Ireland are a loosehead and outhalf short of having a pretty stellar ‘Injured XV’.
Confirmation of Ireland’s team news for this weekend’s game against Wales meant Tadhg Furlong and Iain Henderson would join the dozen other internationals on the sidelines.
Going into round three of the 2018 Six Nations, here are the players Joe Schmidt can not call on:
- Tadhg Furlong (Leinster)
- Iain Henderson (Ulster)
- Josh van der Flier (Leinster)
- Robbie Henshaw (Leinster)
- Sean O’Brien (Leinster)
- Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)
- Jared Payne (Ulster)
- Luke McGrath (Leinster)
- Adam Byrne (Leinster)
- Rhys Ruddock (Leinster)
- Tommy O’Donnell (Munster)
- Craig Gilroy (Ulster)
- Andrew Trimble (Ulster)
Keeping up his theme of trying to stay positive when the injury news suggests otherwise, Schmidt told us:
“Iain was the closer of the two; Iain could probably have played on Saturday. But Iain wasn’t able to complete training today so we’re not going to risk him.
“I just don’t think it’s worth it with what’s coming up and you don’t want to put him at risk of further injury. Iain was very close, he could definitely play next weekend, and the week after he will be fine.
“Tadhg was close as well. We thought on Tuesday with Tadhg he may well make it, but the progress just stalled a little bit so we said ‘let’s not chase this, let’s focus on the opportunity for other people and get you right for Scotland in a couple of weeks’ time’.”
Schmidt and his staff appear to have made the right call by erring on the side of caution. One hopes Henderson and Furlong can return to a side still chasing a championship title and Grand Slam.
Tetchy
Last March, less than an hour after his side lost 22-9 to Wales, Schmidt was irked by a comment about Ireland being “predictable”.
“It’s funny you say that,” he replied. “In the end, you’re always looking for variation. We’d seven line breaks each. A lot of the stats are very, very even. Unfortunately, probably the one that favours us is the 10-4 penalty count and the one that favours them is the 22-9 scoreline.”
On Thursday, at Carton House, Schmidt was twice asked about Ireland improving and changing since that game, 12 months ago. He responded by throwing down a gauntlet to those in the room, and watching from afar.
“What can you change? It’s a game of rugby. Sometimes we kick, sometimes we run, sometimes we go wide, sometimes we go through the middle.
“I think if anyone tried to analyse what we do do, there is a lot of variety in what we do, and I think that the times that we’ve not quite managed to get the result against Wales, we’ve probably had as much as the game as they have, and we haven’t quite been able to put the game away.
“But it’s for me, it’s another game of rugby where we get the opportunity to try to get as many of those fine margins to fall in our favour, and I just know the players will work as hard as they can to make sure they do.
“Do we play slightly differently from two years ago? I think anyone who does analysis will say ‘yes we do’, there are some changes in what we do.
“And I’m obviously not going to explain them, that’s your challenge, I guess.”
Many rugby writers, pundits and analysts have done some fine work in poring over Schmidt’s tactics and preferences in recent years. Nonetheless, the Ireland coach appears to resent the implication that his side are one-dimensional and too easily read.
We shall find out if they can unlock the Welsh this weekend.
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