FRIDAY NIGHT’S ALL RIGHT
EMOTION was for too long Ireland’s 13th, 14th and 15th man. Players like to indulge supporters by talking about them as the 16th man, but in the darkest days of Irish rugby, unfocused emotion was one of the first names on the team sheet.
Not so nowadays. Of the many benefits Joe Schmidt has delivered to the sport in this country, one of the most valuable has been weaning Ireland teams off the brief, unreliable bursts that a surfeit of emotion can provide.
Along with New Zealand and England, Schmidt’s Ireland are ruthless, methodical high achievers.
However, there is abroad an expectation that they could be vulnerable to the atmosphere generated inside the Principality Stadium tomorrow night.
This, after all, is Ireland’s first exposure to a Friday night Six Nations match, whereas Wales have played in all six previous games staged in the competition at that time.
Five of the six have been in Cardiff and whereas Wales have won just two of the Friday challenges, the atmosphere generated by a night-time crowd at their national stadium has been celebrated.
If a white-hot Welsh support is guaranteed, a desperate Welsh team is also a certainty given they have lost their last two matches.
The predictions are for a night of high emotion, with Schmidt’s new-model Ireland facing a Welsh team borrowing something from the Ireland of old, when passion was a tactical centrepiece.
‘I think players like that,’ reasoned Seán O’Brien, who counts Cardiff as one of his favourite venues.
‘It’s always a good place to play. There’s always a great atmosphere and we can feed off that too. It’s definitely an exciting prospect for us going over there.’
The Welsh reservoirs of emotion will be well filled. But Schmidt argued that there will be a requirement on Ireland to balance their dedication to discipline and detail with more intangible assets, too.
‘Emotionally our players will be up as well,’ he said. ‘They have to be because you can’t miss a beat because the margins are so fine. We have already been stung once by going in a little bit undercooked and not being at the same heightened level that our opponents were [in the opening match against Scotland].’
Under this coach, Ireland have been at their best when their play is drilled. Tapping back into emotion is a risk; players can be in danger of getting too high ahead of a match.
That carries the consequent danger of dumb penalty concessions or a yellow card, but Schmidt will rely upon his most experienced players reining in passions that are in danger of running too loose.
‘They seem to have a pretty good idea of what level they need to get to and that influences the players around them,’ said Schmidt.
‘Rory Best is a really good example. He said he doesn’t sing the anthems because he knows it would, emotionally, heighten his emotions, probably beyond the level he feels is best for him to be in control.
‘He self-regulates and in the end most players self-regulate really well.’
Nor is the late kick-off time causing much apparent unease in the Ireland camp. This is the latest time an Irish side will ever have kicked off a championship match, but in their domestic rugby duties, Friday-night starts are common in the Pro12 league.
‘It’s just a different kick-off time but once it comes to it, it’s another game of rugby and we’ve done all the work to prepare ourselves. That’s the most important thing,’ said O’Brien.
The late start can militate against over-indulgence by fans before the match, given many will be rushing from work to travel to Cardiff.
Those Irish supporters travelling will have taken tomorrow off work, and many are expected to arrive in the city today, allowing them a more relaxed lead-in to the contest.
If there isn’t much time for the slaking of Welsh thirsts, it is unlikely to affect the atmosphere inside the stadium. There is tremendous noise inside this venue for lunchtime starts on a Saturday, and expect Wales to begin the match at a tempo in keeping with the surrounding bedlam tomorrow night.
Those Irish supporters in attendance will struggle to be heard.
Do not expect the team to suffer as a result of that. Schmidt might talk about the value of some emotion, but Ireland will not be tethering their ambitions to emotional wild horses.
They will seek above all else to remain in control.
The Welsh motivation is pride and world rankings. Ireland have higher targets, and it would be unforgivable were England to become champions on Saturday because Ireland lost the run of themselves the night before.
Don’t bank on that. Eddie Jones and England, watching on, certainly won’t.
The kick-off time is new. The Welsh will be thirsting for redemption.
The best defence is Schmidt’s same old calculating Ireland. @shanemcgrath1