Rory Keane reports from Port Elizabeth
IT’S ABOUT 7.30pm [South African time] on Saturday night.
Ireland’s press conference has just finished as Joe Schmidt and Rory Best reflected on a Test match, and a series, that got away.
As is the case on the Irish press beat, Ireland’s head coach will then meet with the travelling media for a quick chat, usually in a secluded area away from the local press.
When Schmidt arrives he is sporting the same expression as the journalists who made the long trip down here to Bok country; bleary-eyed and weary looking. It’s been a demanding trip, both on and off the field.
Regrets? Joe will have a few. There will be moments from the final Test that he will agonise over in the coming months, that’s just the way he’s wired.
Luke Marshall’s mis-timed pass to Keith Earls when the Munster winger had a clear run to the line, Paddy Jackson’s lobbed pass to Andrew Trimble that was plucked out of the sky by Faf de Klerk, ironically the smallest player on the pitch, and, of course, that last-ditch tackle by the diminutive Bok scrum-half on Earls after the final hooter.
“The younger guys have made a great investment,” said the Kiwi of this tour.
“The success will be made in the longer term but any investment you’ve got to be a little bit patient with and I’m not going to rip into a player who made a poor decision or didn’t execute something under Test match pressure because I want them to keep going, keep gaining confidence that they can cope in the arena that we’re in. To be honest, over these three Tests they should have learned that they can.
“I think we really missed – not because of anything Tiernan [O’Halloran] missed – but we really missed Jared Payne at the back. He gives so much calm and so often picks the right option to play.
“The lack of experience that we did have showed, but there was no lack of endeavour and I think we created the better chances in the game and it is so disappointing not to have capitalised on those and got the win we so desperately wanted.”
There was an overwhelming sense of relief from the home side at the final whistle. When you look at the post-match stats, you wonder how this Irish side, despite their inexperience, could have lost this match. Schmidt’s men made nine clean breaks and beat 25 defenders.
The Boks? They managed to break the Irish defensive line on one occasion and beat just five defenders. Ireland made 405 metres in total with the Boks managing just 154. Ireland had 68% possession and 73% of the territory. Mind boggling.
However, Allister Coetzee’s side made it count when it mattered. A big scrum, some well-timed tactical kicks, JP Pietersen’s try just before half-time and some inspired defensive moments from De Klerk got them over the line.
It was another harsh lesson for this young Irish squad, but Schmidt feels this encounter will hold them in good stead going forward:
“The last time I felt this similar disappointment was when we didn’t get the win against the All Blacks [in November 2013], when we had a similar lead. We came out and we won the Six Nations post that.
“I think players learn from that. They think ‘hang on a minute, we can actually foot it.’
“You know, to be written off to the degree that we were before the tour probably galvanised the group to a degree but it didn’t do their confidence a lot of good. Thankfully we had some good experience interspersed amongst the younger players and that allowed them to get a bit of confidence and I think they demonstrated that.
“Unfortunately we were missing a little bit of experience today and we had very much a kind of patched together backline, particularly once Tiernan was hurt and in the end went off, because Keith Earls has not played at fullback a lot.
“We were hoping that Jared might make it. Our fullback cover for the tour was Robbie and Jared and we lost them both unfortunately.
“Simon Zebo wasn’t fit to tour, his knee wasn’t fit and even guys like Rob Kearney and Dave Kearney, they can both play there but they weren’t available. So it is what it is.
“To talk about those players really detracts from the wholehearted commitment and the learnings that we’ve gained by these young guys being thrust into an environment that’s relatively hostile.”
Schmidt’s Ireland future is still uncertain beyond next season with this current deal with the IRFU expiring in June 2017. He has been linked with the top job at the Highlanders in Super Rugby while All Blacks CEO Steve Tew confirmed this week that he is on the shortlist to replace Steve Hansen.
Schmidt’s talents are certainly in demand, but there is a hope that the performances of a clutch of these young players, and their potential, could sway him to stay on and bring Ireland through the 2019 World Cup.
“Yeah, look, you cannot fault the work ethic of these guys. It’s huge,” he agreed.
