When assessing Ireland’s underwhelming performance yesterday, it’s worth noting that Cian Healy, Rory Best, James Ryan, Devin Toner, Dan Leavy, CJ Stander, Jack Conan, Joey Carbery, Robbie Henshaw, Garry Ringrose and Jordan Larmour were all missing from the matchday squad either through injury or squad rotation. That’s seven nailed-on starters, the second-choice out-half, a … Continue reading Treading Water
You can lose to any given team on any given day, but considering that Italy can't buy a win at this moment in time, it's difficult to keep saying that they have a genuine chance of beating Ireland (or any Tier 1 nation for that matter) with a straight face, and that's taking into … Continue reading Respecting The Underdog
Strong performances should be the objective of any player or coach in any sport (as they lead to results), but there’s no substitute for the confidence that comes from finishing the game on the right of the scoreboard, and on Saturday, Ireland had to fight tooth and nail to earn a win that they … Continue reading The Bare Minimum
When it comes to playing teams who hold on to the ball for long periods and make good use of it (Leinster, Clermont, the Exeter Chiefs, the All Blacks), there’s a maxim that always gets rolled out by spectators and commentators: "just don’t give them the ball". The theory behind it is sound; if … Continue reading Scotland v Ireland: Match Preview
