Farrell cannot afford to focus on 2023 World Cup, says Drico
“And he gets used in systems that can get him on the ball,” stressed Grant.
“But you want as many people sharing that workload and good ball-carriers carrying.”
Hence the need and hope to get the other imposing presences of McCloskey fit again and, ultimately, squad skipper Iain Henderson back after being rested following his game time at the World Cup.
In the meantime, it’s about polishing the pack’s maul attack and defence as well as other work-ons for Zebre.
“It’s another big challenge, so we’re going to have to keep making strides,” added Grant.
O’Driscoll added: “The lack of evolution probably hurt us, it hurt him a bit because it felt as if we ran out of ideas.”
Schmidt has exited the stage, making way for his defence coach Andy Farrell under whom O’Driscoll worked on the 2013 Lions tour.
And he believes Farrell cannot put all of his eggs in the World Cup 2023 basket.
“Is he on the back foot? Probably a little bit because the players didn’t deliver in the World Cup as he would have liked as one of the coaches,” he said. “I think he’ll be given a little bit of leeway, but the problem is you can’t write off the first two years in development of a four-year cycle.
“You’ve got to win the here and now, but that might look different to what we’ve seen with Joe, that success, but he won’t have a job in four years if he doesn’t get the immediate part right.”
Meanwhile, England fans will struggle to secure direct flights to Japan for Saturday’s World Cup final against South Africa, according to travel experts.
Supporters clamouring for match tickets for the showpiece in Yokohama already face paying extortionate prices.
The cheapest ticket available on online ticketing agency Stubhub yesterday was priced at £1,386 — with some seats costing almost £13,000.
And demand for flights from the UK to Tokyo, 20 miles from the Yokohama Stadium, has soared since Eddie Jones’ side beat New Zealand in the semis.