Over the past month international coaches in both hemispheres have implemented tactics to nullify rushing defences. New Zealand and Australia are selecting extra playmakers at fullback and outside centre to provide new attacking dimensions.And it’s working.
Counter-attack has never gone out of fashion. The few seconds of transition between when a team kicks the ball and their players moving from attack to defence has become the area where the smartest teams are maximising the space this provides.
Once again we witnessed New Zealand display supreme counter-attacking skills against the Wallabies. The Kiwis use these few seconds of transition to perfection.
In the north France have used sports science to improve their physical conditioning. They appear to be in much better shape than in the recent years. Add to this Fabien Galthié, the newly appointed attack coach, who has radically restructured the French offensive systems, and the result was France smashed a rudderless Scotland.
The trick is to not get belted by England in the process. At international level, the margins are very small
Despite all the sage quotes about learning from defeat, getting belted on the scoreboard damages a team’s momentum and confidence. Just ask Scotland and Australia.
Today Ireland face an exceptionally well prepared England. Let us not forget that in February at the Aviva Eddie Jones masterminded a game plan that empowered England to cripple the Irish attack and laid bare to the watching world the frailties of the Irish defensive system.
We will witness this English aggression, physicality and the tactics that humbled Ireland in the Six Nations in spades at Twickenham.
The mountain Ireland are climbing is made even steeper because England are a few weeks ahead of Ireland in their World Cup preparation. England have played Wales twice, while Ireland have only played their ‘A’ team against Italy.
I’m sure that the micro and macro Irish planning cycles leading up to the World Cup are detailed and accurate. Their sole focus is to have Ireland at an exceptionally high level of readiness for the crucial opening match against Scotland next month.
From personal experience I know how difficult a task this planning process can be. Ireland decided to use an extra week of training camp in Portugal rather than play back-to-back games. Ireland have spent more time on the training ground, the gym and in planning meetings, believing this will bear fruit in Japan. The Irish plan dictates that there will be no “peak” for the English match.
The plan is to peak in a month’s time against Scotland. I get that and I agree with it.
Fatigued
The short-term problem for Ireland is that in high-intensity training periods players can become fatigued and on-field performances can suffer. To suggest that Ireland’s preparation is behind both the English and the Welsh is merely an observation, not a criticism. Joe and his staff have planned for this and I fully support the concept.
The trick is to not get belted by England in the process. At international level, the margins are very small. Being two weeks behind your opponents in your preparation can lead to a late match scoreboard blow out.
In acknowledging that Ireland are behind England in their preparation plan, what we need to see from Ireland is that they have addressed the need to change their attacking plan to nullify England’s rushing defence.
I am sure that after thrashing Scotland the French are now in a stronger mental state than the Scots.
I have written about this before, but the truth cannot be over stated. Ireland need to use another ball-player in the outside backs, like New Zealand and Australia, to provide an extra playmaker besides Ross Byrne. Gary Ringrose and Rob Kearney are great runners but not ball-players. Ireland must also start to counter-attack the ocean of possession that England will kick to them.
Byrne is an excellent kicker. He can employ kicking strategies to attack the space behind the rushing white jerseys of England. I applaud the selection of Byrne. His strengths will annoy the English defence.
All these strategies must be added to the Irish attacking plan. I cannot over emphasise the importance of Ireland starting to use these tactics. Without them a quarter-final victory over South Africa or New Zealand is beyond them.
On all the available evidence England should win this warm-up match. What is imperative is that we witness Ireland attempting the processes required to nullify the English tactics that damaged Ireland so badly in the past year.
Brave call
The gamble for Joe Schmidt is that he has decided to put his team two weeks behind England in their preparation. In doing so he knows there is a possibility that a fatiguing Ireland could leak points late in the game and get belted like Scotland. It's a brave call by Joe. We will only know if he right after the quarter-final.
I am sure that after thrashing Scotland the French are now in a stronger mental state than the Scots. Ireland don’t want to wake up on Sunday morning and have to deal with the emotions that a big defeat brings.
An Irish victory is not impossible but highly unlikely. Scoring points gives teams energy, so Ireland have to score a lot of points if they are to get the energy boost they dream of in their first major step on their World Cup journey.
With so many unanswered questions about this Irish team, this match will make for fascinating viewing.
