Ronan O'Gara: Finding the on-off switch can help light up Ireland’s future

The trick for test coaches in the November internationals preceding a World Cup year is finding the balance between fine-tuning strategy and keeping the opposition guessing

ALL SMILES: Forwards coach Paul O’Connell and Andy Farrell share a light moment at training in High Performance Centre. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

There's an old greyhound friend of mine who speaks to the urgency of a situation when he reckons it’s time to come to traps. The November internationals preceding a World Cup year have that sense of a ticking clock about them. The trick for test coaches is achieving the balance between honing and fine-tuning some strategy while keeping the door ajar and the opposition guessing on other stuff, not least to keep everyone in the camp on their toes.

In these columns, we have griped at times about the frustrating inability of La Rochelle players to get up for certain (away) games every season; the failure to get to the right pitch every week, so to speak. In an international test context, that can actually be an advantage, and Ireland is an interesting case in that regard.