Irish rugby's biggest issues heading into new season

Extra.ie​

3 days ago

With a marathon season over, there is a brief window to take stock of the shape of Irish rugby before the next campaign begins.
And the unsustainable demands on players thanks to a merciless calendar should be a global warning.
On specifically Irish interests, the Lions tour and, to a much lesser extent the brief national trips to Georgia and Portugal, highlighted areas awaiting Andy Farrell's attention on his return to Ireland duty. The Lions tour and, to a much lesser extent the brief national trips to Georgia and Portugal, highlighted areas awaiting Andy Farrell's attention on his return to Ireland duty. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
A period of significant change awaits, provincially and nationally.
Andy Farrell has got one decision consistently right in his near-six years coaching Ireland: ignoring the tyranny of World Cup cycles. Andy Farrell has got one decision consistently right in his near-six years coaching Ireland. Pic:Ireland's failure to get past New Zealand in 2023 was not down to a failure to nurture new talent. While the enormous reliance on Johnny Sexton looked regrettable as he struggled to find an opening late on against the All Blacks, there was no compelling alternative over the preceding weeks, months or years.
Farrell won't pick his teams in November or next spring based on games due to be played in two years' time. Ireland couldn't get past New Zealand in 2023. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland
But if that doesn't impel him to shake his squad up in the new season, the evidence of the one just over should. Ireland flatlined for much of it, through November and into the Six Nations.
Some of this can be addressed through selection, with James Lowe and Bundee Aki obviously vulnerable, but more options are needed in the back row, too.
However, team selection is only a part of it. Farrell will not need reminding of what happens when a team fails to update its tactics – he was part of Joe Schmidt's support staff during the misbegotten 2019 when buoyant World Cup hopes were done for long before the tournament started. Bundee Aki and James Lowe. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
It was clear from the first match of that Six Nations that Ireland had been worked out, and in the absence of Plan B, disaster couldn't be averted.
Farrell's priority now should be to steer the national team away from revisiting that fate. There were signs at times in Australia of Schmidt visiting the type of game on the Lions that Ireland don't like: the breakdown was a mess, power carriers kept the defence in retreat, and come the third Test, the Lions couldn't summon an answer.
It was a similar story against France in Dublin in the Six Nations. A tweaked game-plan is vital – especially given the access to Irish coaches enjoyed by players from England, Scotland and Wales over the past two months. Ireland have relied on Jamison Gibson-Park. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
The dependency on Jamison Gibson-Park was evident long before Sexton retired. In fact the latter's final season saw the scrum-half rival him as Ireland's most influential player.
His influence has grown and Ireland's reliance on him has, too. He had a fine Lions tour, implementing Farrell's plan perfectly and barely putting a foot wrong.
He will, though, be 34 next February and while there's no sign of him slowing down, the need for ready-made alternatives is becoming pronounced. Jamison Gibson-Park had a fine Lions tour. Pic:It helps in that regard that Craig Casey had an excellent season in another campaign beset by turmoil in Munster, and he earned the honour of leading the summer tour to Georgia and Portugal.
Beyond him, Ben Murphy at Connacht has been identified as a coming force, but Fintan Gunne in the Leinster academy excites connoisseurs of the scrum-half art.
Gunne won an Under-20 Grand Slam two years ago, and looks to be right in the thick of the succession planning at Leinster for life after Gibson-Park and Luke McGrath. Craig Casey led the summer tour to Georgia and Portugal. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady
Casey will be the understudy to Gibson-Park for the season ahead, but there were times last term when he rivalled the form of the Leinster player, and it was obvious he should have been promoted to the bench ahead of Conor Murray on a consistent basis.
That will happen now, but it would take injury or an extended collapse in the form of Gibson-Park for Casey to take his place. The incumbent showed in Australia that he has recovered his best form, and if the plan remains to bed in Sam Prendergast at No10, the head coach will be minded to pair him with a more experienced scrum-half.
In a country with decidedly finite resources, it's hard to avoid a dependence on influential players, but there is clearly scope to encourage competition for the No9 shirt. It's a position where, unlike other parts of the pitch – wing, flanker, even second row – there is a decent spread of options and potential.
