For Schmidt, far away hills aren’t always green
That means Gert Smal will finish with Ireland tomorrow in Toronto. That he is leaving and Les Kiss staying on is strange as we’ve always visualised them as a package. Gert is a hugely respected coach and brought serious value to the Irish set-up. His attention to detail was always impressive and his thoroughness in working a specific subject area was admirable. Health permitting, I still think he will be eyeing a head coach down the road, even if his special expertise is in forward play, particularly the lineout and breakdown areas. Gert is quiet but popular. I know there’s no room in sport for sentiment — nor should there be — but there's a sense here of him being moved on hastily. His sense of humour will stand to him. For certain, his rugby ‘son’, Paul O’Connell, will miss him. They spent hour after hour discussing every conceivable line-out variation.
Les Kiss will revert from attack coach to defence coach, meaning Anthony Foley will be surplus to requirements and return to Munster. Axel has so much to offer on both fronts. He was impressive coaching the defence throughout the autumn and the Six Nations and is a natural coach. He’s very sharp when it comes to rugby and in my view is a readymade forwards coach for the national set-up.
I think it is crucial at least one of the senior Irish management positions is filled by a native — or someone with a deep understanding of our culture. Perhaps the excellent Mick Kearney, who will be retained as manager, is the man identified by Joe Schmidt to perform this special ‘green’ role.
Schmidt is one hundred per cent correct in tagging the best available rugby brain he can get, irrespective of his accent, but we have some really skilled people in this country. Sometimes I feel we are too smitten by the southern hemisphere rugby vocabulary.
By reducing the number of people involved, Schmidt is intent on employing the club template of a tightly-knit operation — the coach, Kiss and a skills-kicking coach.
The number of attacking players already putting their hand up for inclusion in the autumn internationals is hugely encouraging. There is an abundance of talent in the back three. Let’s presume Kearney, Bowe and Zebo start. Then you have Fitzgerald, Earls and Trimble all experienced internationals, plus Fergus McFadden and Craig Gilroy.
The resources keep coming with the likes of Henshaw, Dave Kearney, Andrew Conway, Luke O’Dea, Felix Jones, Tiernan O’Halloran and Niall Morris. I have watched Morris all season and he could be special. He has constantly delivered for Leicester all season in all conditions and occasions.
Has Irish rugby ever had such depth in the back three?
Returning to the present, and the Lions tour, it appears there are very few backs spaces up for grabs on the Test team for Brisbane on Saturday week. It looks like an all-Welsh back three, with Drico and Doc (Jamie Roberts) in midfield, and Jonny Sexton and Mike Phillips as halves.
That will be an interesting combination. Both these lads are combustible characters. Phillips is a gem who’ll spare no-one. He’s been taking the mick out of Conor Murray on tour, introducing him as a ‘poor man’s Mike Phillips’. We’ve been bouncing off each other since the early noughties when Ireland used stay overnight in Cardiff after Six Nations games. I had a bust-up with Phillips shortly before we gathered in Pennyhill Park in 2009 for the Lions tour to South Africa. I walked into my room to see him there before me. We just burst our arses laughing! Over on his side of the room, he had a silver-framed photo of his girlfriend - he'd been going with her around three weeks at the time!
Could Sexton be given the kicking duties against the Waratahs tomorrow? They’ve got to plan for Halfpenny being injured or off-form. And that makes you wonder in the Test squad, is there a role left for Owen Farrell at all, given Tuilagi and any one of five others are likely to be Brisbane bench options.
Those suggesting the Lions aren’t taking anything out of the first four games are ignoring the finessing Gatland is doing with his structure. You can’t contrive a warm-up game to prepare these lads for the last 20 minutes of a Test match anyway. The pressure of sticking together, buying into Gatland’s game plan. When the pressure is at bursting point, do you revert to type or have the mental strength to stick with the game plan? If it’s the former, a team breaks itself against ten different pieces.
The forward combination for Brisbane is far more difficult to select. I can’t pretend I know a lot about front row play so to offer my opinion would be a waste of your time. O’Connell and Wyn-Jones will start in the second row and I’d select Warburton and Heaslip in the back row along with Sean O’Brien. Gatland will look for a lineout option at six, which will big up Tom Croft’s chances. The back row is by far the most competitive unit and a combination of Croft, Toby Faletau and Justin Tipuric also has its merits.
Rob Kearney and Simon Zebo will both get game time tomorrow in Sydney but featuring in the first Test will be extremely difficult given their limited exposure thus far. Rob’s injury was particularly untimely but even if he was on top form, I’m not sure it would make a difference. Halfpenny looks like he will be given the responsibility of goal-kicking and this role cannot be underestimated. Kicking goals under pressure is what Test rugby is all about and usually the side with the more proven goal kicker wins the series. Advantage Lions.
Zebo could be the bolter of the tour. He will struggle to get in the first Test team but after that who knows? He is in a straight shoot-out with Cuthbert and as we know Gatland loves a curve ball. Having a left-footed kicker adds immeasurably to the team’s kicking game with the ability to manipulate the Australian back three. If you’ve a right-footed ten and you put your left footer at first receiver, there has to be tracts of land the Wallabies cannot cover.
Zebo needs to get his basics right tomorrow. Get mentally in tune and appreciate the step up from USA-Ireland. He needs to think about that.
