ARE SOME IRELAND internationals suffering from a World Cup hangover, and could this extend to the Six Nations? That was one of the topics discussed on today’s Rugby Weekly Extra, the podcast for subscribers to The 42.
A question was put to the panel from a subscriber, Niall, who wondered whether several players, including Caelan Doris, Andrew Porter and Jamison Gibson-Park, were looking tired and operating below their usual high level.
“Is it just as simple as a hangover from a massive thing in your life which didn’t go the way you wanted it to?” Murray Kinsella, The 42 rugby journalist, asked Bernard Jackman.
“Yeah I think so,” said the former Dragons head coach and Ireland hooker. “I think psychologically it’s very difficult. They had a bit of time off . . . but the disappointment of what happened in the quarter-final . . .
“Also, the special bond that they seem to have. The atmosphere that was in France – very difficult to replicate that. They’re coming back into teams, Leinster in particular where there is so much chopping and changing, it’s hard to get that rhythm, get that connection … One of the things Farrell was quite strong on was putting a similar team out back-to-back, that Irish team was quite settled at the end.”
The rapidly changing provincial selections are necessary to give players opportunities and to manage minutes, Jackman said, adding that many, though, do “just look slightly off”.
“There will be a bit of fatigue, I’d say not physically, more mental. Lookit, from the Leinster point of view they’ll be in the knockout stages of the Champions Cup and you’re kind of hoping that by the time the Six Nations is over those players are back flying again.
“But the other provinces probably need some of their big players to find form in the next two weeks, Round Three and Four of the Champions Cup, to help them get there.”
Kinsella said that on the positive side Andy Farrell is good at “setting that frame for a new campaign and getting a bit of energy back in the group”.
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