THERE’S NOT MANY in the Ireland squad who tackle a press conference like Ryan Baird. The Leinster and Ireland man is not shy to challenge and prod back if he disagrees with a certain line of questioning.
Baird would surely have anticipated a lineout inquest when he sat down with the media in Abbotstown earlier this week, but appeared somewhat taken aback, or at least frustrated, by the volume of questions focused on Ireland’s set-piece – which operated at 69% against the All Blacks before a 57% return by half-time against Japan improved to 82%.
When it was put to Baird those lineout issues have gone back a few years now, he replied: “Have they?”
Then when it was mentioned those ongoing lineout struggles have led to some criticism of Paul O’Connell, Baird, fairly, asked “Who’s been criticising Paul in this room?” After thanking the small show of hands for their honesty he offered a staunch defence of O’Connell’s coaching, saying any blame lies solely with those tasked with delivering on the pitch.
Baird was speaking to the media in Abbotstown earlier this week. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
“Paul’s amazing. It’s on us as players to do a better job to execute, he doesn’t put a foot wrong. He’s so meticulous in his detail, his plan. I was meeting with him last night at half-eight, as we were looking at lineout defense with Cian (Prendergast) and James (Ryan). The second I met and got to work with him… It’s an absolute privilege to work with him, so I won’t have a bad word said about him please.”
Baird’s message was that the lineout is not the big problem area so many feel it is, and is instead just a few small fixes away from operating at a higher level.
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“I wouldn’t say there’s anything major to fix,” he said. “I just see it as a short-term fix. I wouldn’t look too far or too deep into it.”
Indeed, Baird points to crowd noise as a contributing factor towards some communication issues evident against Japan. He accepts he was responsible for some of the miscommunication on the day, highlighting a rocket from Tadhg Beirne that helped him avoid making the same mistake again.
“Tadhg Beirne just screamed at me and said: Listen to the call! That was just kind of a mistake on my part where I just didn’t hear it. I unfortunately made the same mistake against New Zealand on the first lineout. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again in the game.
“It was just like, you know when you’re picking a lock and you just had that last one and it drops, like? – from watching movies! – That’s really what it was. I just tuned in the ears that fraction more to Tadhg’s voice and then we started rocking and rolling. We put so much work into it and once we get it going, you’ll see the benefits of it.”
Safe to say the Aviva Stadium will be be louder for the visits of Australia today [KO 8.10pm] and South Africa next week than it was for a 12.40pm kick-off against Japan, so Ireland need to be fully clued in if they are to get a better return at the lineout.
And while Andy Farrell’s team need to improve on their own throw, Baird’s lineout defence has been a standout feature of his outings over the last two weekends. As the Leinster man looks to nail down the Ireland six jersey going forward, his ability to disrupt on the opposition’s throw feels like a talent he can make his point of difference. Rampaging runs were once the calling card of the dynamic lock/back rower, but lineout disruptor could be a more valuable asset to this current Ireland side.
He starts again at six today, joining Caelan Doris and Jack Conan in the Ireland back row.
“Pretty happy,” Baird admits. “My lineout defence work, I can’t do any of that without tight-heads in front of me, who have just been awesome, lifters behind and everyone involved in the plan.
Ryan Baird takes to the pitch for Friday's Captain's Run. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
“James Ryan made some brilliant steals at the lineout as well, so I’m incredibly happy with, yes, a couple of steals myself but I’m so happy when I see the whole plan coming together because you put a lot of work into it and looking at the opposition lineout, trying to find areas where we can get and edge on them and stop them from attacking.
“So, yeah, it brings me such joy when that plan comes together. It’s not going to be perfect, you know. It’s always not going to work out quite exactly as you want it. But the great thing about us here is we have such confidence in our ability to just react, ever so slightly in the moment, to make it work.
“It’s just a very rewarding thing. It doesn’t just affect us, it affects the whole team because it takes away the backs having to defend strike plays and we get to attack and try to get a score. It’s good. I love lineouts.”
Overall, he feels his game is in a good place. The 26-year-old used to let mistakes eat him up, but has worked on how he deals with any in-game setbacks.
“It’s just letting go of the mistakes and trying to control the game, to control parts of my game. There’s so many moments in the game that you exert control over, and there’s certain things you can control: your effort, your want to play the way the team wants to play.
“I’ve just focused harder on that and let go of mistakes during the game, realised that the mistakes I’m making are me on my path to maximising my potential.
“Still to this day, mistakes in games will get to me. It’s just having the ability to come back to the moment that’s important, which is the one that I’m about to partake in. You know, I made a mistake in training (today), and I’m still angry but I have the ability to just move on to the next moment and realise ‘That’s gone.’ I can look at it afterwards, on the video, I can try and review it but right now I’ve got to focus on trying to give my best in the next moment.”
