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Healy: 'Ireland can breach the dark spells in Japan'

By Online Editors
Irish prop Cian Healy. (Photo by Getty Images)

Cian Healy has backed Ireland to keep breaching the mental “dark spells” that can yield more World Cup progress.

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James Ryan, Rory Best, Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Conway all crossed as Ireland blitzed Scotland 27-3 for a bonus-point victory in Yokohama on Sunday.

Ireland squeezed the Scots up front then ran them ragged out wide to provide the perfect start to Pool A.

Now Joe Schmidt’s men will roll on to face hosts Japan in Shizuoka on Saturday, with prop Healy expecting a frenetic pace against the Brave Blossoms.

Leinster star Healy believes Ireland’s relentless physical preparation has left the squad mentally robust enough to push into ever-increasing limits.

Asked how challenging the humidity had been against Scotland, Healy said: “It felt tough. It was hard to breathe, but we just have to back all the work that they have done with us, and go through the dark spots where you’re sucking air.

“It was good, we played the game in the right positions and in the right parts of the field for the most part, backed our fitness, came through the dark spells and that’s when we actually got to play a bit of our game and that’s when we went harder into that zone.

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“It just takes your breath in a different way, it’s not like playing in the sun or anything like that.

“Your breath goes, but you can get it back quickly, if there’s a break in play you can get regular pretty quick.

“But those extended periods of play do put a lot of pressure on the lungs, and we’ve done a lot of extended periods of training.

“So it’s in the head then, it’s not a shock, we’ve been that to place already so it’s just a continuous reminder that it’s all good, just keep going through it and get to those spots.”

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Ireland were handed a boost today with the news that Peter O’Mahony and Bundee Aki are “on track” to be fit to face Japan, who thumped Russia 30-10 in Tokyo on Friday nigh.

Flanker O’Mahony and centre Aki were both forced out of the win over Scotland after Head Injury Assessments (HIAs).

Head coach Joe Schmidt lamented Ireland’s six-day turnaround from the Scotland clash to the Japan encounter, given O’Mahony and Aki could need the same amount of days to complete the head injury return-to-play protocols.

A spokesman has now confirmed the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) hopes that both O’Mahony and Aki will be ready and available to face the tournament hosts on Saturday.

“Peter O’Mahony and Bundee Aki completed HIA two post game and will complete HIA three today. That will be this afternoon, that’s on track,” said an IRFU spokesman.

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“If you pass two and pass three, you don’t go into return to play protocols. So nobody’s ruled out from the Scotland game.

“Josh Van Der Flier had a cut over the eye, and had a couple of stitches but is fine, he just had a bit of cramp towards the end.

“Johnny Sexton suffered a bang on his thigh after 20 minutes, and had an awareness of it, but he was removed tactically. Conor Murray was removed tactically too.

“Tadhg Furlong received running repairs on field and was later removed tactically.

“Rob Kearney, Joey Carbery and Keith Earls are all fully fit and will train fully this week.”

Robbie Henshaw remains unlikely to be fit, as he continues to fight back from a hamstring problem.

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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