Provinces must know their place in big picture
The national side takes precedence
HOW quickly people forget. In December of 2011, IRFU chief executive Philip Browne and the union’s director of rugby Eddie Wigglesworth faced a sceptical media in Lansdowne Road to outline their ‘National Player Succession Strategy’.
The title may have been less than catchy but the contents were explosive and far-reaching as it set out to end the negative influence foreign players in the provinces were having on the national team.
Tighthead prop was the priority. All Black John Afoa was starting at Ulster, Springbok BJ Botha at Munster and, with John Hayes exiting the stage, there was no credible back-up to Mike Ross, who himself had been road-blocked by CJ van der Linde and Stan Wright at Leinster until Joe Schmidt took over from Michael Cheika the previous year.
The foreign influence, while beneficial to the provinces on and off the pitch, was adversely affecting a national team that lacked depth in key positions and, following the latest World Cup quarter-final failure, the IRFU had had enough.
That 2011 plan was met with almost universal condemnation — from the provinces, their supporters and media — and Schmidt was one of the most vocal critics.
The then Leinster coach knew he was already doing more than his bit for Ireland, bringing through a raft of Leinster players for national service, and his gripes were centred on the minutiae of the proposals involving ‘position specific’ diktats — elements which were subsequently remodelled.
Now that he is on the other side of the fence as Ireland coach, Schmidt’s Leinster experience means he fully appreciates how essential it is to have his frontline and understudy players starting regularly with the provinces.
Back in 2011, the IRFU announced that their succession plan would be implemented from the start of the 2013/14 season onwards and since then, under Schmidt, Ireland have won three Six Nations titles, a Grand Slam, beaten the All Blacks for the first time, won in South Africa for the first time and risen to second in the world rankings — as well as developing a range of Irish-qualified tightheads to choose from.
Not bad justification for the IRFU’s foresight six and a half years ago.
In the interim, David Nucifora came in as the IRFU’s elite performance director and is fulfilling his brief (ensuring Irish-qualified players offer depth in every position) superbly.
The best example being the decision not to renew Ruan Pienaar’s contract at Ulster.
That was another decision that attracted widespread opprobrium but those critics have gone quiet on the back of John Cooney’s spectacular season as Pienaar’s replacement.
The 2015 World Cup came too soon for the policies to have properly taken
As Ireland build towards the World Cup, there’s no doubt who is calling the tune
hold — the most glaring example being Ian Madigan being consistently overlooked for Kiwi Jimmy Gopperth under Matt O’Connor at Leinster, with O’Connor’s defiant stance against Nucifora, Schmidt and the IRFU prefacing his early departure.
Now, as Ireland build towards next year’s World Cup desperate to tick every squad selection box, there is no doubt who is calling the shots. Nor should there be.
The provinces are a vital, vibrant part of the Irish rugby set-up but they exist under the control and backing of the IRFU and it’s a case of the piper-payer calling the tune.
Which is a hot topic this week on the back of the story of pressure from Nucifora and Schmidt for one of Joey Carbery or Ross Byrne to move from Leinster to Ulster.
It is an incredibly complex issue, with many different strands to it — not least the fact that Ulster are a mess on and off the field with no head coach yet announced for next season.
There is also the argument Munster would be the better destination on the basis of having a stronger team, a coaching set-up in place ready to bed in and the need for a quality out-half like Carbery or Byrne.
Under employment laws, players cannot be forced to move against their will and it seems both Carbery and Byrne would prefer to remain with their native province in an environment poised to produce a regular stream of trophies.
It is also unfair on Leinster, who would feel the loss of a quality 10 when they have two out-halves away on Ireland duty for large chunks of next season — not to mention the fact they would be aiding a provincial rival.
But Irish rugby is a pyramid scheme that has to work from the top down and, while it would be a huge boost if Leinster win the Champions Cup in a few weeks, it is nothing compared to the lift the game in this country will experience if Ireland get to a first World Cup semi-final next year, or beyond, as they are eminently capable of doing.
As long as everybody pulls in the same direction.
Schmidt and Nucifora have a hands-on, vested interest in all the provinces doing well to further the Ireland cause and, while the IRFU have to be careful not to erode the concept of provincial identity, the national side takes precedence.
As ever, New Zealand is the best place to look for example and there is liberal movement there between the Super Rugby franchises to provide national coach Steve Hansen with the optimum number of options.
The All Blacks are going for their third World Cup in a row next year.
Relocating the likes of Carbery or Byrne is not a popular move but neither was the 2011 directive, nor the decision to move Pienaar on.
The right calls are often the most difficult ones.
Schmidt and Nucifora will have thought this one through, they would not encourage Carbery or Byrne to move if they did not see a viable means of bringing the player forward.
The evidence is conclusive — these two know what they are at, and the sooner everybody gets on board with that concept the better for Irish rugby.