Lancaster banks on pluck of the Irish
EX-ENGLAND COACH INSPIRED BY SIX NATIONS HEROICS
STUART Lancaster has taken notes from fellow World Cup casualty Andy Farrell as Leinster plot to rekindle the spirit of Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations victory over England.
In preparation for tomorrow’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Wasps, the sacked England coach has been studying Farrell’s defensive blueprint from the Dublin Test.
There were 10 Leinster players involved in the 13-9 victory that ended the winning run of Lancaster’s successor, Eddie Jones, and denied England the Grand Slam.
‘I wasn’t there at the Aviva Stadium but the noise through my television set was pretty loud,’ said Leinster coach Lancaster. ‘It can be a very intimidating stadium. We worked our socks off to get home advantage and it would be good to rekindle that emotion.
‘ Clearly, the way Ireland slowed the momentum and stopped the gainline runners of the English team will be some- thing we look at. We know that if we’re loose in possession Wasps can hurt you on the counterattack like no other team can.
‘The 51-10 defeat by Wasps last year is part of the picture I’ll be discussing. I think it’s important to learn what happened. Certainly, that will burn in the players’ minds.’
Despite being without Lions duo Rob Kearney and Jamie Heaslip, Leinster still boast the likes of Johnny Sexton, Robbie Henshaw, Jack McGrath and Tadhg Furlong hoping to catch the eye of Warren Gatland. The Kiwi announces his Lions squad on April 19 at Syon Park and Lancaster believes the prospect of taking on the All Blacks adds an extra edge at the Aviva
‘Deep down I think everyone knows a good performance keeps you in the picture,’ said Lancaster. ‘If you are a Lions coach, you will look at games like these where you have an Elliot Daly and a Garry Ringrose, Joe Launchbury and Devin Toner. The list goes on.’
It is also an opportunity for Wasps fly half Danny Cipriani to make a case against Sexton, who is front-runner to wear the Lions No 10 jersey.
During his tenure as national coach, Lancaster faced questions over his refusal to pick Cipriani. Doubts were raised about the 29-year-old’s defence and Lancaster could target the playmaker tomorrow through the running of Henshaw.
Lancaster said: ‘ Clearly Robbie Henshaw carrying the ball and Garry Ringrose is an option, but we think they have more to offer and have some decent-sized outside backs that can cause trouble elsewhere.
‘I think Danny’s defence has improved as well.
‘Danny’s a major weapon for Wasps. With two ball players in Jimmy Gopperth and Kurtley Beale in the backline it has freed him up, but he is still the guy who pulls the strings. I tried to give him an opportunity but England had Owen Farrell and George Ford ahead of him.’
Lancaster is close to signing a two-year contract extension with Leinster. ‘I’m certainly not looking at other options,’ he said. ‘It is rewarding to get back into that part of coaching because the longer the England job went on, the less I did.’