The 'gimme' Ireland RWC fixture that now has a very different complexion
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.
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.
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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.
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.
This a great way to watch the biggest moment of the weekend.https://t.co/aXrbJfp6U8
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 30, 2019
Let’s talk about Jerome
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.
Ireland promised after 2015 they would not be caught winging it at the 2019 RWC with an inexperienced out-half starting at No10 in a big match in place of Johnny Sexton, but they have not delivered on that aim https://t.co/Y2QThUAiJW
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 27, 2019
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.
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.
Joe Schmidt has retained just a handful of the @IrishRugby starting side that were bested by Japan for their upcoming match. https://t.co/uP85T5uauk #RWC2019 #IREvRUS
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 1, 2019
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
Comments on RugbyPass
An on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
24 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
24 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to comments