WHILE SOME IRELAND fans may have been expecting a degree more rotation for this weekend, Joe Schmidt underlined how seriously he is taking Saturday’s clash with Japan by making only four changes.
To be fair, that would have been five but for the unfortunate Jack Conan missing out, having been set to start at number eight.
Joe Schmidt at Ireland training in Shizuoka yesterday. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Instead, Peter O’Mahony starts for the second weekend in a row, with Schmidt stating that the Munster captain was “mad keen to play” after getting only 26 minutes of last weekend’s win over Scotland before being forced off with a head injury.
Frontliners Rob Kearney and Keith Earls return in the back three, eager to make an impact after Jordan Larmour and Andrew Conway impressed last weekend.
“There were really good bits and pieces from those two guys against Scotland that these two guys coming in are going to have to live up to,” said Schmidt.
Chris Farrell gets another chance to impress in the 12 shirt – he “delighted” Schmidt of the bench against the Scots – as Bundee Aki takes the weekend off, while the big talking point is Jack Carty starting at 10 as Johnny Sexton puts the feet up.
“Johnny is never happy about being left out,” said Schmidt. “He’s always looking to play but he had a good hit out against Scotland, 55 odd minutes. He got a little bit of mileage under his belt there.”
Schmidt said Ireland don’t have concerns that Sexton could potentially be undercooked come the quarter-finals of this World Cup.
“Johnny is a guy who plays really well fresh. Rob Kearney is a little bit like that and Robbie Henshaw is like that.
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“We do believe Johnny can come back in and hit the ground running if that’s against Russia on Thursday of next week.
“We’ve also got to show confidence in our squad. At the last World Cup, there were some players who didn’t play a lot and then suddenly they were required for the quarter-final and maybe they didn’t have the confidence that we would have liked them to have.
Ireland captain Rory Best and his team-mates share a joke. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
“We have committed in the last few years to making a decision earlier in the week in some positions and saying, ‘Look, this is going to be your game. Step up and take ownership.’”
Carty will be key – with Joey Carbery returning from injury to the bench – but he has a very strong team around him, a sign of Ireland’s respect for Jamie Joseph’s Japan, who have also gone full-strength for this fixture at Ecopa Stadium, where temperatures peaking at 29°C are expected.
Captain Michael Leitch dropping to the bench was a surprise but he has been plagued by injury in the last 10 months and the starting back row combination of Kazuki Himeno, Lappies Labuschagne and Amanaki Mafi is potent.
Schmidt referenced how Joseph’s squad have had up to 200 days in camp together preparing for this home World Cup, while also pointing to their eight-day turnaround after beating Russia, as opposed to Ireland’s six-day period post-beating Scotland.
“We’re very conscious that they will be really well prepared, incredibly well supported and that elevates the occasion,” said Schmidt of the Brave Blossoms.
Ireland have been preparing away from the spotlight this week, with their decision to retreat to a traditional Japanese hotel in the Shizuoka countryside proving highly popular with the players.
“There’s lovely hot springs in the hotel,” said James Ryan. “There’s one outside carved into a rock and it’s in the middle of a garden. So it’s a lovely place, especially because we were in Chiba and then Yokohama before this. It’s just a nice place to kind of disconnect.”
23-year-old Ryan and some of his team-mates have continued to eat their way through Japan’s culinary delights as well, learning to adapt customs like loudly slurping ramen.
“I think it’s a polite thing here, isn’t it? I love ramen and I’ve been to a few places and the lads either side of me were heads down in the bowl and slurping pretty loudly!”
James Ryan at Ireland's team hotel. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Ireland’s relaxing downtime has been complemented by high-quality build-up on the training pitch, albeit in a more condensed form than before the Scotland game.
Schmidt is convinced that there is more to come from his team after the bonus-point win over the Scots, though he underlined his happiness with their set-piece last time out.
“I think maybe we’ll be a little bit better in the air, I think that’s somewhere we can improve,” said Schmidt. “I thought defensively we were very, very good.
“We didn’t really get the chance to play with too much width in the conditions and while Scotland did a little bit, I think some of the time we profited from that, rather than them, because it was one of those days when you had to be a little bit more measured with your passing.
“They made a few errors and we probably got an opportunity to capitalize on the back of those. So I think you’ll see us play with a bit more width.”
With Ryan commenting that last weekend’s atmosphere in Yokohama had “a different feel to a Six Nations game,” Ireland are expecting the volume to ramp up even further against the hosts tomorrow.
Captain Rory Best, who was pleasantly shocked to go the full 80 minutes last weekend but backs up again tomorrow, is hoping the occasion brings out the best in his team.
“We know it was a good start last weekend but we also know how difficult this weekend is going to be, playing the host nation, especially a team that has improved so much and has so many quality players.
