Catt feeling heat over Ireland’s blunt attack
► Assistant coach requires big win in Italy to silence doubters ► Englishman claims chances to score tries are being created
When Mike Catt was brought into the Ireland camp just over a year ago, the hope was that he would bring a more expansive, heads-up game. David Nucifora, the Irish Rugby Football Union’s performance director, spoke of Catt’s “innovative” qualities, while the initial feedback from players was positive, too.
In Portugal, at Andy Farrell’s first training camp prior to last year’s Six Nations, there was lots of talk of skills being integrated into training and a general lightening of the mood post-joe Schmidt.
“You’re probably going to see a bit of a change in our attack,” winger Jacob Stockdale predicted. “I’m not going to give too much away now. But we’re looking a bit more fluid and there is a bit more licence to play, which is obviously exciting for us.”
Twelve months on and both Ireland’s attack and Catt’s methods are in the dock. Defeats by Wales and France (the former with only 14 men on the pitch for the majority of the match, admittedly) have seen Ireland record the fewest tries in this year’s championship (two), the fewest line-breaks (eight) and joint-fewest offloads (six).
As they prepare to face Italy in Rome this afternoon for a game they simply have to win by a cricket score, questions are mounting.
Ireland cannot say that they have not had the platform from which to attack. Their average ruck speed is the quickest in this year’s Six Nations at 2.76 seconds, while they have been virtually impregnable at the set-piece. Ireland’s scrum success is at
100 per cent, with no penalties conceded, while their line-out has witnessed a huge leap forward since the autumn, thanks presumably to the impact of new coach Paul O’connell. Their defensive line-out has been particularly strong, with Farrell’s men amassing more steals than anyone else thus far (seven).
It is the attack, from set-piece and open play, which has frustrated. Other than one sharp pick-and-go try by Tadhg Beirne against Wales, and an opportunistic score from Ronan Kelleher from a fumbled line-out against France, there has not been a huge amount to shout about.
Catt himself looked reasonably relaxed when put up for the media earlier this week. Denying that he was feeling under any more pressure than usual, the former England playmaker suggested his players were creating more opportunities than it appeared from the scorelines.
“We probably could have scored two or three extra tries against Wales with 14 men with the opportunities we created,” he said. “Against France as well. It’s about making sure that at this level, players understand that you have to nail what you create.”
His words did not convince everyone. “I listened to his quotes and his interviews, and he said, ‘We created a lot of chances against France’. I looked back at it and we actually didn’t,” observed Bernard Jackman on this week’s RTE Rugby Podcast. “The only real chance we had was the James Lowe opportunity [when he touched down in the corner despite three French defenders only for replays to show his foot had brushed the whitewash].
“I can understand why he’s trying to subliminally get messages to players that, ‘Look, we are creating chances and it’s just execution’.
“But I would say also, if there’s not a transfer from the blueprint to the pitch, they need to look at why and need to work with the players. In fairness to the players, they haven’t come out and said, ‘We don’t understand the plan’. They’ve kept quiet about it and it’s going to be interesting to see the reaction this week.”
It will indeed. With France having stuck 50 points on Italy and England 41, the onus will be on Ireland to win with a bonus point this afternoon and show some real attacking flair in the process.