The Irish Mail on Sunday

ROUND PEGS FOR ROUND HOLES

-

FINDING the right player to do a particular job at a given time is one of Schmidt’s consistent strengths.

Time and again he has chosen men in his teams whose selection is greeted with apathy.

Devin Toner was once that player. No longer. ‘He doesn’t look like an athlete, but he is an athlete,’ said New Zealand coach Steve Hansen of the Ireland second row.

Toner was exceptiona­l against the All Blacks, his performanc­e confirming for once and for all that, when he is fit, he will be in the Ireland team for the biggest games.

Of 61 matches Ireland have played under Schmidt, Toner has missed five of them, meaning he has featured more than any other player. Lineouts are crucial to Ireland’s attacking game, and Toner practicall­y guarantees possession at the set-piece.

Jared Payne won 20 caps in three seasons, the former Ulster back arriving just when Schmidt needed him. The retirement of Brian O’Driscoll was anticipate­d with dread by some, but in Payne Schmidt found a player with the defensive discipline and the sure skills to fill the gap.

CJ Stander is, like Toner, vital to some of the more structured parts of Schmidt’s game-plans, a consistent source of offensive ball. Stander was worked out by Wales in Cardiff in 2017, but that was a rare quiet night from a powerful and, critically to Schmidt, very discipline­d player.

Bundee Aki is another emerging as a figure Schmidt knows he can trust.

The last three named qualified for Ireland under residency and their selections came in for a great degree of criticism.

But Schmidt stayed true to them, and his judgement was vindicated, just as his reliance on Toner was.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Ireland