JOE’S STICKING TO THE SCRIPT
Schmidt won’t alter game-plan despite change in personnel
WELCOME to the pressure cooker, Joe Schmidt’s description of a Six Nations week where it was hoped Ireland’s eight-day turnaround between matches would prove advantageous with England having a day less to prepare for tomorrow’s clash in Dublin.
It hasn’t panned out that way, neither Conor Murray nor Rob Kearney shaking off injury while demoted Devin Toner paid the price for fatigue after racking up what Schmidt reckoned were ‘some massive miles’.
In contrast, England have got the bashed-up Elliott Daly fit and revel in the luxury of promoting bench try-scoring pair Billy Vunipola and Anthony Watson.
Schmidt sensed from Tuesday evening Kearney might not make the cut, but Murray’s exclusion caught Ireland on the hop as it was only when they saw their clear firstchoice scrum-half wasn’t right in yesterday morning’s training that they promoted Kieran Marmion to start his biggest game yet.
Not that this has left Schmidt panicked and ripping up the game plan. ‘I don’t think you can afford to change too much because we had a 60-minute session Thursday and it’s hard to reinvent yourself in 60 minutes,’ he said, generating confidence Ireland’s blueprint can still prosper despite late changes.
A school of thought, if Ireland are to secure a second-place finish and seal the No4 world ranking ahead of May’s pool draw for 2019’s World Cup, is that an Ireland side beaten twice this year must become more aggressive at the breakdown to derail England’s swashbuckling chariot.
Schmidt’s charges have suffered a pair of yellow cards this term but in terms of penalties conceded, they are the Six Nations’ best disciplined, coughing up just 25 infringements and emerging on the right side of the penalty count in all four matches.
It’s a good behaviour patter that follows on from November’s incredibly meagre total of 11 penalties conceded in 240 minutes against New Zealand (two matches) and Australia.
However, with Ireland possibly not as confrontational at the breakdown for fear of being penalised, could it be that this exemplary level of discipline is also hampering them?
Schmidt doesn’t believe the accusation of being too saintly, too sanitised, was warranted. ‘That would be pretty unfair because our turnover rate is so good,’ he said of cumulative stats which illustrate Ireland winning 27 turnovers overall, the same as France and Wales, two less than Scotland’s 29 and four more than England’s 23. Italy have just 14.
‘We still get turnovers at the breakdown,’ he added. ‘There weren’t many at all in Wales. [Justin] Tipuric and Sam Warburton didn’t get them either, so it was very hard to get them. That was just the way it was refereed and the way the teams looked after the ball.
‘We’d like to keep that discipline the same. One reason is because we’re disciplined at the scrum where a lot of teams pick up a lot of penalties. We have the best stats for the ball played off the scrum, which is a real bonus for us, and it was probably a bone of contention last week when we got called to use the ball after a three-second scrum once it got to the No 8’s feet.
‘It’s a bit different this week with the England scrum, a very powerful scrum. That’s often a place where a team gives up penalties and then it’s trying to maybe push the boundaries a little bit too hard. We’re still trying to push them.
‘Our turnover rate against opponents would suggest we are still being successful and pushing them, but staying within the law to push them most of the time.’
Schmidt, who is hoping for a rainfree contest tomorrow, accepts gaining a decisive edge will be difficult, suggesting England’s squad depth is more formidable. He also has no truck with the tone of Eddie Jones’s poetic licence.
‘Personality-wise Eddie and I are different. There are some common traits. Eddie works incredibly hard and I do as much as I possibly can… but (I’m) certainly not as outspoken about it.
‘It’s pretty hard to fault Eddie because a lot of what he said has been justified by performances that backed up what he’s said. Sometimes some stats come out: the kicking stats last year were thoroughly exaggerated but that’s part of the colour.
‘The enjoyment, the twinkle in the eye that Eddie has when he says those things, he’s looking for a response and he gets it from his players because they have done well for him.
‘It was a good group he got hold of at a good time and he has kicked them on.
‘They have done a phenomenal job the last 18 months.’
‘I don’t think you can afford to change too much’