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Brian O'Driscoll in squad training yesterday. INPHO/James Crombie
6 Nations

Opinion: Discipline key if Ireland are to derail England's chariot at Lansdowne Road

Two cards like last Saturday and it won’t be a fun day out in D4.

AN AWAY WIN against Wales with England and France to come at home. We should be optimistic or should we?

Last Saturday’s game was an accurate reflection of the Irish team over recent years. A first half full of ambition and bravery followed by a second half where we totally lost our way. This can come in any order and it could be two different matches as opposed to two halves of the same match.

Discipline is essential against England if we are to succeed. Two cards like last Saturday and it will be curtains against this English team. Owen

Farrell will punish us all day if we let him. England finally have a fly half who has feel and can run the game. If Ireland are to win this one they must stop them early. If England get across the gainline and build momentum we will have two halves like the second half last Saturday.

The choke tackle could be a questionable tactic against them. If we are unsuccessful and they start to drive us back and manage to retain possession it could be painful. We must achieve parity in the set pieces.

We are never going to dominate them in this area. Here our kicking out of hand needs to improve considerably. If we don’t put them under pressure when we kick they will run back at us in waves. Or else we will be giving them setpiece platforms to work from.

It is at the break down that we need to win the battle. This we must start by trying to turn them and move them around. We mustn’t fall into the trap of having too few in the rucks particularly early on. The break down I expect to be fiercely contested and Ireland must move the ball quickly.

Our runners cannot come from a standing start. They need to get over the gain line and stay on their feet that extra few seconds if they get isolated. Loose offloads and kicks to nothing will be very expensive against a powerful and athletic English team.

With the right kind of possession Ireland can punish England but they mustn’t lose their way, give away cheap possession or be indisciplined.

Emmet O’Rafferty is a former second row forward for Leinster and chairman of Top Security which operates a security business in Ireland and South Africa.

What do you think?

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Emmet O’Rafferty
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