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The 'gimme' Ireland RWC fixture that now has a very different complexion

Mid-tournament call-up Jordi Murphy has it all to do on Thursday in Kobe (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Kobe’s humid port city streets were quiet on Tuesday evening when RugbyPass took a successful ramble in search of some of the area’s signature marbled beef.

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Ever since it was pencilled into the RWC calendar, Ireland’s match against Russia had always been viewed as the Pool A gimme for Joe Schmidt’s side and the cavalry that was their army-size support in Yokohama and Shizuoka won’t have the same strength in depth in Kobe that was evident against Scotland and Japan. 

Thing is, though, this ‘gimme’ against Russia has now assumed a huge significance no one ever imagined would be the case at these finals. Ambushed by the RWC’s host nation, the pool dynamic has massively shifted and major Irish wounds are in need of some much-needed balm to get their deflated campaign back on track. Here, RugbyPass sets the scene as Schmidt and co attempt to soothe some of the scars from last Saturday.

Murphy must deliver the beef in Kobe

How Jordi Murphy goes will be interesting. So much science has gone into Ireland’s preparation in Japan with their originally chosen 31 players, so stepping off a long-haul flight and jumping straight into starting a match at a World Cup with a team you were devastatingly told not so long ago you weren’t needed with is quite a dynamic. 

(Continue reading below…)

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Adding intrigue is Ireland’s clear need for greater ball-carrying dependability following last Saturday’s disappearing act where the starting Irish pack managed a paltry 63 metres off 53 carries, on average a 1.1 metre gain per carry. No wonder they collectively struggled to impose themselves against a Japanese eight.

The lack of back row heft was a particular issue, CJ Stander, Josh van der Flier and Peter O’Mahony making just 30 metres off 18 carries (an average 1.6 metres per carry) compared to the Japanese back row which clocked in with 101 metres off 31 carries (3.2 metres). 

Called up due to Jack Conan’s tournament-ending injury, Murphy will have it all do against the Russians to make an impact that lasts at this tournament beyond this particular start against the minnows and carries on into the remaining games. 

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His last two Test starts came at No8 in 2019 matches versus Italy where he managed just six metres off 10 carries in Dublin in August and 12 metres off 13 carries in Rome last February. They are numbers that won’t wash in Japan where a far better cameo is the minimum requirement.   

If he doesn’t deliver, Irish fans will be reminded next week at a stadium similar to Thomond Park just how their back row is really missing the injured Sean O’Brien, whose action pictures from the 2015 World Cup were much in evidence in places such as Fukuoka airport metro station when RugbyPass took in Wednesday’s cagey win by France over the USA.

He really is the missing link when it comes to a hustler whose style is to repeatedly get on the ball and have a powerful blast in the carry.

Let’s talk about Jerome

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Joe Schmidt has certainly thrown the focus on Thursday’s match referee Jerome Garces by revealing that two of the three incorrect offside calls made against his team versus Japan in Shizuoka came from Garces, who was working on the touchline as Angus Gardner’s assistant ref. 

It was further evidence that French officials haven’t been covering themselves in glory at RWC 2019, something that was always the fear when the list of appointments was confirmed as it didn’t add up why the French were taking up four of the 12 officiating slots in the tournament’s so-called ‘Team 21’. 

Ireland’s fortunes with Garces on the whistle have been mixed. There were wins over England in 2017 (10/9 against Ireland on the penalty count) and Australia in 2016 (3/13 against the Aussies on the penalty count), a 2016 Six Nations draw with Wales (7/6 against Ireland on the penalty count) and a defeat to England at the start of 2019 (4/8 against England on the penalty count). 

All this after Garces was the ref for the infamous 2015 World Cup quarter-final loss to Argentina, a calamitous Sunday when Ireland were penalised 12 times which enabled the Pumas – who admittedly were penalised 15 times – to successfully kick five of their six chances off the tee to win 43-20.   

Being without Best not the same as being Sexton-less

RugbyPass highlighted in the run-up to the Japanese loss how Ireland had failed to live up to its promise since the last World Cup to ensure they had a well-experienced Plan B if Johnny Sexton was to ever not start a massive match at the 2019 World Cup. 

Giving Jack Carty only his second ever start as a Test No10 illustrated how Ireland without Sexton was something Joe Schmidt hadn’t placed too much store in the last four years before the Japan fixture. 

Paddy Jackson was the curveball that left Schmidt vulnerable, becoming ineligible for selection in April 2018 after starting nine games since the last World Cup. That left far too little opportunity to cement exposure into alternative starting No10s and a heavy price was paid last weekend.

 

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Only one story in Japan today… ?? #RWC2019

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Another specialised position where the exposure for others has been limited is at hooker where veteran Rory Best has started 32 of Ireland’s 46 matches since the 2015 World Cup quarter-final loss to Argentina.

Niall Scannell has started eight times, Rob Herring three, Sean Cronin two and James Tracy one and it’s Scannell who Ireland are looking to on Thursday as the starting hooker in Kobe. 

Thankfully, it’s not another Carty-like situation for Ireland. Minnows Russia are not at all the danger that RWC hosts Japan were, while a more seasoned Scannell can count among his previous starts a Six Nations No2 appearance in Rome in 2017 and crucially two starts on the 2018 June Test series win in Australia. 

That sets him apart from Carty and suggests that Ireland without Best are somewhat better catered for than Ireland without Sexton.    

Kearney/Earls game for more Russian roulette

Ireland managed nine tries in Rotorua eight years again when they last encountered the Russians at a World Cup, Declan Kidney’s charges winning 62-10 eight days after they had ambushed Australia at Eden Park. 

Rob Kearney and Keith Earls are the sole two starters from that afternoon in the city of geothermal geysers who are on deck again in Kobe. Sean Cronin, that day’s No2, is on the Kobe bench, Johnny Sexton, a sub in Rotorua, now starts, while Cian Healy, the No1 eight years ago, is rested.  

Meanwhile, a glance at the team sheet from the September 2002 World Cup qualifier in Krasnoyarsk illustrates the Irish trend of former professional players sticking with the game once they retire. 

Five of the starting XV – Girvan Dempsey, Kevin Maggs, Ronan O’Gara, current Ireland assistant Simon Easterby and the late Anthony Foley – all coached professionally, while among the Siberian replacements you had current Leinster boss Leo Cullen along with his team manager Guy Easterby. Gloucester director of rugby David Humphreys was also among the subs.  

WATCH: Ireland boss Joe Schmidt announces his team for  Thursday’s RWC match against Russia

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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