Murray Kinsella reports from Wembley
“I DON’T THINK you’re ever totally satisfied, because I think if you’re totally satisfied you’ve had the perfect game.”
You’ve guessed it already: Joe Schmidt.
After Ireland secured a second bonus-point in World Cup Pool D against Romania at Wembley yesterday, with only two tries conceded in both fixtures, the Ireland head coach was content. To a degree.
Schmidt, more than anyone, knows that Ireland have simply done what was expected. Failure to earn 10 match points from the meetings with Canada and Romania would have been unacceptable in Schmidt’s plans. Mission accomplished in that sense.
“We know we’ve been imperfect, but at the same time we also know that it’s a difficult thing to work your way through a couple of games where you’re heavily favoured to get the right result,” said Schmidt post-match at Wembley yesterday.
As we’ve seen already in this tournament, being heavily favoured to get a result and actually getting the result are two entirely different things. We’re certainly in a better place because we have 10 points now that we didn’t have previously.”
Schmidt points to Canada’s near-miss against Italy as proof that Kieran Crowley’s side are difficult to play against, while also referencing how “well put together” Romania are physically.
The Kiwi head coach and his similarly hard-working coaching staff have been keeping a close eye on the goings-on in pools other than their own.
Schmidt says South Africa looked back to “their scary best” against Samoa, while he viewed Wales’ win over England as a high-quality clash and says both those sides could go deep into the tournament.
With the minnows dispatched by Ireland in Pool D, attention turns towards what have long promised to be far greater tests in the shape of regular Six Nations rivals Italy and France.
The sense is that Ireland’s World Cup begins proper next weekend against the Italians in Olympic Park.
“Qualification does, because you know if you win three games in the pool that you’re pretty much secure in going through, particularly on the back of having a few bonus points,” said Schmidt.
“For us, it starts in earnest now because we know we can qualify if we win next weekend. At the same time, Italy will know that because they’ve had a win and a loss, they need to win next weekend to qualify.
For us, it becomes a kind of a top 16 game, to make sure that we can play our way through that. Then I feel that the play-off nature of the endgame of the World Cup really begins the following week.”
Ireland vs. France at the Millennium Stadium to top the pool, that’s what Schmidt is referring to. There won’t be any complacency in dealing with the Italians next weekend, however, with the head coach swiftly bringing that game to the fore.
“We have to make sure that we are very, very well prepared for Italy, particularly because Sergio Parisse is due back in,” said Schmidt. “I think he is very much a talisman for the Italian team and they’re starting to build their way into the tournament.
“They’ll be very, very tough for us next weekend.”
The rugby at this World Cup has been open, exciting and ambitious for the most part, a thrilling spectacle at times and full of fun. Ireland have played their part with 13 tries in two games, but the increased stakes moving forward may mean a tightening up of games.
Will Schmidt’s team and others begin to play with less width and fewer passes per phase? Will the kicking game become even more important?
“I don’t think it’s necessarily the intention, but realistically we do feel that teams will try to put pressure on us in different ways and that might force us to tighten up,” said Schmidt.
“I think it was demonstrated (against Romania), if a team just lines up and knocks you back it’s very hard to break them down. If you spread 14 or 15 strong men across the pitch, it is very hard to break them down.
I’ve no doubt that Italy will look to do the same thing. We’ve had a good look at Italy’s games against France and Canada and we’ll try to cater for what we expect from them and cater for playing to our strengths as best we can.
“They’ll bring pressure at set-piece as well, I’ve no doubt. I think you go into a game with Plan A, Plan B and maybe a back-up if that’s not working. I don’t think in the modern game you can just say ‘Right, we’re going to play this way all the time, this works all the time.’
“Once a team have a handle on that, unless they make a glaring error, you just don’t get an opportunity to breath on the pitch.”
With the likes of Johnny Sexton and Paul O’Connell expected back in the XV for Italy, you sense that Ireland may well be able to continue to breath freely.
