice.
The word you were looking for is need. And as unfortunate as it is the double post would be due to the journal app failing to register the comment and, by the looks of it, the app is having some sort of issue. My apologies for the pointless and stupid reply as it was only as frivolous as the stupid reply already written but im sure some people can fill in those small gaps themselves.
O Connell, try running with the ball for more than five steps this game.