That should be explored, and not just in the November Test against Japan. More importantly, rewarding form should be the policy. Andrew Porter is one of the most impressive athletes in the world game. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Ireland finished the Six Nations ranked fifth of six teams for the percentage of scrums won. Their 75% success rate was better only than Scotland's, and the figures confirmed the eye test of the previous rounds.
It was evidence that a part of the game where Ireland believe themselves formidable remains one where officials disagree.
This invariably brings the conversation back to Andrew Porter. One of the most impressive athletes in the world game, his willingness to play for an hour or more in every game has been a priceless asset for Farrell's sides.
But his tendency to concede penalties has been a recurring problem, and so it proved on the Lions tour, as well. Specifically, in the third Test he was unable to cope with the power of recalled Wallaby tighthead Taniela Tupou. He deserved some sympathy in that regard given Will Skelton was backing up Tupou, but it nonetheless raised long-standing concerns about his technique. The Six Nations last season saw an Irish scrum deprived of Tadhg Furlong bear up well initially before finding itself in deep trouble. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
It also gave opposing fans a fresh chance to criticise his scrummaging online. The problem for Ireland is that plenty of referees agree. The Six Nations last season saw an Irish scrum deprived of Tadhg Furlong bear up well initially before finding itself in deep trouble.
It didn't lose a scrum in the opening match against England, and then lost one in beating Scotland at Murrayfield.
That was given against Cian Healy, who had replaced Porter with 11 minutes left in the match.
The round-three fixture against Wales was supposed to be a gimme, but instead the hosts, under temporary management, were magnificent and frightened Ireland. Cian Healy has retired. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
They channelled their resistance through the scrum, where the recalled WillGriff John dominated Porter. Ireland's travails weren't helped by the decision to select Thomas Clarkson for his first start at tight-head just as the team's previous stability in the set-piece gave way.
They conceded four first-half penalties at the scrum, two apiece agianst Porter and Clarkson.
A repeat of that disaster was avoided against France; Porter was instead embroiled in the ugly fallout to the injury suffered by Antoine Dupont, with France publicly highlighting the roles they claimed he and Tadhg Beirne played in the injury. That came to nought, but Ireland ended the championship with a listing set-piece and old fears stirring again.
They needed to be confronted once more. Leinster suffered a disastrous semi-final loss to Northampton in the Champions Cup. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher
The four Irish provinces will begin the new campaign under various states of stress.
Ireland's over-reliance on Leinster looks less like a quirk of the system here than the actual system; Leinster are now the base of the pyramid, keeping everything else supported.
That is an indirect compliment to the work Leo Cullen has done over the past decade, but their completely disastrous semi-final loss to Northampton exposed poor planning and terrible selection. Leinster to win the Champions Cup in the coming campaign. It's as simple as that.
Clayton McMillan arrives from New Zealand with a big reputation but an daunting task at Munster. The departures of Peter O'Mahony and Conor Murray deprive him of players who were past their prime, but priceless in terms of experience and influence. Clayton McMillan arrives from New Zealand with a big reputation but an daunting task at Munster. Pic: DJ Mills/AFP via Getty Images
More of the burden now falls on Tadhg Beirne, but Craig Casey is shaping up to be a big influence, too. McMillan's problem is the same one that has undone every coach at Thomond Park: big expectations that an ordinary playing group are expected to deliver.
The flow of underage talent at Ulster is creating genuine excitement, and not just because there is precious little else for fans to seize on. Richie Murphy's reputation remains strong, and there is a handful of potential breakout players, led by Nathan Doak, who could improve the side.
Consistency remains a major problem, which itself is down to too little quality.
The appointment of Stuart Lancaster has rightly caused excitement throughout the Irish game, and it seems an inspired choice by Connacht. His reputation alone means what fans expect will rise a notch or two above the normal. The appointment of Stuart Lancaster has rightly caused excitement throughout the Irish game. Pic: INPHO/Tom Maher
His two best players will not, based on recent evidence, appear a whole lot, given the injury
problems of Mack Hansen and Bundee Aki.
Lancaster is masterful at developing talent, though, and the Connacht squad will improve under his watch.
Under the traditional measure, that will mean more Ireland call-ups, and Ben Murphy is primed to step up and compete with Casey and Gibson-Park.
But beyond that, the need for four province functioning effectively is vitally important with uncertain times looming. It's not been like that for too long, but the Irish system is too small and delicately poised for passengers.