Bruised Ireland in ‘foreign territory’, admits Schmidt

We are, Joe Schmidt admits, in uncharted waters. That’s not the sort of statement we expected to hear from the Ireland head coach at this point in the World Cup cycle. Unexplored horizons have been reached time and again during his term in charge but the new lands discovered have invariably been sunlit and grounds for contentment.

Not this time. The predicament in which Ireland find themselves just four weeks out from a Pool A opener against the Scots in Yokohama is an unsettling desert devoid of positivity. Shipping 57 points to England in Twickenham has induced a sense of disorientation as the long trip to Japan beckons. “It’s foreign territory to us,” the Kiwi said yesterday. “We’ve never been in a situation where we’ve been out of a game like that before. Well, not in my six-and-a-half years. So, as I’ve said, I’m looking forward to the players getting out there this week and next and proving that that’s an aberration. That doesn’t reflect us.”

The evidence across 2019 is that Ireland are a team in decline. Last Saturday’s evisceration has to be taken in that context, even if there is a case to be made that this was the first game of the season for so many of Schmidt’s team and England were more battle-hardened and further ahead in their preparations.

Schmidt, whose very presence at a media conference so early in match week was unusual and a statement in itself, said as much, pointing out his squad was still in a “building phase” and that they had become fractured after a first-half in which they managed to keep England in sight.

There was, however, an acceptance that this was an “unacceptable” result. The performance was categorised as flat, slow, inaccurate, and one compounded by an Irish side that was unable to think on the hoof when England began to turn the screw.

“Nothing mitigates losing the way we did,” he said.

Schmidt faces a delicate balancing act now. He disagreed with the notion that he might have to send a message to the players that ‘no-one is safe’ and yet there was a need to show some sort of support to his captain Rory Best whose age, status as skipper, and struggles in the lineout this year have all upped the ante on him as the tournament approaches.

“No roles have been finalised until the World Cup until we name our 31 later on next week, so no one takes anything for granted,” said Schmidt when asked specifically about the armband.

Rory is currently captain and he’ll continue to be captain until further notice and if that notice comes in the short term, than that’s a discussion I’ll have with Rory. But at this stage it’s not on our agenda.

Schmidt labelled talk about Best as “external noise” that is not being replicated inside the camp. The reality is that the absence of a viable replacement at hooker leaves the incumbent all but secure and the expectation is that he will feature again this week when Ireland face Wales in Cardiff. So too Tadhg Furlong in the understanding that the ‘heavies’ tend to need it more.

That’s not to say that changes won’t be many this week. Schmidt made the observation that New Zealand answered a 47-26 loss to Australia recently with a 36-0 win that was recorded by a much-changed team and that will inform his selection for this next game and the visit seven days later of the Welsh to Dublin.

So will injuries, of course. Cian Healy, who was “bullish” about the ankle he injured in Twickenham, and Keith Earls, whose tendonitis of the knee is being managed carefully, have both been pencilled in for appearances at the Aviva Stadium on September 7 rather than the Principality.

Joey Carbery is still on track to return somewhere between four and six weeks, and may yet play a part in that fourth and final warm-up, while Conor Murray passed all of his HIA tests after the knock he took to the head in London and is being considered for that second meeting with Wales. One man who may feature this weekend is Jonathan Sexton.

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Schmidt was vague when rejecting reports that the out-half had suffered an injury in training — “he doesn’t have a leg injury per se” — and instead spoke of an unspecified stiffness and soreness. The Leinster star is likely to make an appearance off the bench for 25 minutes or half an hour in three days’ time. Jack Carty, after Ross Byrne’s start last time, will be the man wearing 10.

“Ross and Jack, they both need more time and my problem is we don’t have a lot more time. There’s only this game coming up this weekend (before the squad is named). Ross didn’t train on Monday, he got a number of bangs. There was some big traffic coming down his channel.

“So, it’s highly likely that will mean Jack will start and that’s a great opportunity for Jack. Ross started last week. That’s probably the way we would have gone anyway — to give them a start each in the absence of Joey. If Johnny’s involved he will probably come off the bench this week anyway.”

It represents a big ask for Carty — and Ireland. Wales will be playing in Cardiff for the last time under Gatland whose 12 years in charge have delivered so much.

It will be raucous. Ireland need individuals to step up to the plate, for the collective to gel much better, and the type of performance that washes away the negativity and worry of Twickenham and the calendar year to date.

Schmidt spoke of the need to work on basics, such as the lineout that malfunctioned so badly against England, by replicating match conditions in their sessions. “That’s what our plan is and hopefully you will see evidence of it this Saturday and if you don’t, and we don’t, then we are going to be under real pressure.”