Smart game plan vital

IF you are one of those who buy into the concept that international rugby now operates on a four year cycle — the time frame between World Cups — then Declan Kidney is fast approaching the maturity date for the development of his squad.

Exactly one year out from last Sunday night, a new world champion will be crowned in Auckland. Given that the November window of activity present the last chance for Ireland to face Tri Nations sides before they meet pool opponents Australia next September, the next few weeks provide an opportunity and a systems check for the Irish management.

Firstly let me say that I don’t buy into the concept of the four years cycle.

Yes the conclusion of a World Cup tournament can provide a fitting and timely exit strategy for a player who has given his all for club and country and such an approach is understandable. But for those who wish to continue on the international stage the prospect that he could be too long in the tooth by the next tournament should not preclude him from the immediate plans of the national coach.

Ireland, in particular, does not have the luxury of discarding experience on that basis and it is clear this management has never gone down that road. Sometimes you can over-prepare for a World Cup. Take New Zealand in 2007 when Graham Henry attempted to plan from a year out as to what his squad would be doing every day in competition. This backfired spectacularly when his side crashed out against France in that epic Millennium Stadium quarter-final. New Zealand had expected to be playing Ireland in the Cardiff venue that night.

By way of contrast England, in disarray after being hammered 36-0 by South Africa in only their second pool game, somehow re-invented themselves in the midst of a crisis to reach a second successive World Cup final against all the odds.

If their disputed early try by Mark Cueto had been awarded by the TMO they may well have gone on to record one of the most remarkable u-turns of all time by beating the same Springbok outfit that humiliated them weeks earlier.

While the presence of the World Cup champions adds spectacularly to the return of international rugby to Lansdowne Road, I am far more enthused by the arrival of New Zealand later next month. They are the ones who have perfected the implications of the new interpretations of laws but then again they were the ones who, more than anyone, influenced their existence in the first place.

Therein lies the challenge for the Irish management over the next few weeks.

To beat southern hemisphere opposition we cannot become clones of the way they play the game. We will not match them at the areas in which they excel, especially not in the short term. Currently the All Blacks specialise in the game outside of the set piece. In broken play the ability of their forwards to execute a multi phase game is superior to ours because their front five have a better skill set. Therefore don’t play into their hands.

The biggest test for Declan Kidney and his coaching ticket is to present a game plan and a methodology of play that best suits our playing resources.

In Jonathan Sexton and Ronan O’Gara we have two players with a kicking game to dismantle any opposition.

To generate a maximum return from that strategy, our kick/chase and also the aerial skills of the likes of Tommy Bowe and Rob Kearney have to be utilised. Ireland also have some outstanding broken field runners and steppers with the ability to capitalise on quick turnover ball. The Lions showed against the Springboks in 2009 just how good they were when off-loading in the tackle and creating line breaks. Brian O’Driscoll, Kearney, Bowe and Luke Fitzgerald were a key element in that strategy.

There has always been more than one way to win a game of rugby. That is why a team of lesser skill but greater structure, organisation and commitment always has the ability to come out on top on any given day. Ireland need to develop a style that not only takes advantage of the new law interpretation but also best reflects the playing resources at our disposal and offers a competitive advantage over our southern hemisphere opponents who all seem to have a desire to play in the exact same way. Therein lays the opportunity.

The one caveat is that three of Ireland’s four autumn internationals will be refereed by southern hemisphere officials.

Already the opening rounds of the Heineken Cup have highlighted inconsistencies in the way that French referee’s interpret the breakdown.

What seems to happen is that some officials focus one or two specific crimes, such as players coming in from the side of the ruck, to the detriment of other issues.

Players therefore will just have to take a leaf out of Richie McCaw’s book and become smarter. Listen to what the referee is saying to you. Assess after ten minutes what area he is focusing on and adapt accordingly.

On the selection front, November offers the opportunity of exposing everyone in the 34 man squad to some game time against highly reputable opposition.

In addition to the challenge that South Africa and New Zealand bring to the table, Samoa, on the basis that all their front line players are made available to them and old foes Argentina will offer a challenging testing ground.

The squad announced by Kidney last week must have strong potential when you consider that Shane Jennings, Fionn Carr, Leo Cullen, Niall Ronan and Chris Henry all failed to make the cut.

In addition Paul O’Connell, Geordan Murphy, Marcus Horan and Jerry Flannery are out for a variety of other reasons.

Given that you begin to appreciate that the battle for the 30 places on offer in next season’s World Cup squad will see some very good players left at home.