Joe Schmidt Ireland Q&A

First topic message reminder :

Going to a Q&A with Joe Schmidt tonight. Can anyone recommend any sensible questions?

petethepete wrote:

SecretFly wrote:

GunsGermsV2 wrote:

SecretFly wrote:Our problems are in the backs though.  How about major changes there.  We had a combination of old-school and medium-age school.  Time for youth to be given a real shot.

I dont think it is necessarily the backs that need to be changed (maybe some) but rather how we approach our attack. We are too predictable and don't take enough risks.

We need young, we need genuine pace (even Zebo, our supposed flier now looks like he's carrying too much weight), we need the exuberance of youthful ambition, we need trickery with the legs to carry it off - in brief, we need our backs to be backs (not always pseudo-forwards).

I noticed this about Zebo too. At one point against Scotland, think it was in the first half the ball broke down and Zebo hoofed it up field and gave chase, I was abit shocked at the ease at which the Scottish back beat him to the ball. Said to my friend we were in trouble if Zebo was our quickest player!

That was smart from Zebo. The Scottish backs are quick, but if he got to the ball first, he would have just been turned over as his support would have been way behind. This way, play was in Scottish half, Zebo could compete for ball and the Irish cavalary had time to catch up!

Nice story, sin.

GunsGermsV2 wrote:

Sin é wrote:How are players deemed worthy of a central contral? For example, would image rights of players have a bearing on who gets one? Are these players treated anyway differently than those not on them with regard to selection?

Thats a good one. Why would image rights have a bearing on this? Can you expand on that?

Sorry, only getting back now.

The IRFU's major sponsors (like O2, Bank of Ireland, Dove for Men) usually build an advertising campaign around a player (for instance, O2 around BOD/Sexton, Bank of Ireland around Heislip, Dove with Conor Murray). Its not great for these advertisers if the player they are using is dropped (not good if they are injured either).

Sin é wrote:

The IRFU's major sponsors (like O2, Bank of Ireland, Dove for Men) usually build an advertising campaign around a player (for instance, O2 around BOD/Sexton, Bank of Ireland around Heislip, Dove with Conor Murray). Its not great for these advertisers if the player they are using is dropped (not good if they are injured either).

Good angle here, sin. I like this one better than the Zebo story. So are you suggesting that there are wink, wink teams being selected by Joe under pressure from IRFU under pressure from corporations wanting returns on their investments?

SecretFly wrote:

Sin é wrote:

The IRFU's major sponsors (like O2, Bank of Ireland, Dove for Men) usually build an advertising campaign around a player (for instance, O2 around BOD/Sexton, Bank of Ireland around Heislip, Dove with Conor Murray). Its not great for these advertisers if the player they are using is dropped (not good if they are injured either).

Good angle here, sin.  I like this one better than the Zebo story.  So are you suggesting that there are wink, wink teams being selected by Joe under pressure from IRFU under pressure from corporations wanting returns on their investments?

Well, Vodafone the present sponsorship deal is worth 15m over 4 years, so its nothing to be sneezed at! Vodafone's campaign ''Team of Us'' is fairly general anyway and not specific to any player, though the players featured at the launch were Heaslip, Earls, Best and Dillane (presumably representing 4 Provinces).

As for Zebo, he has been ripping it up all season for Munster at fullback. An interesting comment coming out of every Munster player interviewed this season is that Rassie doesn't mind if they make a mistake and its up to the team to cover these errors, so they are playing with great freedom and confidence.

I don't think that is Joe's modus operandi.

Maybe fullback is his role then.

SecretFly wrote:

The Great Aukster wrote:Ireland don't do sprinters, yet some still wonder why they've never taken Sevens seriously!

I'd turn that observation on its head and say now we might see why taking Sevens more seriously might actually add a few genuine sprinters.  Sprinter Do work in the 15 man game.  They're not a luxury, they're a real asset.... if appreciated and if the gameplan gives method to their more spurting instincts.  So even without the need to even mention the Sevens game, I can't understand this continuing casual aversion/disinterest/shrug-of-the-shoulder to the argument.  Are we still trapped in the old Kidney philosophy that Ireland have their own style and won't be too pushed by any external influences to change it?

I agree Ireland need speedsters but where are these "genuine sprinters" going to come from - by funding a Sevens team? Don't think so.
Wales had an established Sevens team and still tried to bring in athletes Nigel Walker and Tom James with somewhat underwhelming success.

Most sevens teams are made up exclusively from players who already play 15s rugby. That's the problem with the short form at grass roots level - you can't show up at the local Leisure centre on a Friday night for a 7s parish derby... well you can but most athletes would be looking for more than 14 minutes of exercise every week. So the pool of players is already known from the XV format, as is their sprinting prowess.

