THERE ARE ALWAYS areas to improve upon but Joe Schmidt will have been happy with Ireland’s first hit-out under his regime. They are looking to impose a new style of play and you would have to be happy with a 40-9 win.
Paddy Jackson looked pretty good at out-half and Jack McGrath was impressive around the pitch and at scrum-time. He handled himself really well. Fergus McFadden did a fine job out on the left wing.
Joe Schmidt may have made six changes from the side that beat Samoa but there were no major surprises. They have all been at Carton House for three weeks now and know the ins and outs. Schmidt and John Plumtree will be looking for a seamless transition.
It is a great sign for Irish rugby that Schmidt is able to leave out some big names without missing a step. Mike McCarthy is on the bench but Paul O’Connell replaces him. Gordon D’Arcy is replaced in midfield by a real talent, in Luke Marshall. McGrath did fantastically but Cian Healy comes in. Chris Henry did well, and is unfortunate to miss out through injury, but Sean O’Brien steps in at openside.
A lot of people would have like to have seen Conor Murray start but you have a scrum-half [Eoin Reddan] coming in with three Heineken Cup medals in his pocket. The 9/10 combination with Jonathan Sexton will have some zip to it.
I’m delighted to see Robbie Henshaw on the Irish bench. He can play anywhere in the back three as well as covering Brian O’Driscoll at 13. He works really hard on his game and is always looking to learn and get better. He never stops asking [Connacht out-half] Dan Parks questions.
Schmidt is not afraid to use his bench and Robbie will be bulling to go. A couple of months before his Connacht debut he was captaining his schoolboy team [Marists] in the Connacht Senior final. He’s had no time to dip his toes in the water; he has been thrown straight into the mix. Facing the Wallabies will be a big ask but he’ll be ready for it. Given the chance, I’m sure he’ll thrive.
He has featured for the U20s and Wolfhounds though and I’ve no doubt he’ll step up the mark. The flipside of his early promotion to the senior ranks is that he’ll be expected to deliver. This Ireland squad has 10 Lions in the matchday 23. Robbie will be aware of that and know he must raise his game.
Australia had a good win in Turin against Italy and have some quality backs in Will Genia, Quade Cooper, Israel Folau and Adam Ashley-Cooper. Starving them of as much ball as possible would be a good starting point for Ireland.
McFadden against Ashley-Cooper will be good to watch — two hard-running players. The out-halves [Sexton and Cooper] will be quite a match-up too. Michael Hooper, who has done well coming in for the injured David Pocock, will go head-to-head with Sean O’Brien. We then have James Horwill, who was relieved of the Australian captaincy and will be looking to take on O’Connell and Toner.
It will be a close game but I think Ireland will win. It is all about building for Schmidt but he will be eager to follow up on his first-up win. I’m looking after my sons this weekend and will have the game on while by sons watch Thomas the Tank Engine. I’m confident that I am making the right viewing choice.
@adrianflavin played 159 times for Connacht between 2006 and 2013 and earned two Ireland Wolfhounds caps.
