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Griggs confident behind-closed-doors work will stand to Ireland in 2021

We chat to head coach Adam Griggs about a challenging 2020 and the goals that still stand for 2021.

a-view-of-a-scrum-during-the-tough-weather-conditions Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

THE RAIN CAME down in biblical buckets. The kind of day that makes you wonder how much of the average annual precipitation is being getting flushed at your face in any given five-minute window.

For Ireland Women, it was all hands to the pump. They held a lead over Wales, their most familiar foe, but the brunt of Storm Ciara made making sure an impossible task.

Teeth gritted, they drove on.

Adam Griggs and his team went in to 2020 knowing the year would hold some great challenges. If they had imagined such a gruelling epic, they couldnโ€™t have believed it would be a climactic triumph when their year was just two matches old.

Yet here we are, after a year that began with Ireland setting a target of three home wins in the Six Nations to springboard into a World Cup qualification, that hard-fought five-try win was the apex of their efforts. The qualifier, postponed from September and then December, still carries a thick โ€˜TBCโ€™ next to it. So there is a whiff of square one as 2021 rolls in.

The Six Nations didnโ€™t wind its way to a completion either, so the old problem of Ireland not having enough games to play was at least an issue shared by most teams across the globe.

โ€œWeโ€™ve played a few internal games, but itโ€™s not quite the same,โ€ Griggs tells The42 before his squad took on their final training camp of a strange, strange year.

For Irish-based players, those training camps have been the sole outlet to unleash their competitive instincts. When the Energia All-Ireland League was still allowed to be played, the camps often coincided with club matches, so the elite international talent was kept together in the hope that they would be perfectly primed for crucial matches in October and December.

When all bar a home Six Nations clash with Italy was taken away, the ratio of training to match minutes looks extremely lob-sided. However, Griggs feels that important strides have still been made by his squad even when competitive matches were scarcer than ever.

Test matches are the be all and end all for a rugby coach. Yet without them to work towards, a little more time can be taken to work towards goals set a little further into the future

โ€œIf we had the games we probably wouldnโ€™t have been able to focus on the smaller details that help you progress a little bit,โ€says Griggs.

When youโ€™re playing matches, youโ€™re taking the opposition into consideration and have to consider how they play. Thatโ€™s the one beauty of this period, itโ€™s been about what we can do to get better and progress our own game.โ€

Without wins, losses and points on a competition table, progress can be difficult to track, but Griggs has worked hard with his squad to ensure they are better equipped to navigate their way through tight international contests. Perhaps even make sure that a few contests donโ€™t stay so tight.

adam-griggs Brian Reilly-Troy / INPHO Brian Reilly-Troy / INPHO / INPHO

โ€œA lot of the time we can fall to the oppositionโ€™s level. We get sucked into a game that doesnโ€™t suit us. Thatโ€™s been a really big driving factor. Weโ€™ve got to continue to do what weโ€™re good at, not mind the opposition in front of us. Because if we can execute what weโ€™re doing, then we should be able to get some purchase from it.

โ€œWhen weโ€™re talking about some of the โ€˜detailsโ€™, itโ€™s even just executing some of those last passes. Weโ€™re very good at creating opportunities and the players are very good now at understanding the ebbs and flows of a game. Theyโ€™re getting so much better at understanding when itโ€™s time to use the ball or whether we need to go through the middle of teams, earn the right to play out wide.

โ€œI think weโ€™ve gotten a lot better at that decision making.โ€

Part of the reason that increased intensity has been possible in training, despite the handful of players based in England, is that Covid-19 also laid waste to the international Sevens season. So rather than have a dozen or so of the islandโ€™s more agile players stationed halfway across the globe, many of them were tasked with 15-a-side training and helped to up the ante of Griggsโ€™ sessions in the latter half of the year. Brittany Hogan has been among those to impress in the 15-a-side format and earned her Test debut against Italy.

โ€œWeโ€™ve had really good training numbers and squad numbers with good competition. As much as weโ€™ve been missing games and we arenโ€™t able to play. Weโ€™ve taken on a mantra of working to make our training harder than our games would be. Weโ€™re looking at the sports science and GPS numbers comparing to what we normally do.

katie-odwyer-neve-jones-and-brittany-hogan-celebrate-after-the-game Katie Oโ€™Dwyer, Neve Jones and Brittany Hogan after the win over Italy. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

โ€œWeโ€™re really able to push the boundaries of it. Apart from our UK based players, the rest of our squad werenโ€™t able to go to club training or anything. So we can really drive the standard, drive their work-rate in camp and let them (recover) for the week.โ€

An absence of game time is less helpful in Irelandโ€™s search for an out-half to take and own the number 10 shirt. Since Nora Stapletonโ€™s retirement, the most important position in the game has been a problem one for Ireland and as Griggs sought to move forward after a troublesome 2019 for the team, a confluence of events left him naming three different out-halves across four matches.

