Joe Schmidt full of praise for 'assured', courageous Ian Madigan
Joe Schmidt hailed the performance of substitute Ian Madigan after yesterday’s win against France in the Millennium Stadium.
Irish hearts and hopes plummeted when first-choice out-half Johnny Sexton indicated he was in trouble following a crunching tackle with just 25 minutes played.
But Madigan stepped up the the plate when he replaced Sexton, scoring eight points off the tee in what Ireland’s head coach called an “assured” display.
After the match Schmidt was asked about his feelings watching Madigan put in such a vital performance.
“You’re always delighted when young guys come through the system,” he answered. “I think if anyone saw Ian away from the game they would see how hard he works.
“He’s incredibly hard-working, his goal-kicking percentages are very, very consistent.”
He said the work Madigan had put in at training meant the coaching team were happy to put their trust in him on such a big occasion.
“The confidence that gives us,” Schmidt said. “He has the courage to make sure that defensively we didn’t feel that whatever they threw at him, he wouldn’t be shy away from.
“I thought he was really assured for us. When he needed to carry, he carried, when he needed to link up (he did).”
On a night that highlighted the importance of a concerted team effort, even in the absence of key players, Schmidt pointed out that work done elsewhere on the field helped Madigan put in the performance he did.
“The one thing that helped Ian was the quality of the forward ball that Jamie (Heaslip and the pack offered up to him,” Schmidt said.
“I think it allowed him to get on the front foot and that always makes a ten’s job that little bit easier.”
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