Mike Catt urges Ireland players to free minds and ‘play the game’

The evidence so far under Andy Farrell is that, for all the talk of heads-up rugby, old habits are dying hard

Ireland attack coach Mike Catt. Photo: Adam Davy/PA

Mike Catt spent 25 minutes in front of the media yesterday. It would be pushing it to say that most of that was spent on the defensive, but he did have to withstand a wave of questions about a blunt attack for which he is largely responsible.

Ronan Kelleher’s five-pointer against France came from a lucky bounce at a lost lineout so the cut and dash Robbie Henshaw showed in the run-up to Tadhg Beirne’s try in Cardiff remains the only punch landed across 160-plus minutes of Six Nations rugby.