Ireland tactics could make it an open and shut case for Wales flankers
SHANE Williams is perplexed by the way Wales folded against Scotland and fears the same could happen when Six Nations title hopefuls Ireland come to the Principality Stadium next week.
The Great Entertainer warned that astute Ireland boss Joe Schmidt could devise a battle-plan to frustrate Rob Howley’s men and force them into making the type of mistakes which proved so costly during the 29-13 defeat at Murrayfield.
Williams was alarmed at the manner in which Wales fell apart and the failure to fix the problems that saw them make numerous handling errors, cough up possession on a regular basis, panic and be rudderless for 30 minutes of a second-half horror-show.
“Scotland attacked Wales at the breakdown. Wales sent in one-in runners, looked quite lethargic at times and had no direction with ball in hand,” he rapped.
“When they did break the gainline they lot the ball in contact and got very frustrated. My worry is that is how Ireland play. They will frustrate Wales.
“They will keep the ball very well and away from Wales. The likes of CJ Stander, Sean O’Brien and Devin Toner will be a real pain in the backside and make it difficult for Wales at the breakdown.
“So it’s a massive game for Wales. The could lose two games in a row at home, three in the championship and go from fifth to ninth in the world rankings ... which doesn’t say a lot for the team.
“There is a lot at stake, it is a huge game for them and they are under a lot of pressure.”
Herioc Welsh defence saw them hold out during a 45-phase onslaught by the Irish and pile up a then record 250 tackles in the Six Nations, with lock Luke Charteris making 30 of them, in Cardiff two years ago.
And they managed to produce a counter-punch with Scott Williams scoring the vital try during an astounding 23-16 victory.
Sam Warburton was at the forefront of the effort at the breakdown, as he was when they beat the Irish 22-10 in the quarter-finals of the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.
And Justin Tipuric won hefty praise from Warren Gatland as Wales bullied Ireland in a full-on warm-up ahead of the 2015 tournament in Dublin, winning 16-10.
Honours were even in last year’s Six Nations as it finished 16-16 in the Irish capital with Tipuric at openside flanker, Warburton at blindside and Taulupe Faletau at No.8.
They were up against a back-row of Stander, Jamie Heaslip and Tommy O’Donnell – O’Brien or Peter O’Mahony is expected to start in place of the latter a week on Friday.
Williams pointed out, while Wales have been starting with two opensides in this Six Nations in Tipuric and Warburton, Ireland have gone the opposite route by fielding two blindsides in Stander and O’Brien.
“We have two sevens. It works sometimes, but then there are times when they are trying to do the same job,” he said.
“Ireland have two sixes rather than an out-and-out seven and it is effective at the moment because it is all about the breakdown and ball-carrying, getting over that gain-line.
“Stander’s stats are through the roof and he and O’Brien are taking the benefit of that. Heaslip is more like a Tipuric – he has great feet, is great ball-handler and more of a footballing back-rower.
“Ross Moriarty was great versus England, so maybe play him six and put ‘Toby’ Faletau in, but do you drop Sam Warburton? Or Tipuric, who has been the form player for three seasons?
“Tipuric is more of a Kieran Read (New Zealand captain). He is a ballhandler, he can play on the wing and score tries. It is a helluva headache to have. a conundrum.
“If you had spoken to me after the England game (conceding a late try saw Wales beaten 21-16) I would have had a smile on my face.
“They could easily have won that game. Physically, it was the best defensive performance in two years. Ball in hand, they were playing with width and depth and intent, getting the likes of Liam Williams involved in the game out on the edge, and Jonathan Davies from deep.”
Defeat to Ireland would be Wales’ third in this Six Nations and mean they would have to win against France in their final match of the tournament not to fall out of the top eight in the international rankings and avoid being drawn in a potential group of death at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.”
Williams believes Ireland scrumhalf Conor Murray, who is expected to be Lions coach Gatland’s scrumhalf against New Zealand this summer, is mounting a case to skipper the best of British and Irish rugby into battle against the All Blacks.
“Conor would make a good captain. He is in a pivotal position there and playing in great form,” he said.
“There is the probability of having his best mate Jonathan Sexton playing outside him as well. So he does have captaincy qualities and the Irish forwards will certainly vouch for that.”
Williams also ran the rule over the claims of Wales skipper and his former Ospreys and international teammate Alun Wyn Jones, 2013 Lions captain Sam Warburton, Irish leader Rory Best and England vice-captain Owen Farrell.
“I have been captained by Alan Wyn in a number of games and I am biased but he is a no-nonsense capWALES
tain, a Martin Johnson when comes to that,” said Williams.
“He doesn’t like doing press as much as Sam so probably doesn’t take the pressure off his players that much there. But, on the field, he leads from the front.
“There are a number of players. Farrell is another curve ball. He is massively admired by his players, doesn’t stop talking all game, he is like a Jack Russell, telling the forwards what the are doing wrong, telling his outside-half he wants him flatter or he doesn’t want him there.
“Sometimes those are the types of players you need in your team. Best would be a good captain, he is playing well in the championship and he has some cracking props (Jack McGrath and Tadhg Furlong) either side of him as well, and that has helped his game.
“I wouldn’t rule out Warburton just yet. Gatland is a huge fan of him. He is playing some good rugby. But the choice they have in the back-row at the moment is just phenomenal. It is a tough one.”