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'It's going to be hot... we play enough rugby in the wind and rain that it's probably not right to moan about the sunshine'
Ireland skipper Rory Best believes Ross Byrne has the perfect chance to enhance his World Cup selection credentials should he conjure a composed and confident showing against a potent England side this Saturday.
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Ireland have rolled out the majority of their big guns to take on Eddie Jones’ England in London. Johnny Sexton and Robbie Henshaw will sit it out, but head coach Joe Schmidt insisted both men could have featured had they been required.
The situation has allowed Byrne to make his full Test debut at fly-half in the absence of both Sexton and Joey Carbery, whose World Cup remains in doubt due to ankle ligament trouble. “When you come to Twickenham you realise the magnitude of the stadium,” said Best ahead of a match likely take place in balmy conditions of 28°C.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play here several times. It’s a fantastic place to play rugby, it’s a great place to play rugby – but it’s also a great place to show what you’re made of, and to show your value to this team. And that’s Ross’ opportunity.
“The thing for the rest of us now is to make sure that we step up to make it easier for him to step up. We’re in a good place… it’s going to be hot for both teams, but they could be similar to the temperatures at the World Cup, so it’s good practice.
‘It’s a a fantastic and intimidating place to play rugby but it’s a great place to show what your made of as a player." – @RoryBest2 on Twickenham#ENGvIRE #ShoulderToShoulder pic.twitter.com/amBsv9VL9g
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) August 23, 2019
“Both teams will be facing the same conditions; we play enough rugby in the wind and the rain that it’s probably not right to moan about the sunshine!”
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Meanwhile, coach Schmidt has handed Ireland new boy Jean Kleyn a World Cup selection crib sheet. South Africa-born Munster lock Kleyn made his Ireland debut just two days after qualifying on residency, when boss Schmidt’s men saw off Italy 29-10 in Dublin on August 10.
The 25-year-old could find himself in a straight fight with Munster team-mate Tadhg Beirne for the final lock berth in Ireland’s 31-man World Cup squad. Kleyn has retained his place to face England but has also been challenged to raise his level again, with the versatile Beirne taking a seat on the bench.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1bwZVGoQmj/
“We gave him some things to work on from last time and we want to see if those can materialise on Saturday,” said Schmidt, of Kleyn. “Because he’s so new in, we felt that it was a priority to give him the time. Again, it is a fickle balance at the moment.
“Devin Toner knows our game inside out so needed less of the time, while Iain Henderson has just trained so well this week we’re looking forward to seeing him out there.”
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Lineout titan Toner and his Leinster colleague James Ryan remain Ireland’s premier lock pairing, with Ulster and British and Irish Lions star Henderson a combative and dependable option off the bench.
With Ireland's matches about to start prior to the Rugby World Cup, Garry Ringrose sets the scene and reflects on his journey from 2015 to now https://t.co/oorB7Z3HmJ
— liam heagney (@heagneyl) August 5, 2019
Munster’s former Scarlets man Beirne and Henderson are both high-level back-row operators too, and that adaptability carries paramount importance amid the tight squeeze of a 31-man squad. Schmidt remains intent on handing all his back-five scrum options chances to shine across these World Cup warm-up clashes.
“It also gives Tadhg Beirne the opportunity to be that cover-all back-row, second row,” said Schmidt. “I’m not saying he’s not good enough to start in either of those positions but he’s nice security, having him covering all five of those back-five positions, albeit at seven we’d probably need to mix and match somebody but he can cover six, eight or five.”
– Press Association
WATCH: Maro Itoje sets the scene for RugbyPass ahead of England’s World Cup warm-up against Ireland
Comments on RugbyPass
I still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
27 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
27 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
27 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
27 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
27 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
27 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
27 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
27 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
27 Go to commentsHi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
91 Go to commentsIn the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
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