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.

“The second half we put that right a little bit but we still sat too much. At least, I’m happy it’s happened now, winning a game, and at least going into the next couple of games that’s something we can fix.”

Also on Smal’s list in training this week in Wellington ahead of the quarter-final clash with Wales is more work to be done on the breakdown.

“I think in general, (it was) good, but again I have to look at the finer detail to see if there are areas to improve.

“I think in the first half our reaction to the ball carrier was too slow but second half was much better.”

Smal, though, gave the Irish lineout and scrum the thumbs up in dealing with “massive” Italian opponents.

“Second half was more what we’d like to see. The backs played particularly well in the second half, the first half, that was a good team and I think they did an outstanding job, the Italians. It’s a massive team if you look at the individuals. It’s a massive pack, they’ve got massive backs, so they really put you under pressure.

“You can see their lineouts as well, they’re outstanding because you have that length. It’s difficult to contest and then stop their guys, especially if they get away with setting their ball a certain way, they place their jumper out of the line, which means they get into their drive quite quickly.”

It is Ireland who are left to drive on at this World Cup, however, and Smal advocated a continuation of the one game at a time philosophy now the Irish are into the knockout phases.

“Nothing changes, we’re still the same, it’s game by game and you have to pick them off one by one now. You don’t worry about the other teams, they have to look after themselves. We just have to concentrate, see that we get our players fresh for this week and are well prepared for next week’s game against Wales.”

Reaching the last eight, Smal agreed was as exciting for the coaches as it was for the players.

“Very much,” he said. “It’s energising. Moments like there, it was a high pressure game today. We knew that they were going to come out flying, especially that first 20 minutes. It’s a high pressure game, it’s like a drug.

“When it’s not there, there’s something missing but I think that’s why you play the game as a player or a coach. It’s for these moments, to show what you can do under pressure.”