Schmidt prepares for second symphony

Schmidt prepares for second symphony

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Like a young rock band bursting onto the scene full of blistering bravado, Joe Schmidts new Ireland have made their splash on the rugby landscape.

No-one should complain about the early success delivered in Schmidts first Six Nations campaign since succeeding Declan Kidney as head coach last summer but when the first act goes so well, as it has with a first championship title in five years brought about by a victory in Paris that broke a 14-year drought, it sets the bar high.

Stage two of the Schmidt era begins here, with a World Cup 17 months away and while the New Zealander has already made great strides in bringing the winning culture he cultivated at Leinster to the Test arena, there are still important steps to take before Ireland face Canada in their pool opener in Cardiff on September 19, 2015.

He has just 10 Test matches two this summer in Argentina, three in November, five in the 2015 Six Nations plus the tournament warm-ups to settle not just on a starting side to win Irelands group and avoid facing a Southern Hemisphere giant before the semi-finals but also a wider squad capable of fulfilling his requirement to be every bit as knowledgeable of their roles and capable of executing them as the men on the field at kick-off.

After eight matches at the helm, the growth achieved by his squad is already considerable. Ireland finished the tournament level on points with England but with a points difference 10 points better than their rivals, with the most tries and the meanest defence, the most efficient set-piece, the best discipline and the fewest turnovers conceded. Championship stuff indeed.

With a set-piece rejuvenated under forwards coach John Plumtree, Ireland had a solid and productive platform that contributed heavily to the 16 tries scored in the championship.

No better example came than at Stade de France on Saturday night, when the set-piece got the ball rolling, first off a lineout for Johnny Sextons opening try and then when Louis Picamoles terrible knock-on handed them the initiative at the scrum as Mike Ross made life a misery for French loosehead Thomas Domingo, leading to Andrew Trimbles try, Irelands second of the night.

Schmidts attention to detail on the training ground allied to the work ethic of his players he praised on Saturday night also allowed for some remarkable breakdown efficiency and ferocity, leading to the lowest penalty count of the tournament, just 36 in five games and a remarkably low two against Italy as well as just 68 turnovers throughout the competition with Peter OMahony leading the turnover table with seven from four games, Chris Henry equal second on six.

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Schmidt prepares for second symphony