Murray Kinsella reports from Murrayfield
PAUL O’CONNELL BELIEVES Ireland are well prepared to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointment in Cardiff and deliver a strong performance against Scotland tomorrow as they look to secure a second consecutive Six Nations title.
The Grand Slam dream died with defeat to Warren Gatland’s Wales last time out, but O’Connell says that result has seen no shift in mindset among Joe Schmidt’s Ireland group.
“There hasn’t been a change in mood really,” said O’Connell after this afternoon’s captain’s run at Murrayfield. “We just addressed the Wales game and some of the shortcomings we had from it and we started preparing for Scotland.
It was disappointing to lose against Wales, but we’ve all lost big games before and we all know what you have to do. You have to address it, you’ve to try and fix what went wrong, and move on.”
That process involves mentally preparing for what could be a roller coaster of a Saturday depending on how Wales fare against Italy in the 12.30 kick-off, and then England in the 17.00 start versus France.
There will be a constant focus on the points difference of each of the Six Nations contenders throughout the day, although O’Connell insists such activities will be reserved for those outside the playing group.
“It’s kind of like Heineken Cup or Champions Cup, where it’s a dangerous place to go to start thinking about anything but winning the game,” said O’Connell. “You’ll have a plan going into a game of how to beat a team and you’ll be trying to execute that as well as you can.
“That’s all we’ve spoken about, that’s all we’ve addressed. Our big focus is starting the game well, starting the game in a disciplined fashion and getting ourselves off on the right foot.
“It’s the same as if we were coming over looking for a one-point win. That’s all you can do, whatever happens happens.”
O’Connell admitted to being surprised that Scotland have lost all four of their Six Nations games so far, particularly with a head coach as strong as Vern Cotter in charge.
The Ireland captain underlined his belief that the Scots are better than their results suggest, pointing in particular to their contingent of Warriors.
I am very surprised,” said the Munster lock. “I suppose I’ve played against teams coached by Vern Cotter a few years and they’re excellent sides. I don’t think they’ve been well beaten in any of their games, I think they were very unlucky not to get some results.
“No team has pulled away from them, every game has been really tight even going back to the New Zealand game [in November], those Autumn games. The same with us last year, it was very close around half time, we were 6-3 up and we managed to pull away.
“I am surprised and we have a lot of respect for them. A big spine of the team is the Glasgow team, which has been so consistent over the last number of years, incredibly difficult to beat, especially over here.”
Interesting how everyone writing shamrocks off, all Ireland champs 2 years ago and beaten semi finalists last year. In the year they won it, beat na piarsaigh in the semi so I think they will fancy their chances. Saying that, would love to see na piarsaigh win it
Two very evenly matched semi finals. I’d love to see a Na Piarsaigh v MLR final. Think Na Piarsaigh will win it. Anyone but Portumna. A team who doesn’t have to qualify from its province doesn’t deserve an All Ireland title. Na Piarsaigh and MLR would be more than deserving of winning it considering who they had to beat to get to the semi.
Yeah they only have to qualify out of most competitive county in the country where many of the All Ireland Club Champions have come last 10 years.
Doesn’t matter who they have to beat in the Galway championship. I’m talking about Galway clubs in general.
The exact reason why Galway clubs have a good track record in it is because they walk in to the All Ireland semi finals every year.
Same as minors getting straight through to quarter finals and U21′s getting straight through to All Ireland semi. They all pick up some handy titles and then wonder why the Galway senior team is not successful.
Simple, they have less teams to beat to win All Irelands at every level except senior and they win them at all levels except senior!!!
Sour grapes mike. Portumna one of the best club sides of all time. Going by your logic no team from Galway should be allowed enter the competition.
When portumna were at their best , they would give any of the top team’s in the country a game.
I have nothing to be sour about. Portumna mean nothing to me. I see and hear Galway people moan about their senior team not being able to win anything but they rub their hands with glee when they walk in to the latter stages of most other competitions. It’s more than a coincidence that Galway can win titles at all levels except senior. They have too easy a route in all bar the senior. Galway won’t win a senior All Ireland until they wake up to that fact. They want the senior team in Leinster but are more than happy to have every other grade team and club not as they are winning things. Why don’t they look at the possibility of moving all teams in to Leinster so they can actually see what they are worth and not just be handed byes the whole time while every other team and club have to get through several matches to get to the same stage.
The Galway clubs have to beat provincial and county champs to win an All Ireland Mike, same goes for their minors and U21s, nothing handy about that.
You sound pretty sour to me.
Portumna will win it
Portumna won their titles Mike Neil because they were the best team, to say otherwise is just bloody sour grapes.Same goes for all the clubs who won the All Ireland.
I will be shouting for Portumna but think Na Piarsigh will win out, they have more scoring forwards than anyone else.
It’s not portumna’s fault they go straight into semis. It’s theirs to lose now, should be a handy all-ireland for them now. Although this is a year full of surprises.
Only a fool would write off the Rangers. Have seen off 2 favourites already and didn’t even play well against Outlart.
I know they will still be the underdogs, but they will wear that badge with pride!!!!
Loughgiel shamrocks be very hard to beat they R a good team winning 4 county titles and 4 ustler titles and all Ireland in the last 4 years what more can I say
think you’ll find Eamon that Loughgiel have as good a six forwards as any of the teams left.will take a damned good performance to beat them much better than anything I’ve witnessed on TG4 to date..
I disagree Denis.I have seen Shamrocks 3 times in the last 2 years , they are a fine side but they don’t have forwards of the calibre of Canning, Hayes, Dowling, Hannon or Downes.
Hannon plays for Adare not Na Piarsaigh.
Fair bad support for loughgeil. A club that has been there and done it plus has one of the best hurlers in the country. Would love to see them prove a lot of people wrong again. From a tipp man
As a Birr man, having seen how these All-Ireland’s are won, it’s about getting the most from your forwards. One of the reasons KK did well last year was Slevin the free taker. Similarly Loughgiel have a great full forward, whose name escapes me. Na Piarsaigh have serious forwards and of course Portumna have Joe Canning & Damien Hayes, plus their experience. It’s hard to see past Portumna. Fair play to MLR though – inspirational stuff!