Joe Schmidt still has plenty of currency in the bank with his players.
One point from two games and an ignominious World Cup exit still fresh in the memory. Certain sections of Irish society may be growing frustrated with Ireland’s strait-jacket rugby but not Joe Schmidt. Not his squad.
There is little doubting the fact that Schmidt calls most, if not all, the shots to his squad. He delivers the plan of attack and tells his players – If we do this to the letter, we will win. Trust is key.
Delivering six trophies in five seasons, for Leinster and Ireland, certainly helps when speaking on the plinth.
Scrumhalf Eoin Reddan has been on-board ever since he first trained, and played, under Schmidt in 2010. Naturally so, ahead of Saturday’s game with England, Reddan has a firm belief that Ireland can snap a three-game losing skid at Twickenham:
“We’ve confidence in what we’re doing. If we keep our discipline we’re in with a big shout. In this day and age I don’t think anyone goes anywhere thinking they can’t win. That goes for all the Six Nations teams.
“It’s a quiet confidence in what we can deliver and making sure we’re on the money for the plan we have this week.”
Reddan watched the home draw against Wales on TV and the one-point loss to France from the subs’ bench at Stade de France. He was well placed, then, to decipher whether Ireland were leaning on their kicking, territorial game too much.
England head coach Eddie Jones certainly thinks Ireland are a crowd of hoofers – claiming they kick away 70% of possession – but Reddan is far from bothered:
“From a player point of view we have a different plan every single week we play.
“If Joe asks us to kick the ball 500 times, we’d probably believe that was the way to win that week and we’d do it. The next week he might want us to run it 500 times.
“We have a different plan every week and this week it will be that plan we’ve practiced for the last two days and it’s up to us to get it right for next weekend.”
If Ireland possess a belief that Schmidt has a plan to dismantle the English it would certainly send them to London in expectation of victory.
Right now, though, most Irish fans are relying on hope.
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