If Ireland are looking to unearth faster rugby players they need to think more outside the box and instead of funding a frippery like Sevens, perhaps use the money to offer scholarships to a few dozen Jamaicans to attend St Michaels, Blackrock, Belvedere etc.  

No, Aukster, I only alluded to Sevens there to give the alternate approach to your point.  And I only mention Sevens ever to say 'why not give it a go and have it running on the side and who knows what kind of benefits might accrue from having it'.

My game is the 15 man game but I don't see the 7s as a natural threat - I'm beginning to get the feeling that some 15 game fans do.   I'm just talking about casual cross fertilisation that might happen.  No harm done if nothing happened.

But I do think we should focus on creating Sprinters in a more active way.  Yet, I've been saying that for donkey's years and we still consider Zebo our version of lightening.  Gotta say, I don't.

Some consider Zebo quick because he has a 'Z' in his name like Billy Whizz (who is obviously twice as quick). Others though associate the letter 'Z' with snoozing (which isn't very quick at all).

Nucifora is naturally trying to encourage and find players with pace for the IRFU, so he had cleverly suggested that Simon be marketed as Zippy Zebo. This was before he knew that this brought back some unfortunate memories of a trouser fastening accident encountered by Mr Greased Lightning in his youth and actually had the opposite affect on his pace, so he reverted to plan Z which is where he spells his christian name as Zimon.

Nucifora - I knew he had to be involved somewhere in the conundrum

Zebo: 100m in 11.1 secs (according to himself april 2015).

Sin é wrote:Zebo: 100m in 11.1 secs (according to himself april 2015).

How many times could he pull that off in an 80 minute game?

Timed straight-line sprinting on the track is a different version of sprinting to that at shifting angles through an 80 minute game. I suppose that brings us all back to that stamina pump fitness I keep harping on about. How often you can sprint effectively in an 80 minute high octane International game is the question. On evidence, we are less fearful in that department than other sides.

SecretFly wrote:

Sin é wrote:Zebo: 100m in 11.1 secs (according to himself april 2015).

How many times could he pull that off in an 80 minute game?

Timed straight-line sprinting on the track is a different version of sprinting to that at shifting angles through an 80 minute game.  I suppose that brings us all back to that stamina pump fitness I keep harping on about.  How often you can sprint effectively in an 80 minute high octane International game is the question.  On evidence, we are less fearful in that department than other sides.

He probably would not get more than 1 or 2 chances in 80 minutes to run 100 metres.

Prior to Ireland’s summer tour to New Zealand the winger was clocked at a pace of 9.4metres per second in training — making him, officially, the fastest Irish player.

Also found this on him:

Prior to Ireland’s summer tour to New Zealand the winger was clocked at a pace of 9.4metres per second in training — making him, officially, the fastest Irish player.

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/rugby/speed-runs-in-the-family-and-zebo-is-quickly-making-his-mark-8486606.html

Sin é wrote:Zebo: 100m in 11.1 secs (according to himself april 2015).

Ferris actually broke 11 seconds with the GPS.

Anyway Zebo is very slow over 20 metres, as seen in the Scotland game and that is the most important thing, unless you are Tommy Bowe and (used to) have the timing to hit the line at the right pace and angle.

Anyway that is nothing to do with anything other than to point out that Zebo is the most overrated player since Keith Earls.

rodders wrote:Anyway that is nothing to do with anything other than to point out that Zebo is the most overrated player since Keith Earls.

Cyril wrote:

rodders wrote:Anyway that is nothing to do with anything other than to point out that Zebo is the most overrated player since Keith Earls.

Who rates Earls outside of Ballygobackwards ?

Earls is a very talented player. He is particularly good at making a break and finishing. However, he is prone to making a lot of mistakes a bit like Luke Fitz was.

I think for both of them it was a case of the brain not able to keep up with the body.

GunsGermsV2 wrote:Earls is a very talented player. He is particularly good at making a break and finishing. However, he is prone to making a lot of mistakes a bit like Luke Fitz was.

I think for both of them it was a case of the brain not able to keep up with the body.

But Earls didn't make a mistake. Ringrose did.

Worth remembering that both Zebo & Earls are part of a back 3 for munster that have conceeded 4 tries in their last 11 games with the best defence in both the PRO12 and the Champions Cup (and included 3 wins over Glasgow whose famed back 3 of Hogg, Seymore, Jones failed to score a try.

Sin é wrote:

GunsGermsV2 wrote:Earls is a very talented player. He is particularly good at making a break and finishing. However, he is prone to making a lot of mistakes a bit like Luke Fitz was.

I think for both of them it was a case of the brain not able to keep up with the body.

But Earls didn't make a mistake. Ringrose did.

