Wood warns Zebo must now work ‘incredibly hard’ to impress Schmidt

Keith Wood believes Joe Schmidt’s decision to overlook some “flair players” proved pivotal in Ireland’s Six Nations success.

Schmidt, who guided the national side to a Championship title in his debut season, was criticised in some quarters for not including the likes of Simon Zebo in his teams this spring.

However Ireland and Lions legend Wood believes the head coach’s pragmatic approach to selection fundamentally “de-risked some of the things Ireland do”.

And now Wood believes exciting talents like Zebo will have a tough challenge to force his way back into the national reckoning.

“One of the elements of this season is that Joe didn’t go with some of the exciting players,” Wood told BBC Radio 5 live. “That was surprising because he is an exciting coach. He went with an incredibly pragmatic approach because he wanted to get the team comfortable and be able to bring variation in the tactics, depending on the sort of team they were playing. He eschewed some of the more flair players for other guys like Andrew Trimble. Trimble has probably under-performed in an international jersey. He has never looked comfortable but he has been a revelation this season. I thought he was the man of the match on Saturday and every time he touched the ball, he made an impact. He frightened the life out of Mathieu Bastareaud, one of the most terrifying guys in the game.

“This is what Joe Schmidt wanted, players who would do what they were told because he has de-risked some of the things Ireland do. There are guys waiting in the wings like Simon Zebo who will have to work incredibly hard to get into this Irish team now.”

And Wood had some words of advice for Zebo: “If he wants to fit into Schmidt’s plan, he is going to have get involved in more collisions, ruck up on the outside. There is a template there that these players are buying into.”

Another Ireland legend, Willie John McBride, is also optimistic about the country’s future under New Zealander Schmidt despite the age profile of some central players.

“There are maybe one or two guys who are maybe at the top of the mountain who will maybe disappear over the next year or two,” McBride told BBC.

“But looking around and at the provinces, there is still the basis there of a great Irish team and a nice blend, so I would be very hopeful about the future.

“We have got a great coach and the players are obviously reacting to him. The big difference is this team really believes in itself. Each player believes in the people around him. The coach has given them great confidence in what they are doing. Every player knows exactly what his job is.”

McBride spoke of his delight at the glorious finish to Brian O’Driscoll’s international career. “It really was a dream come true and great that it happened because he has been such a stalwart of Irish rugby over the past 15 years. I come from the old amateur era and remember people like Mike Gibson and Jackie Kyle but in this professional era, Brian has not only been outstanding for Ireland but an outstanding rugby player worldwide. He has been a great example and for me he stands a long way ahead of everyone I have seen in the last 15 years.”