“It’s going to be really, really tricky for us, so we’re going to have to be better.”
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Ireland look for 'more width' as they expect red-hot atmosphere against Japan
WHILE SOME IRELAND fans may have been expecting a degree more rotation for this weekend, Joe Schmidt underlined how seriously he is taking Saturday’s clash with Japan by making only four changes.
To be fair, that would have been five but for the unfortunate Jack Conan missing out, having been set to start at number eight.
Instead, Peter O’Mahony starts for the second weekend in a row, with Schmidt stating that the Munster captain was “mad keen to play” after getting only 26 minutes of last weekend’s win over Scotland before being forced off with a head injury.
Frontliners Rob Kearney and Keith Earls return in the back three, eager to make an impact after Jordan Larmour and Andrew Conway impressed last weekend.
“There were really good bits and pieces from those two guys against Scotland that these two guys coming in are going to have to live up to,” said Schmidt.
Chris Farrell gets another chance to impress in the 12 shirt – he “delighted” Schmidt of the bench against the Scots – as Bundee Aki takes the weekend off, while the big talking point is Jack Carty starting at 10 as Johnny Sexton puts the feet up.
“Johnny is never happy about being left out,” said Schmidt. “He’s always looking to play but he had a good hit out against Scotland, 55 odd minutes. He got a little bit of mileage under his belt there.”
Schmidt said Ireland don’t have concerns that Sexton could potentially be undercooked come the quarter-finals of this World Cup.
“Johnny is a guy who plays really well fresh. Rob Kearney is a little bit like that and Robbie Henshaw is like that.
“We do believe Johnny can come back in and hit the ground running if that’s against Russia on Thursday of next week.
“We’ve also got to show confidence in our squad. At the last World Cup, there were some players who didn’t play a lot and then suddenly they were required for the quarter-final and maybe they didn’t have the confidence that we would have liked them to have.
“We have committed in the last few years to making a decision earlier in the week in some positions and saying, ‘Look, this is going to be your game. Step up and take ownership.’”
Carty will be key – with Joey Carbery returning from injury to the bench – but he has a very strong team around him, a sign of Ireland’s respect for Jamie Joseph’s Japan, who have also gone full-strength for this fixture at Ecopa Stadium, where temperatures peaking at 29°C are expected.
Captain Michael Leitch dropping to the bench was a surprise but he has been plagued by injury in the last 10 months and the starting back row combination of Kazuki Himeno, Lappies Labuschagne and Amanaki Mafi is potent.
Schmidt referenced how Joseph’s squad have had up to 200 days in camp together preparing for this home World Cup, while also pointing to their eight-day turnaround after beating Russia, as opposed to Ireland’s six-day period post-beating Scotland.
“We’re very conscious that they will be really well prepared, incredibly well supported and that elevates the occasion,” said Schmidt of the Brave Blossoms.
Ireland have been preparing away from the spotlight this week, with their decision to retreat to a traditional Japanese hotel in the Shizuoka countryside proving highly popular with the players.
“There’s lovely hot springs in the hotel,” said James Ryan. “There’s one outside carved into a rock and it’s in the middle of a garden. So it’s a lovely place, especially because we were in Chiba and then Yokohama before this. It’s just a nice place to kind of disconnect.”
23-year-old Ryan and some of his team-mates have continued to eat their way through Japan’s culinary delights as well, learning to adapt customs like loudly slurping ramen.
“I think it’s a polite thing here, isn’t it? I love ramen and I’ve been to a few places and the lads either side of me were heads down in the bowl and slurping pretty loudly!”
Ireland’s relaxing downtime has been complemented by high-quality build-up on the training pitch, albeit in a more condensed form than before the Scotland game.
Schmidt is convinced that there is more to come from his team after the bonus-point win over the Scots, though he underlined his happiness with their set-piece last time out.
“I think maybe we’ll be a little bit better in the air, I think that’s somewhere we can improve,” said Schmidt. “I thought defensively we were very, very good.
“We didn’t really get the chance to play with too much width in the conditions and while Scotland did a little bit, I think some of the time we profited from that, rather than them, because it was one of those days when you had to be a little bit more measured with your passing.
“They made a few errors and we probably got an opportunity to capitalize on the back of those. So I think you’ll see us play with a bit more width.”
With Ryan commenting that last weekend’s atmosphere in Yokohama had “a different feel to a Six Nations game,” Ireland are expecting the volume to ramp up even further against the hosts tomorrow.
Captain Rory Best, who was pleasantly shocked to go the full 80 minutes last weekend but backs up again tomorrow, is hoping the occasion brings out the best in his team.
“We know it was a good start last weekend but we also know how difficult this weekend is going to be, playing the host nation, especially a team that has improved so much and has so many quality players.
“It’s going to be really, really tricky for us, so we’re going to have to be better.”
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