Worth remembering that both Zebo & Earls are part of a back 3 for munster that have conceeded 4 tries in their last 11 games with the best defence in both the PRO12 and the Champions Cup (and included 3 wins over Glasgow whose famed back 3 of Hogg, Seymore, Jones failed to score a try.

Earls was to blame for the first Hogg try plus he tends to make his fair share of mistakes. He missed the most tackles in the match too.

GunsGermsV2 wrote:

Sin é wrote:

GunsGermsV2 wrote:Earls is a very talented player. He is particularly good at making a break and finishing. However, he is prone to making a lot of mistakes a bit like Luke Fitz was.

I think for both of them it was a case of the brain not able to keep up with the body.

But Earls didn't make a mistake. Ringrose did.

Worth remembering that both Zebo & Earls are part of a back 3 for munster that have conceeded 4 tries in their last 11 games with the best defence in both the PRO12 and the Champions Cup (and included 3 wins over Glasgow whose famed back 3 of Hogg, Seymore, Jones failed to score a try.

Earls was to blame for the first Hogg try plus he tends to make his fair share of mistakes. He missed the most tackles in the match too.

How was he to blame for the 1st try? What mistakes did he make.

And no, he didn't miss the most tackles in the match. That would have been Dunbar who missed 5, or Jones & Russell who missed 4 and Hogg who missed 2.

As Earls himself said during the week, if you play on the wing or 13 you tend to get blamed for missed tackles.

Sin é wrote:

GunsGermsV2 wrote:

Sin é wrote:

GunsGermsV2 wrote:Earls is a very talented player. He is particularly good at making a break and finishing. However, he is prone to making a lot of mistakes a bit like Luke Fitz was.

I think for both of them it was a case of the brain not able to keep up with the body.

But Earls didn't make a mistake. Ringrose did.

Worth remembering that both Zebo & Earls are part of a back 3 for munster that have conceeded 4 tries in their last 11 games with the best defence in both the PRO12 and the Champions Cup (and included 3 wins over Glasgow whose famed back 3 of Hogg, Seymore, Jones failed to score a try.

Earls was to blame for the first Hogg try plus he tends to make his fair share of mistakes. He missed the most tackles in the match too.

How was he to blame for the 1st try? What mistakes did he make.

And no, he didn't miss the most tackles in the match. That would have been Dunbar who missed 5, or Jones & Russell who missed 4 and Hogg who missed 2.

As Earls himself said during the week, if you play on the wing or 13 you tend to get blamed for missed tackles.

He missed the most tackles for Ireland and yes he missed the tackle on Hogg for Hogg's first try.

http://stats.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/match/255003.html

Cyril wrote:

rodders wrote:Anyway that is nothing to do with anything other than to point out that Zebo is the most overrated player since Keith Earls.

Overrated Irish player Cyril...we're not talking Ben Youngs here ...

rodders wrote:

Cyril wrote:

rodders wrote:Anyway that is nothing to do with anything other than to point out that Zebo is the most overrated player since Keith Earls.

Overrated Irish player Cyril...we're not talking Ben Youngs here ...

or Connor 'Mind me legs' Murray

GunsGermsV2 wrote:

Sin é wrote:

GunsGermsV2 wrote:

Sin é wrote:

GunsGermsV2 wrote:Earls is a very talented player. He is particularly good at making a break and finishing. However, he is prone to making a lot of mistakes a bit like Luke Fitz was.

I think for both of them it was a case of the brain not able to keep up with the body.

But Earls didn't make a mistake. Ringrose did.

Worth remembering that both Zebo & Earls are part of a back 3 for munster that have conceeded 4 tries in their last 11 games with the best defence in both the PRO12 and the Champions Cup (and included 3 wins over Glasgow whose famed back 3 of Hogg, Seymore, Jones failed to score a try.

Earls was to blame for the first Hogg try plus he tends to make his fair share of mistakes. He missed the most tackles in the match too.

How was he to blame for the 1st try? What mistakes did he make.

And no, he didn't miss the most tackles in the match. That would have been Dunbar who missed 5, or Jones & Russell who missed 4 and Hogg who missed 2.

As Earls himself said during the week, if you play on the wing or 13 you tend to get blamed for missed tackles.

He missed the most tackles for Ireland and yes he missed the tackle on Hogg for Hogg's first try.

http://stats.espnscrum.com/statsguru/rugby/match/255003.html

No he didn't miss the tackle on Hogg. That was Henshaw & Ringrose. Earls was on the other side of the pitch.

https://youtu.be/JIGl_jjEj7g

You claimed he missed the most tackles in the match. He didn't. He certainly didn't miss the tackle for Hogg's first try anyway.

His second try then. I was saying he missed the most for Ireland which is true. It doesnt matter how many Scottish players missed because they cant play for Ireland. Thought that was obvious.