There are few people who’s opinion on rugby is more valued than that of Steve Hansen.
The All Blacks head coach has given his take on what we can expect of Ireland v Wales in the next round of the RBS Six Nations and he doesn’t seem too optimistic of a tryfest at the Millenium Stadium.
Asked by WalesOnline if he expects a game full of tries, he answered: “No. I’d like to see it, but I doubt it. They are both very good defensive sides.
“I am not knocking the defence for what it is. All I am saying is you also have to be behind the last man seen. You make your own judgement.”
Hansen broke down how he sees the game, which will take place on 14 March, playing out.
“Well, Wales have got the home advantage, but it’s a really tough game for both sides. Ireland aren’t going to play much rugby. They are going to try and play a game that suits them.
“They will kick into the corners, they will box kick, they’ll kick from Jonny Sexton and they’ll wait for you to make mistakes and kick penalties, as happened against England.
“They waited for England’s indiscipline, so Wales will have to make sure they keep their discipline and take the high balls in the air.
“If they can manage to do that, then there you go.”
During his Q&A with WalesOnline, Hansen revealed that the future of rugby, in general, is becoming a cause for concern due to the lack of free-flowing, running rugby on display in the current game.
“I’ve actually got big concerns about the game at the moment, because there are not enough tries being scored, which is turning the fans away.
“We need to find more space, particularly around the rucks and the breakdown, as everybody is defending from an offside position.
If we don’t start creating a bit more space there, then we are not going to be able to play the game.”
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