IRELAND HEAD COACH Adam Griggs says his squad are determined to put all the disruption and frustration experienced over the last 12 months behind them and make a big impression in this Six Nations.
Ireland finally open their Six Nations campaign against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday, a game which will represent their first outing since last October’s win over Italy.
Since then Griggs’ squad have been confined to a series of training camps and in-house matches, and the head coach says they are confident of turning all that time together into positive performances on the pitch.
Ireland follow up Saturday’s game with a home clash against France, before a final round play-off fixture which will determine their standing in the re-worked tournament.
“Look, we’re going after wins. There’s no doubt about it,” Griggs said.
“We’ve spoken about being prepared, we’ve been together for a long time. I think once we get stuck into this first game on Saturday, we will have a good idea of where we are at and what we need to continue to work on.
“But we certainly want to go out there and win games.”
The Ireland squad have taken part in 20 training camps ahead of the rescheduled Women’s Six Nations, and Griggs feels that as a result of the extra time together, his players now have a better understanding of what is required to win Test matches.
“We feel we’ve got a better appreciation for the way the game goes and we’ve been trying to replicate that through training,” he explained.
“The biggest thing for us is the game understanding and the rugby IQ of these players. I think we know we’ve got super athletes here, all really talented, but it’s about how we manage the game.
“Obviously in Test match rugby you won’t have it all your way, so it’s about sticking out the process of how we can build ourselves into the game, and then how we weather the storm of opposition teams because every team will have that purple patch we speak about.
“So I’d like to think that come Saturday we’ll have that greater understanding. And we’ve got a pretty settled squad here, I think even of the 35, 36 players that we have involved, they’ve all now been together with me certainly for the last couple of seasons.
“I think there is a genuine appreciation of how we want to play the game and how we will put teams under pressure and also cope with the pressure coming back on us.”
Griggs’ matchday squad includes three uncapped players who all have Sevens backgrounds. Eve Higgins makes her 15s debut at centre with Emily Lane and Stacey Flood included on the bench. However there is no place for Sevens sensation Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe.
“Eve has been fantastic through training,” Griggs said.
“You know, we’ve asked for these players that haven’t played for us yet to come into training and put their hand up, and she’s one that certainly grabbed the bull by the horns and really stood out and done well, so she earns her spot there.
“Amee-Leigh is still a work in progress for us at the moment. We think that no doubt, she has the skills. We’ve seen that on the World Series Sevens circuit, and there’s just a few adjustments to the 15-a-side game that she’s still learning at the moment.
“So all in due time, I’m sure we’ll see her in (the squad).”
Glad to see both managers talking sense. I know Antrim got to the final of the U21 few years back but in general ulster teams got a hiding in all ireland semi finals.
Saturday’s mismatch was no Benifit to anyone. Ok as the Derry manager said his players want to play in Thurles etc. They can’t have enjoyed the Thurles experience on Saturday.
Try an open draw as Eddie said, and a proper B grade competition with ulster trans included with the final on the same day as the A final.
@Diarmuid: there already is a b competition and the final is played before the a final
@Noel Kelly: i realise that Noel but as the Derry manager said the B grade should be restructed to include the ulster champions as well. They are out of there depth at the A level
@Diarmuid: and too good for the B Championship.
Completely agree with Eddie Brendan. This year’s semi finals illustrated the serious issues facing hurling. The Kilkenny Derry game is self explanatory. No way should both teams be on the same pitch. It hinders rather than helps both counties. On the other side we had probably the best u21 team in the country playing their first championship match against a battle hardned side. Very unfair on Galway. Tom Fahey
All about bloody funding,the love for hurling in Derry(parts of)is there,was involved in schools in the 80s,all funded , introduced hurling,football camphor,to kids who wouldn’t have even seen it before,funding ran out(cross border funding) after 2 years,so a lot of kids who weren’t in Gaa clubs finished being interested in our national games,we were full time in primary/secondary schools,do when the scheme finished,most of our work came to nothing,(all coaches were badged)feel something like this initiative needs to happen in Ulster
@billy Dorney: excuse the misspelling,camogie,i meant
@billy Dorney: There is a lot more to it than that, there are many counties and county boards throughout Ireland that refuse to promote hurling as it should as it eat up all resources that Gaelic Football uses, it is so pathetic that there are many counties that do not even put forward a B U21 team, the big ball is king.
@ktsiwot: agree
@ktsiwot: yes,and it’s not going to change anytime soon,so hurling loses
why is the solution always to throw them into Leinster? Wexford Dublin and even westmeath would have hammered that Derry team. why just devalue Leinster and leave precious Munster alone? if ya want to get rid of the provinces, then they all have to go and open up to a group
@Ger O’Meara: devalue leinster by adding Galway u must be joking look how much they have added to the senior hurling.
Galway should go into Leinster and then winners of Leinster and Munster go straight to the final. Big mistake to let go of the Munster Championship if it happens.
All this absolute shite talk about the “Munster championship” what’s so sacred about it. Limerick and Clare have won loads of Munster U21 in last decade and are currently way off the pace required at senior level..There will always be an asterix beside the 2013 AIF. The Munster SHC has been quite poor for years, take out Tipp and the rest are average enough, except for a few bubble performances here and there.. They dont like to hear that in Munster, but thats a fact..It’s not all that!
@Lord Clanricarde: I don’t get this asterix thing about 2013. Why is there an asterix about it. Clare beat everyone put before them and won the all Ireland. End of story. It’s not like Kilkenny, Tipp and Galway didn’t enter the championship that. Same teams started out as every year so I think people need to give Clare the respect they deserve and stop downgrading their all Ireland. If Kilkenny had won in 2013 instead of Clare there’d be no talk of asterix’s. Cork won 2010 football all Ireland beating down. Tipp beat Antrim in an all Ireland in 89 I think. Why no asterix’s against them???
@Lord “up me own hole from Galway”Please stop blowing your own pipa you clown.
@John Carroll: Nice to see neither if ye argued with me on the fact that Munster hurling is not all it’s cracked up to be.. It’s a competition full of sentimentality and old farts scared of change in case it effects the “magical” Munster championship!..Nevermind that Tipp win it whenever they decide to get the lead out!!
Galway should go into Leinster and the winners of Leinster and Munster then play in All Ireland Final. Big mistake if we lost the Munster Championship