Ireland’s forwards enjoying scrum time, insists Healy

CIAN Healy believes Greg Feek’s ability to “unite” Ireland’s forwards into loving the scrum has transformed their set-piece threat.

Former New Zealand prop Feek joined Leinster as scrum coach in 2010 and stepped up to Ireland a year later.

The 44-year-old has helped whip Ireland’s scrum into one of the most threatening and technically proficient weapons in the Test arena, a feat that prop Healy feels deserves great respect.

Feek led the Haka against Ireland at Lansdowne Road in 2001, and will look to help underpin a third Irish win against his homeland New Zealand in three years on Saturday.

Ireland face the back-to-back world champion All Blacks in Tokyo for a place in the World Cup semi-finals this weekend.

Win and boss Joe Schmidt will make Irish history: lose and Kiwi coaches Schmidt and Feek will have presided over their final Ireland encounter.

“Feeky is a good lad, he has a different perspective from others,” said Healy, when asked to appraise the former All Black, who will relinquish his Ireland role after the World Cup.

“I have worked with him for a long time through Leinster and through here, and he has added an awful lot.

“He has a different way of talking about it, and how to unite the full scrum into wanting to know about it.

“Usually it’s just the front rows that want to know more about scrummaging. But getting the backfive lads involved in wanting to know how we can get better is important.

“When they know inside-out what we are looking to do, or looking not to do, even then you can feel the changes in their body shape, or pressure-wise, or even just energy before the scrum.

“You know when they are on and ready to go for it. Luckily at the moment that is most of the time and everyone is clued in, so it is a nice place to be.”

Meanwhile, hooker Rob Herring has replaced injured Sean Cronin in the Ireland squad.