HEIMIR HALLGRIMSSON HAS suggested he will not make wholesale changes for Tuesday’s Nations League game against Greece, as he retains his back-seat role in charge of Ireland.
Hallgrimsson says he is leaning heavily on John O’Shea and Paddy McCarthy’s input for his opening two games in charge, and has suggested he will do so again for the double-header against Finland and Greece next month.
O’Shea and McCarthy selected the squad for this month’s games, and Hallgrimsson stuck with the back five system employed earlier this year by O’Shea, and Stephen Kenny before him.
Such is O’Shea’s influence, he will conduct Monday’s pre-match press conference rather than Hallgrimsson. This will flout Uefa’s competition rules, which mandate that the head coach attends the press conference held the day before the match.
“We are all in it together and for sure I need a lot of help in the first one or two camps, not knowing the characters of the players”, said Hallgrimsson after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to England. “When you come to a new culture, you cannot think you can change everyone – in my case to an Icelandic. You have to adapt to the players, the culture, and what they have been doing, and using what is good.”
Hallgrimsson also said he hoped to have more “authority when time goes on”, but the FAI subsequently got in touch to clarify he instead meant to say “more knowledge.”
The manager’s steady start begs questions of the FAI, given they have said publicly that he was their first choice for the job from as far back as March of this year. Yet fully six months later, Hallgrimsson says he is not ready to be in sole charge of the team and is delegating responsibilities to O’Shea, whom the FAI did not deem suitable as the permanent manager.
Hallgrimsson is also contracted only until the end of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, which may come as soon as November of next year if Ireland fail to secure at least a play-off.
Nonetheless, if there will be change under the new manager, it will come gradually. So in spite of the one-sided nature of the defeat to England nor the home and away defeats to Greece in Euro 2024 qualifying last year, there won’t be immediate overhaul.
“That’s not my philosophy, to jump from one thing to another”, said Hallgrimsson to reporters after the England defeat when asked if his approach will be dramatically different. “There will always be tweaks, but it should be the same principle in how we do things, how we defend, how we attack.”
He said the players will benefit from a consistency of selection around them, having cited a lack of confidence and indecision as being at the root of the England defeat.
“It was maybe because of a lack of confidence, we were more passive than active when we were defending”, he said. “I felt that was the biggest problem [against England], not to believe and take the decision to go.”
He continued, “Play more matches etc, play together more, having maybe more stability in selection, who is playing next to whom, so that feels comfortable. I think we have been rotating a lot of players when you look at the games before, so there is never this connection that you need at the high level, you never get that.
“And if we are not going to finals, again, you are missing this one month or two months of togetherness that is so important for a national team.”
Though if the players’ confidence and ability to take initiative does not improve over time, Hallgrimsson hinted a change of formation may be necessary.
“When we play five at the back, again talking about initiative, sometimes you have three centre-backs against one striker. You need one to step up”, he said. “Once they play better together they grow in confidence to take the initiative to say we don’t know three players and I’ll step into midfield.
“Then if that doesn’t happen, the coach needs to change the formation, take one from here and put in there. We have versatile players so could move players around.”
Seamus Coleman is out through injury, and has been replaced by Festy Ebosele.
Greece currently top Group Two, having opened with a 3-0 win at home to Finland. It was they who did the most damage to Kenny’s reign last year, beating Ireland 2-1 in Athens before then winning 2-0 in Dublin. Gus Poyet is no longer in charge, however, and has been replaced by former UAE and Panathinaikos boss Ivan Jovanović.
“We’ll see how we are compared to Greece, knowing we lost the two Euro qualifiers against them last year”, said Hallgrimsson.
“They have some hold on us so hopefully we can do better than we did in the Euros.
“We already planned in our head how we were going to play Greece. We did our analysis meeting way before this camp happened. And of course given that we have the same coaching staff that were in those matches, they have more experience playing Greece than me. Let’s hope we have learned from those two matches.”
