Muddled plan of attack puts coaching under scrutiny
Lack of identity and a discernible game-plan raise questions about the direction under Farrell
THE eerie silence that rang around a hollow Aviva Stadium was soon replaced by the sound of joyful Georgians celebrating every little victory that came their way. Hands on hips, the Ireland players stood dazed and confused as they looked around at each other in utter bewilderment.
How had a team, who had only recently come together for the first time this year, and who had failed to score in their previous two games, been allowed to inflict such damage?
Georgia deserve credit, but at times Ireland made them look like a ferocious powerhouse that they most certainly are not.
Dominated at scrum-time, destroyed at the breakdown and having conceded a try off the back of some desperate defence that was unheard of when Andy Farrell was at his peak as defence coach, this was a major step backwards for the new Ireland boss.
Struggling
That Ireland lost their way so badly against a struggling Tier 2 nation, who should have been comfortably put away at home, was hugely damning for Farrell and his under-performing players, who must also shoulder the blame for this shambles.
The Ireland head coach felt the pressure coming into this game, which is perhaps why he resisted the temptation to rotate his squad by bringing in more young players.
Farrell’s argument was that the likes of Ryan Baird, Craig Casey and Harry Byrne need to play more big games for their provinces.
On the one hand, his logic made sense, but on the other, you wondered if that kind of youthful exuberance was what Ireland lacked as they stuttered their way to a turgid victory that posed more questions than answers.
In keeping with the general theme of the game, Farrell’s decision backfired as a strong Ireland team were completely rudderless, and once again devoid of an attacking game that would leave you in any way optimistic about what the future holds.
Eight games into Farrell’s reign, we are still none the wiser as to what exactly the identity of this Ireland team is, or how the Englishman wants them to play.
The framework around the attack continues to be totally muddled, as players don’t look sure of what they are being asked to do, or how best to go about implementing it.
With each passing, unconvincing performance, Joe Schmidt’s reputation rises even further. A penny for the Kiwi’s thoughts as he watched this car crash unfold.
For all the talk of ‘heads-up’ rugby under Farrell, Ireland rarely seem to look around and scan the options.
Instead, they revert to type and run into heavy traffic, where on this occasion they were met by a Georgian side who refused to be bullied.
Although they had started brightly, Ireland wilted under the pressure, and in the end can consider themselves very lucky they weren’t up against better opposition, who certainly would not have let them away with such a terrible performance.
Shocking
To have scored just three points in the second half, the same amount that Georgia managed, was a shocking return, and one which summed up Ireland’s desperate lack of a creative spark.
Billy Burns did try and bring something different before he was forced off with a groin injury that he had picked up during the warm-up.
The centre partnership of Stuart McCloskey and Chris Farrell was as one-dimensional as you’ll see at Test level.
Keith Earls and Hugo Keenan had to look to involve themselves in the play because not for the first time, whatever the game-plan was, it clearly wasn’t designed to make use of the wingers’ threats.
Ireland were treated to some stunning set-piece moves under Schmidt – think of CJ Stander’s try in the Grand Slam decider in Twickenham, or Jacob Stockdale’s superb score to beat the All Blacks in Dublin.
Mike Catt has taken over the attack, and a year into the job, we have seen little to no evidence of what he is bringing to the party.
Ireland have had several good attacking platforms on which to work from in recent weeks, but there has barely been a hint of looking to unleash a rehearsed power play to cut open the defence.
Georgia should have provided the ideal opposition in which to fine-tune some of those elements, yet it was the visitors who scored the best try of the match with the kind of ‘heads-up’ rugby that Ireland look incapable of executing on a consistent basis.
It is becoming more and more clear that Farrell’s men are caught between two stools as they attempt to evolve their game-plan.
The Autumn Nations Cup offered Farrell an ideal chance to really turn the page, but picking positives out of this hugely underwhelming campaign will not be an easy task.
Too many fringe players have allowed their opportunity to pass them by, and if some are waiting a while longer to play international rugby again, they will know why.
A defeat at home to a resurgent Scotland side this weekend would heap even more pressure on the coaching staff, who have a big job on their hands to turn what looks like a sinking ship around.