WE’RE STILL MORE than six months away from the start of the 2015 Rugby World Cup but that doesn’t mean teams in the Southern Hemisphere are not paying attention to what’s happening in Europe.
On their official site, New Zealand today published a list of ‘Nine things the All Blacks might have noticed about the Six Nations’ and — unsurprisingly given their three wins from three — Ireland are foremost in their minds.
First up, they name Johnny Sexton as the “most dangerous man in Europe.”
However, while they seem to doubt Sexton’s place as the best 10 in world rugby, they do add that “first five-eighths in the Southern Hemisphere might bristle at this tag but won’t deny the perils the 29-year-old can bring to an opposition defence.”
There’s also praise for how well the Irish scrum held up against England and a comparison between Robbie Heshaw and Sonny Bill Williams but it’s their comments on Joe Schmidt — his Kiwi stock rising with every win — that are the most intriguing.
After calling the Ireland head coach ‘Superman’ they go on to say:
“Keeping a lid on expectations will be key. If the mighty feat of a Slam is achieved, it will be difficult for the Irish to keep their craic under control heading into the Rugby World Cup.”
Considering that racing lost the game it might be harder to negotiate such “agreements” in the future.
The omission of Casey looks like a real oversight if best isn’t available. Consistent ball from set pieces will be crucial if we are to stand a chance against SA. Casey hasn’t been tested at international level, which of course Cronin ans Strauss have been, but he’s been the form 2 in the country since the start of the season. His interaction with 2 of Ireland’s nailed on starters (poc and pj) would go a long way to getting fast ball from the lineout. Obviously a hookers job isn’t just darts, but a return rate of less than 90% here will crucify us against SA.
Best isn’t a great darts man, but he’s worth a penalty or 2 and scrums are always solid. I think Casey’s lineout consistency is a good substitute for this, with Cronin or strauss making an abrasive carrying impact from the bench in the end game.
I’d like to have seen Casey get a run-out, but against Georgia…
South Africa are one of the top two teams in the world, possibly the best. They almost certainly have the best pack in the world.
If at all avoidable, it’s not a match where I’d be giving a forward player a debut.
True, but they don’t come much more grizzly than Georgia, none of us have forgotten 2007. If you’re going to ease someone in, it may as well be against Australia!
Racing pay his bills, so I’d say they have first dibs on his services, and rightly so.
No one is saying they shouldn’t are they though