Ellen Murphy v Scotland, Claire Keohane v Wales and England. Then when international rugby returned, it was Hannah Tyrellโ€™s turn to try out the role. With a wealth of experience accrued from the back-field the hope is that Tyrell can put her kicking game to good use to ensure Ireland play big, pressure matches in the right areas of the field.

โ€œHannahโ€™s a great footballer. Sheโ€™s got a good left boot, a good eye for rugby and a really cool head. So we said weโ€™d have a look and see how it goes. Sheโ€™s impressed us. Sheโ€™ll only get better while sheโ€™s in there.โ€

The opportunity is there for Tyrell or one of her team-mates to really pull ahead of their positional rivals and dominate the position so that Irelandโ€™s talented array of outside backs can be unleashed with intent.

There is work still to be done for this team to earn their place at this yearโ€™s World Cup in New Zealand. If they can see off Scotland and Italy in a qualifying tournament then they can take slot in alongside the US and Canada.

After so much work behind closed doors โ€“ so many months when travel within counties, let alone across continents, was restricted โ€“ Griggs would dearly love to return to this homeland for that tournament. Obviously, he hasnโ€™t been able to make the trek this year. And his four-month old son has yet to be held by his grandparents.

This Ireland team promise some brighter days ahead.

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    Mute Etherman
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:13 AM

    Dublin would have been perfect. No problem for the athletes sourcing drugs.

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    Mute windbag
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:50 AM

    The Olympics in Dublinโ€ฆโ€ฆ. Hahahahahaโ€ฆ..

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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:56 AM

    Canโ€™t get 6 Garth Brooks concerts sorted but can do the Olympics?? Yeahโ€ฆ..nah.

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    Mute Free comment ratings
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    Jul 30th 2016, 6:18 PM

    Haha brilliant. No other city had drugs problems. Thatโ€™s why itโ€™s so funny

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    Mute The Dublin Cynic
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:52 AM

    Would have got it if we had included a decent bribes committee

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    Mute phil
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    Jul 30th 2016, 11:36 AM

    Here we go again the auld Irish attitude laughng at such a bid. We have some marvelous rivers that would be brilliant for the canoeing. Brilliant golf courses. We have an 85,000 capacity stadium for track and field. We have the Aviva for the soccer, I am sure one of our many 30,000 + GAA Stadia could be used for sevens rugby. The 3 Arena for boxing. The list goes on. We could and we should be hosting an Olympics, World Cup and Euros.

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    Mute john
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    Jul 30th 2016, 12:16 PM

    Where is this 85,000 seat track and field stadium?!! Because croagh park doesnโ€™t have a track last time I looked.

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    Mute fiachra29
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    Jul 30th 2016, 12:18 PM

    I do think holding the Olympics would be a stretch too far for a country of 4.6 million, however at the same time we do seriously need to shake off the small town attitude we have. Any badly needed major infrastructure project is often met with laughs of โ€œah shur what do we need that for youโ€™d swear weโ€™re all living in New Yorkโ€ or something along those lines.

    Perhaps holding the Rugby World Cup would be a very achievable aim that would help people become a little bit more ambitious about the development of this country.

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    Mute Vincent Wallace
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    Jul 30th 2016, 1:31 PM

    Yes and where were we going to get the money for revamping crokepark and the other stadiums? The Olympic village would be a bit of a problem donโ€™t you think and families homeless? Not too mention the money that would have to be spent on public transport and infastruture in order to be even considered.

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Jul 30th 2016, 2:36 PM

    And plenty of turnstiles for the hurdle races

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    Mute Tony Doyle
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    Jul 30th 2016, 2:45 PM

    Donโ€™t we have every nationality living in Dublin
    Just organize them

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    Mute Ruadhรกn MacEoin
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    Jul 30th 2016, 3:41 PM

    Just alone regarding Croke Park:

    Despite now being Europeโ€™s 3rd largest stadium and sandwiched between two railway lines, it does not have even one railway station.

    Moreover, a railway station was supposed to be provided when the stadium was redeveloped.

    Yet strangely, when the GAA redeveloped above the railway tracks a few years ago, the station was never built โ€“ but CIE got two corporate boxes for heart own private use.

    Now the GAA are baffled as to why the natives object when events such as concerts are proposed, yet all the while, the main and most obvious problem is movement of people โ€“ i.e. a transport issue.

