Smal seeks answers to maul problems

IRELAND may be in to the last eight of a Rugby World Cup for the first time in eight years but that will not buy the players an easy week working with forwards coach Gert Smal.

Smal, who in a similar role with his native South Africa helped the Springboks to the title four years ago in France, was far from pleased at his forwards’ performance against Italy in the Otago Stadium yesterday, particularly their handling of opposition mauls.

Asked if he was delighted with the performance that gave Ireland a 36-6 win in Dunedin, Smal replied: “Not at all. I think we stopped their mauls badly, so that’s one area we have to improve in and what we did was sit and wait for it. We sat well but we sat and waited instead of sat and counter-rucked and that gave them too much momentum, especially in the first half.