From my own perspective, I thought the referee frequently judged the scrums incorrectly. He seemed penalise Connacht, based on what he expected, versus what was occuring on the field. I thought Finlay Bealham used his bind very effectively to twist and tuck Boyle on at least two occasions. Those were clear penalties to Connacht. Denis Buckley meanwhile is exactly the type of low, compact loosehead, that Slimani finds unconfortable to scrummage against.
But the referee felt otherwise…
@Brian Meagher: As a former front rower you are absolutely correct in your assessment…
@Brian Meagher: wasn’t just the ref, touch judges also penalised Connacht and Buckley for going down
@adizlack93: It was a complete team effort. Referee, touch judges and of course TMO.
@Liam Joyce: as another former front rower and coach I totally agree. The officials are only making it up. P.s. I’m a neutral supporter.
@Brian Meagher: that happens in plenty of games. Leinster were on the other side of that against Bristol a few weeks ago for example. That sort of thing isn’t in any way particular to Connacht.
Only in the 2nd half when the game was effectively out of Connachts reach did the officials apply fair play. Some of the stuff that went on in the 1st half when the game should have been in the melting pot was farcical to say the least.
We need to game to go back to only the captain talks to the ref. There’s is no question across the board in rugby the smaller side doesn’t get the breaks like the bigger sides do and conaught as much as any get little or no breaks but saying that you need to create your own luck and they had a very good chance to beat leinster and just didn’t. If the first head clash didn’t warrant a card than the bundee one didn’t either. And this business of rolling around like a soccer player needs to be put to bed too. If a player rolls around holding their head ( bringing attention and looking for a card ) then a HIA should be mandatory.
@chris mcdonnell:
Cian Prendergast asked the Ref on him reacting to the crowd and he was told to shut up…
So Captain speaking was waste of time too..
The first one had no real proof of actual contact… Notice neither player heads go back…
@Jack Dermody: the crowd helped get the incident reviewed no question but he asked the ref basically was he incompetent. No ref or anyone anywhere is going to admit that they were weak enough to be influenced by the crowd.
@chris mcdonnell: Hansen was speaking to the media not the ref
@chris mcdonnell: if you are going to spout away like you know what you are on about please at least spell connacht right
Why does he say ‘nobody is trying to get a Leinster player in trouble’? Because that’s what they are and were doing. Modern rugby. Players and supporters crying out for penalties, cards and suspension.
@Kevin Ryan: the players have turned into a bunch of whingers on and off the field.
Mack won’t be doing media again for a while!
@Kevin Ryan: Ara shtop. You deliberately taking it the wrong way with that talk. It is evidently clear their gripe is ref/tmo consistentsy.
I don’t what to say to you if you truly believe this all a ruse and a web of lies and is infact a big ploy to actually get Leinster players banned.
@Kevin Ryan: they are calling for fairness. The Leinster player was putting himself in trouble with his actions
The irfu seems determined to win silverware by hook or by crook I wonder is dupont available leinster might sign him for 3 months
@Tony McGrath: very witty, good man yourself
@Tony McGrath: we could get our S&C staff to create a heap of injuries and sign him as a medical joker.
@Tony McGrath: complete muppett
I accept Hansen was frustrated. But to back up suggestion that refs are out to get Connacht is classless
@Michael Thompson:
But it seems true… Connacht just don’t get the decisions and Saturday Night was more blatant than normal..
This is not Leinster’s fault and it wasn’t directed at Leinster… What effectively happened on Saturday, the ref was reacting to a large home supporter crowd instead on being impartial. He was clearly intimidated by a crowd that gave a deluge of boos and jeers on a perceived call against them.
This not on Leinster, they are just supporting their team.
@Jack Dermody: if that was true, why did he jump through hoops to not card Ioane, for a very clear shoulder to the head. When the crowd were calling for it. Trying to totally ignore what the TMO was telling him?
Getting sick of Mack Hansen and his King of Banter routine. He should apologise for his disgraceful remarks about the officials. Has no place in rugby football.