    If those in authority are too arrogant or oblivious so as to provide such obvious facilities โ€“ where infrastructure is already present regarding one stadium โ€“ it can only be considered a great blessing that Dublin was not burdened with further incompetence that would have happened with Olympics.

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    Mute Alan Cooke
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    Jul 30th 2016, 5:44 PM

    Engage brain before posting Phil. The article says back in the early 90โ€ฒs we had no infrastructure. Most of the golf courses you refer to along with croke park the aviva the national aquatic centre were not built. Gay Mitchell was a gob sh**e back then and still is. Thankfully the people saw that when he went for president. Again I point out we had nothing as CJ had spent everything and hived it off for himself and his cronies.

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    Mute Dotrice Altrium Hollohatch
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:14 AM

    It wouldโ€™ve been our best chance at getting GAA into the Olympicsโ€ฆ

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    Mute The Oracle of Delphi
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:20 AM

    Yes. We couldโ€™ve competed against ourselves. Guaranteed gold.

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:22 AM

    The Aussies would probably beat us in the football though

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    Mute Motherofdivinejebus
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:15 AM

    Poor old DOB would have made an absolute fortune in renting out his barriers โ€“ I bet you he is still wringing his hands and crying into his brandy over missing out.

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    Mute Bleep12345
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:19 AM

    That feasibility study must have cost a bit.

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    Mute Paddy Colreavy
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    Jul 30th 2016, 11:27 AM

    We couldnโ€™t hold a Web summit

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    Mute Patrick Lawlor
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:13 AM

    With the politicians in Ireland they would be off and running with all Comercial profits before the competition even started. A joke, the whole concept in the banans republic that the Irish politicians have shafted to their own gain going back to De Valeraโ€™s time. Tony Gregory was the last true Irish politician with integrity but then he didnโ€™t have much competition

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    Mute NO 2 FF/FG/LAB
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:14 AM

    Gay mitchell is a populist. He wanted the headlines but never intended to host anything

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    Mute Martin Fahy
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    Jul 30th 2016, 1:35 PM

    Iโ€™m not sure how the beach volleyball would have fared on Dollymount Strand with the cold cold, wind and showers.

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    Mute Tony Mcgrath
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    Jul 30th 2016, 11:11 AM

    People thought it was a joke because it was a joke

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    Mute Edmund Dantes
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    Jul 30th 2016, 11:11 AM

    Gay Mitchell is one of the biggest toolbags this country ever had, the first mainstream party candidate in the history of the state to lose his deposit when he ran for the Presidency !! His idea was completely mad & wasted a load of money at a time when the country hadnโ€™t an ass in itโ€™s pants. Deserves to be punched everytime he shows his weasel face in public !

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    Mute Declan Gibney
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    Jul 30th 2016, 11:48 AM

    Gay Mitchell is dead, have a pinch of respect ffs.

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    Mute VIncent McGloughlin
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    Jul 30th 2016, 12:25 PM

    Gay Mitchel is not dead. His brother Jim is.

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    Mute Vincent Wallace
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    Jul 30th 2016, 1:34 PM

    The poor of Brazil will suffer for decades because of the money they had to out into hosting it. No thanks leave it to bigger nations that have the money.

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    Mute Andrew Mac Mahon
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    Jul 30th 2016, 12:26 PM

    Olympics are a giant money pit. Way this county is weโ€™re very lucky someone came to their senses and said no

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    Mute Patrick James Walsh
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    Jul 30th 2016, 1:00 PM

    It was a ridiculous idea, then same as now.

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    Mute Brendan Grehan
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    Jul 30th 2016, 12:14 PM

    Irwin accused Mick Wallace of looking like a tramp. I can never listen to his west Brit voice after that. He also used his charity to run for the seanad.

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    Mute Colm O'Connor
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    Jul 30th 2016, 11:47 AM

    The Dublin Dons would have been great

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    Mute Noel Falkhall
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    Jul 30th 2016, 3:31 PM

    Cheaper to host than the recent bailout

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    Mute 6ljJQRRU
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    Jul 30th 2016, 9:11 PM

    well glad that didnโ€™t go ahead would haven been yet more money spent on Dublin and the rest of the country shafted again! Dublin produces a log of gdp for Irelandโ€ฆwhich is not a surprise given all development takes place there and so many people from outside sublime have had to move there dubliners canโ€™t afford a house anymore. How ironic.

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    Mute Michael Kenny
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    Jul 30th 2016, 10:20 PM

    Dreaming in that is like Leitrim winning the all Ireland!

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    Mute Rodger 5
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    Jul 30th 2016, 5:41 PM

    Amazing how public money can be spent on the ridiculous and it seem to be a relentless trait by the buffoons in power.

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