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'I wouldn’t say there’s anything major to fix' - Baird defends Ireland's lineout
THERE’S NOT MANY in the Ireland squad who tackle a press conference like Ryan Baird. The Leinster and Ireland man is not shy to challenge and prod back if he disagrees with a certain line of questioning.
Baird would surely have anticipated a lineout inquest when he sat down with the media in Abbotstown earlier this week, but appeared somewhat taken aback, or at least frustrated, by the volume of questions focused on Ireland’s set-piece – which operated at 69% against the All Blacks before a 57% return by half-time against Japan improved to 82%.
When it was put to Baird those lineout issues have gone back a few years now, he replied: “Have they?”
Then when it was mentioned those ongoing lineout struggles have led to some criticism of Paul O’Connell, Baird, fairly, asked “Who’s been criticising Paul in this room?” After thanking the small show of hands for their honesty he offered a staunch defence of O’Connell’s coaching, saying any blame lies solely with those tasked with delivering on the pitch.
“Paul’s amazing. It’s on us as players to do a better job to execute, he doesn’t put a foot wrong. He’s so meticulous in his detail, his plan. I was meeting with him last night at half-eight, as we were looking at lineout defense with Cian (Prendergast) and James (Ryan). The second I met and got to work with him… It’s an absolute privilege to work with him, so I won’t have a bad word said about him please.”
Baird’s message was that the lineout is not the big problem area so many feel it is, and is instead just a few small fixes away from operating at a higher level.
“I wouldn’t say there’s anything major to fix,” he said. “I just see it as a short-term fix. I wouldn’t look too far or too deep into it.”
Indeed, Baird points to crowd noise as a contributing factor towards some communication issues evident against Japan. He accepts he was responsible for some of the miscommunication on the day, highlighting a rocket from Tadhg Beirne that helped him avoid making the same mistake again.
“Tadhg Beirne just screamed at me and said: Listen to the call! That was just kind of a mistake on my part where I just didn’t hear it. I unfortunately made the same mistake against New Zealand on the first lineout. I wasn’t going to make that mistake again in the game.
“It was just like, you know when you’re picking a lock and you just had that last one and it drops, like? – from watching movies! – That’s really what it was. I just tuned in the ears that fraction more to Tadhg’s voice and then we started rocking and rolling. We put so much work into it and once we get it going, you’ll see the benefits of it.”
Safe to say the Aviva Stadium will be be louder for the visits of Australia today [KO 8.10pm] and South Africa next week than it was for a 12.40pm kick-off against Japan, so Ireland need to be fully clued in if they are to get a better return at the lineout.
And while Andy Farrell’s team need to improve on their own throw, Baird’s lineout defence has been a standout feature of his outings over the last two weekends. As the Leinster man looks to nail down the Ireland six jersey going forward, his ability to disrupt on the opposition’s throw feels like a talent he can make his point of difference. Rampaging runs were once the calling card of the dynamic lock/back rower, but lineout disruptor could be a more valuable asset to this current Ireland side.
He starts again at six today, joining Caelan Doris and Jack Conan in the Ireland back row.
“Pretty happy,” Baird admits. “My lineout defence work, I can’t do any of that without tight-heads in front of me, who have just been awesome, lifters behind and everyone involved in the plan.
“James Ryan made some brilliant steals at the lineout as well, so I’m incredibly happy with, yes, a couple of steals myself but I’m so happy when I see the whole plan coming together because you put a lot of work into it and looking at the opposition lineout, trying to find areas where we can get and edge on them and stop them from attacking.
“So, yeah, it brings me such joy when that plan comes together. It’s not going to be perfect, you know. It’s always not going to work out quite exactly as you want it. But the great thing about us here is we have such confidence in our ability to just react, ever so slightly in the moment, to make it work.
“It’s just a very rewarding thing. It doesn’t just affect us, it affects the whole team because it takes away the backs having to defend strike plays and we get to attack and try to get a score. It’s good. I love lineouts.”
Overall, he feels his game is in a good place. The 26-year-old used to let mistakes eat him up, but has worked on how he deals with any in-game setbacks.
“It’s just letting go of the mistakes and trying to control the game, to control parts of my game. There’s so many moments in the game that you exert control over, and there’s certain things you can control: your effort, your want to play the way the team wants to play.
“I’ve just focused harder on that and let go of mistakes during the game, realised that the mistakes I’m making are me on my path to maximising my potential.
“Still to this day, mistakes in games will get to me. It’s just having the ability to come back to the moment that’s important, which is the one that I’m about to partake in. You know, I made a mistake in training (today), and I’m still angry but I have the ability to just move on to the next moment and realise ‘That’s gone.’ I can look at it afterwards, on the video, I can try and review it but right now I’ve got to focus on trying to give my best in the next moment.”
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