@Aidan Farrell:
So how many more years should he say nothing about what is going on blatantly in front of him…
You think he should know his place and let dangerous play go on unpunished…
@Aidan Farrell: so why are you here reading and commenting on an article about him? Take your own advice, sunshine, if you want to censor Hansen from expressing an opinion (checks notes) in an interview…
@Aidan Farrell: you must have a headache Ray disagreeing with yourself online
Whether right or wrong Hansens comments throws a light on the imbalances and will imbue greater equality from refs going forward. There is compelling evidence that Leinster get what is going becasue they have “name players”. Any centre in Ireland outside of the Leinster compliment wouid have seen yellow for Barretts tackle on Aki. Then they torture the data to incriminate Connacht players with lower profiles. So, there is a basis for the claim of injustice. Somebody has to say enough is f..ing enough before change elicits. This rugby etiquette thing cannot be a one way street – fair is fair. I like order but challenge is merited if there is disharmony and shenanigans.
@JJB: Well said spot on…..
Always happens to Connacht
Frank Murphy was the absolute worst
The ref from N ire is terrible as well.
@Derek Casserly: Frank Murphy was an absolute nightmare. But I think he was just a poor ref overall because no provincial supporter’s are happy with him. He ruins good Derby games
@anthony davoren: he was appalling in Connacht matches, went out of his way to prove no bias towards Connacht (as a fast tracked former player who knew many of the squad still playing), instead ended up screwing over Connacht frequently. We also used to get assigned way too frequently the Chagelang brothers, Whitehouse (Son Of, i.e., son of former International ref Nigel Whitehouse, the only reason he got a career out of refereeing). The other Welsh disaster, Leighton Hodges (the lad that cost Pat Lam a €10k fine, after assisting in a robbery by Cardiff of a result back in 2015).
Nevermind the Irish refs who used to regularly hammer us also John Lacey, Peter Fitzgibbon, and god help us if the utterly useless Simon McDowell got the TMO gig for our games, but he was just genuinely useless.
Positive Reinforcement is great but so is negative reinforcement. Referees should be held accountable as well. Rugby is a complex sport and referee’s cherrypicking incidents is bad overall for the sport regardless of your allegiances. I would say that making a reckless ruck clearance with your shoulder is categorically worst that a tackle as at least there is a momentum in the tackle. The dangerous ruck clear outs are always a player rushing in on a player who is stationary. It’s exceptionally dangerous.
Referees should be held accountable. For me the Barrett clear-out was exceptionally dangerous and as a refereeing team each one of those officials should be suspended for 2 rounds of matches or at the very least be only allowed to be bunker or TMO referees for several rounds so they can focus on foul play and the rules of the game.
Yes the ref & officials were asleep during the game. Barrett should have been yeow carded. When an All Black you don’t get punished.
@James Glynn: apart from a world cup final?
If Mack wants to know why they lost on Saturday night, he needs to have a good look in the mirror and stop blaming the officials.
A virtually full strength Connacht team lost to a leinster team that was missing 18 internationals.
@Barry Lynch: Leinster had 12 Irish internationals plus 2 World Cup medals winners in their 23 !!!
Know your place Hansen, you weatern paupers should be damn glad you even exist, nevermind expect the same treatment as superstars! How dare you speak the truth!
Hansens frustrations IMO are borne out of what happened on the night and also it was the same TMO ref combo who missed the reckless tackle that finished his season last year, while after that match he seen his team mate banned for an equally reckless tackle to a player who was playing a few weeks later.
@Thomas Bohan: Yep, how Hodnett didn’t get a red for that assault on Hansen was disgraceful, and absolutely hypocritical given the offences Connacht players received cards for subsequently…
All the booing has to stop Aswell both at the ref and away team leinster are always at it
Well i think it is time for the media back the players after all they are the people who put there bodies on the line during the game there bodies are battered and bruised when the game is over and why would they any other way after a hard battle fought for 80 minutes now the urc officials brought in the safety aspect to the game i think it’s time for the refs and officials to do a course on the safety of the game because they don’t care it’s not there bodies that’s getting battered and bruised to give it there all for the people that travel to the games in support of provinces and entertaining those who watch on tv now media wake up and back the players both men and women rugby
Its fine they’ll make up for it on Friday in thomond.
Lord are we sick of dublin jackasses.supporters and
This might be one of those stories where knowing the question asked is important in interpretation of the answer.