SCHMIDT’S POWER PLAY
Ireland head coach needs big hitters for must-win encounter at Murrayfield
SATURDAY’S trip to Murrayfield has become a must-win game for Ireland after last weekend’s disastrous defeat by England. Joe Schmidt’s men need to regain a foothold in the championship and there is no margin for error going forward.
However, the World Cup remains the big target at the end of the year and in 228 days’ time Ireland will face the Scots in Yokohama for their opening game of the tournament.
Robbie Henshaw’s selection at fullback looked very much like a move with a view towards Japan, and Schmidt will have further room for experimentation this week with Devin Toner and Garry Ringrose ruled out of contention.
With that in mind, here are the selection conundrums facing Schmidt this weekend.
BACK THREE
Henshaw is a novice at full-back having won just two of his 37 caps in that position at Test level, and it showed at times against England as Owen Farrell continually found wide open spaces in the Irish backfield. The easy call would be to reinstate Rob Kearney in the No 15 shirt, the tried and trusted option for the best part of a decade. The Leinster veteran is back up to speed in training and the injury-enforced absence of Ringrose has given Schmidt the option of moving Henshaw back to centre alongside his former Connacht colleague Bundee Aki. However, Schmidt made a bold call in starting Henshaw in an unfamiliar position and he deserves another shot in the fullback slot. Jacob Stockdale is nailed-on to continue on the left wing despite being well marked by England last time out. Keith Earls appears to have recovered from the hip-pointer injury that forced him off at half-time at Lansdowne Road. The Munster wing is an experienced campaigner, but his lack of size could be exploited by Scotland’s 6ft 4in wing Blair Kinghorn. In that case, Schmidt could be tempted to go for the size and athleticism of Adam Byrne for this outing. The Leinster wing has been in superb form this season and his defence has markedly improved. Jordan Larmour can provide his usual explosive impact from the bench.
MIDFIELD
Ireland lacked physical impact last weekend and struggled to make a dent in a ferocious English defence that continually halted their ball carriers on the gainline. Ringrose was arguably Ireland’s best performer against the visitors and made some remarkable reads in the defence (his thumping hit on Owen Farrell in the 51st minute lifted an ominous siege).
The absence of the classy Leinster midfielder opens up an opportunity for Chris Farrell to get another crack at outside centre. Farrell has endured an injury-ravaged 12 months with two knee injuries and a quad issue sidelining him for vast chunks of the season, but there have been signs in recent months that the 25-yearold is getting back to his barnstorming best. Farrell combined with Bundee Aki to devastating effect against Wales in last year’s championship (the Munster centre was named man of the match) and the pair can inject muchneeded power in Ireland’s ranks for this tricky trip to Edinburgh.
HALF-BACKS
Last Saturday’s 32-20 loss was the 50th time that Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton had started an Ireland match as a Test pairing. It’s safe to say that it was one of their poorest outings as a halfback unit. Murray is still struggling for form following a fivemonth spell on the sidelines managing a neck injury while Sexton was playing his first game in five weeks after suffering a knee tendon injury against Munster at the end of December. A proven, world-class combination when fully fit, Sexton and Murray will surely improve at Murrayfield. John Cooney and Joey Carbery will continue to wait in the wings. Ireland could have done with Carbery’s passing game and invention much sooner in Dublin. Expect to see the Munster No10 a lot earlier in Edinburgh.
FRONT ROW
The sight of Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong losing the gainline battle is a rarity these days. Healy and Furlong remain the frontrunners at loosehead and tighthead and are nailed down for starting berths. Rory Best deserves a chance to atone for last weekend’s galling defeat, but Ireland’s captain will be feeling the pressure from Niall Scannell and Sean Cronin.
SECOND ROW
Devin Toner — Schmidt’s mosttrusted lieutenant during his six years as Ireland head coach — has joined Iain Henderson and Tadhg Beirne in the second row casualty ward. Suddenly, Ireland’s lock stocks are looking a little bare. James Ryan will continue in the engine room and looks set to be joined by Quinn Roux. Signed by Schmidt when he was Leinster head coach back in 2012, Roux has struggled to impose himself as a first-choice lock, but the South Africa-born forward has been in excellent from for Connacht under Andy Friend this season. He also provided some much-needed physicality from the bench last time out, landing a big shot on Courtney Lawes in the final quarter. Roux has earned his shot at lock. Ultan Dillane can provide plenty of explosive power from the bench. Scotland like to play a fast, all-court game and the likes of Dillane will play a crucial role in the frantic final-quarter.
BACKROW
CJ Stander’s facial injury has opened up a vacant slot in the most fiercely-contested department in the entire squad. There have been calls for Sean O’Brien to pack down at No8 against the Scots, but Jack Conan is a specialist and has upped his game for Leinster this season. His performance against Toulouse’s monstrous pack, when a host of frontliners were unavailable last month, was fresh evidence that he is a Test-class back-row forward.
Peter O’Mahony has enough credit in the back to continue on the blindside flank. Sean O’Brien’s breakdown nous and tenacity will be vital against a savvy Scottish back row and he should get the nod ahead of Josh van der Flier.