Just read the opening article in the Irish Times Rugby World Cup supplement and I am wondering when Gerry Thornley wrote it. It goes on about how wily coach Declan Kidney is, though in looking at Kidney's face when interviewed at the end of each of Ireland's warm up games, he looked more bemused than wily.
I must admit that I felt against Scotland, it was a second string team hoping to impress; the first test against France I felt the Irish protagonists were at least only operating at 70/80% optimum and even still in the second test against the French, the Irish team started with venom, though they eventually let the French show their might. There was at least, hope.
Against the English, they were mauled. Badly.
Each time Kidney looked at the camera in his post match interview with a little smirk and gave the 'disappointed with the result, but happy with the progress' reply. Indeed.
What progress is that Deckie? Kidney has at his disposal one of the most potent attacking backlines in Irish rugby history, the majority of whom have won honours in the Heineken Cup. However under his tutelage, they are flat passing from side to side without breaking the gain line.
I've seen better at Under 10's mini rugby.
How can this be ?
Kidney's main success has been with Munster's rightly proud record in the Heinken Cup. Most can remember the miracle match, but many will forget, since the emergence of Leinster's Lady Boys, that it was through the forwards that the Munster team ground out results. The backs were efficient, but nothing spectacular, bar of course, O'Gara's kicking. So he's good with the forwards. Fair enough.
It's the backs that win the games in International rugby though.
So he has barely played his first choice half backs together , Reddan and Sexton. He put his trust in O'Leary, though O'Leary has been out of form, and let him suffer at the expense of the team and O'Leary himself.
He has put Earls, a great footballer, but not a great centre, in at centre. Earls can't pass and looks out of his league when confronted with the English beef on Saturday.
He has put McFadden on the wing, when his best position is centre. Fine, McFadden has played it at Provincial level, but International can destroy you.
And he left Geordan Murphy stew, whilst trying out another first timer.
So Murphy comes in late and Murray comes in with less than an hour of international experience.
For the World Cup. Right Ho.
And to finish with poor David Wallace. Kidney picks him with no match time, expects miracles in the last game, and he gets creamed in a bone crunching tackle. A cruel blow for Wallace, but hardly well prepared. Kidney's love of 'the Munster Way' doesn't cut it on the International stage - you need forwards AND backs to work together.
One hopes that Jennings will grasp the opportunity and not feel a little low in motivation, for being a last minute filler.
I listened to George Hook on RTE on Saturday, and for once he didn't make me laugh, Pope was laughing for sure, but George, he was making a lot of sense.
There WAS no semblance, evidence or otherwise proof of coaching of the backline.
So here is what I am left with-
a) this was all a training session for the Irish team to get match fit and they have loads of moves that they have saved for the tournament
b) the management and coaching team have only one strategy - ' doing it for your country' , leaving O'Driscoll and O'Connell to take charge on the pitch and change the tactics in order to win as, well, the coaches can't do anything once the game has started. This is known as the 'Ashton Strategy' ' following what the English did at the last World Cup; dumped the coach's plan and ran the team
c) put my money on Australia as Ireland won't even make the quarters.
In the immortal words of Big Brother - 'Who goes?-You decide'
No comments:
Post a Comment