JOE SCHMIDT HAS had to field plenty of questions about Ireland’s style of play lately.
Before today’s Test against Italy — in which Ireland ran out 58-15 winners — they’d notched just two tries and had failed to earn a win.
A poor Italy side allowed the hosts to at last click trough the gears, rack up some scores and throw the ball around a bit.
“We were probably afforded more space than we have been in recent weeks,” Schmidt told RTÉ afterwards.
“We had three really tough teams first up and that allowed us to open the game up and play a bit and I felt we were reasonably solid starting off and kind of grew into the game.
“And as we grew into the game we probably lost our way in the last quarter maybe with the number of changes that we made which was disappointing. But at the same time it was great to get that first win on the board and to do it with room to spare.”
On an action-packed afternoon, Jamie Heaslip’s first try of the afternoon is a contender for score of the championship.
“It’s great to see that and it’s great to watch that,” said Schmidt of Ireland’s general play. “When you’re afforded space and opportunity to play like that, that’s exactly how you want to pay. We’ve been squeezed for time and space by the teams we’ve played so far. We have no doubt Scotland will squeeze us next week and we’ll try to deliver the very best we can and hopefully that will contain a little bit of open rugby as there was today and even as there was in the second half against England and as it was the last time we were here against Wales.”
As the game was put away early, the Ireland coach took the opportunity to empty his bench.
“You learn a little bit about the guys that come off the bench,” he said of todday’s lessons at Lansdowne Road. “They had the comfort of a cushion when they got on there so they had the freedom to play they didn’t have the pressure that Test match rugby usually does.
“I think that’s a good opportunity for them to show what they’re capable of. I think a couple of them came on and did well again. It also showed we hadn’t been that far away in the last few games and when the pressure valve broke it was good to see some good scores come out.”