“I’d be lying if I thought that we were suddenly world beaters. I’m not going to claim that we’re looking to aim up and take over the world of rugby. We’re just going to try and roll our sleeves up and try to profit from the investment that the last three weeks has been, and we’ll see what happens.”
Three thrilling Tests. Three six-point results. The 14-man victory at Ellis Park will go down as one of the great days in Irish sport while the final quarter collapse in Johannesburg will join that dark pit of Irish sporting tragedies; a place where images of Michael Lynagh, Vincent Clerc and Ryan Crotty reside.
Overall, considering the length of the season and the injury toll, this tour must be considered a success. In banking terms, this squad will return to Ireland very much in credit.
“Yeah, if you’d said to me before we came here ‘look, there’ll be three six-point results and you’ll get one of them’, I would have grabbed it,” Schmidt agreed.
“I’m not sure the players would have, because they are so committed to trying to justify the support they get. They sense the support that is out there. Even coming out of our hotel the amount of support that you get really does encourage to keep going, and they kept going.”
“I thought they did a super job, and I think they’ll learn from it, but you can’t spend too much time learning. You’ve got to get to the level of mastering very, very quickly in this environment because you don’t get too many windows to play Test rugby in a season and you’ve got to optimise every window you get.”
A 52-week campaign and 17 Test matches that stretched from an ill-fated World Cup through to a Six Nations championship and finally this three-Test series has finally come to an end. There have been plenty of casualties and farewells along the way.
So, what has Schmidt learned from what has been a hugely demanding 12-month examination?
“Yeah, it’s been tough, it’s been tough, because if you look at what we started the season with, if you count up the players that started that French Test, for example, when we were fully fit minus probably Jared Payne, and you look at the team that started today, you look at the five test caps that were earned on this tour and a number of other guys, like Luke Marshall, Paddy Jackson, Stuart Olding, Jordi Murphy – who had a handful of Test caps – and the fact that they’ve come back into the game, and kids like Ultan Dillane and Finlay Bealham – it’s great that they’ve had those opportunities, because if it happens in 2019 that I’m involved or whoever is involved, we don’t want to be in the same situation where we’re so reliant on our real feature players.
“Now I can tell you that any team is reliant on feature players. Have a look at the Australia team that beat England [at the World Cup], take Matt Giteau and David Pocock and a few others out, it doesn’t take too much to tip the balance, because it is a fine balance.
“It’s a very touchy equilibrium between what can be best delivered and when you suddenly lose that experience and you become a little bit vulnerable.
“I didn’t think we showed too much vulnerability and I think that’s a credit to the players and what they’ve invested in the last three weeks, and hopefully that is something we can profit from in the future.”
And with that, Schmidt wrapped up his final chat with the Irish media this season.
As he made his way down the corridor, one of the Irish press pack shouted ‘sign that new contract, will ya’. Schmidt looked back with a wry grin, inscrutable to the very last moment. Here’s hoping there’s more left to come.
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You people should be ashamed of yourselves – fickle bunch. Any countrymen worth their salt can tell you that win or lose, your team needs your support, but you’re like a bunch of jackals – at their backs as long as they win, and if not, you tear them to shreds. They did Ireland proud this tournament, and were defeated honourably in what was one of the cleanest games I’ve seen. Had they been a lesser side, the score might have been 66 – 0. Well done boys, win or lose, you did us proud.
Keep that losing mentality up and we will never win. Your ‘boys’ are a bunch of millionaires that gave a pathetic performance. They wouldn’t stand for that losing mentality in NZ and that’s why they will win the tournament. If they were from Colombia then they’d be shot!
Hear, hear. They did us proud and were great ambassadors off the pitch while over there too. Much prefer to be supporting our lads than to have them behave like some of the English squad have done.
Well put. Ireland is a fairly small country, not easy to produce a heap of magnificent players. I think the pool matches are well to keep heads held high over. So they lost it to nerves…sh*t happens
I would point your fluff-filled pathetic Y chromosome lacking ugly trollface to NZs loss to France in 2007. Coach kept his job, public got over it. If you want to be so insulting, you lose the right to be treated with respect
Expected more from you there Kelly… Disappointing! You’ve pulled that one out before somewhere else… Unoriginality is so unbecoming. It’s women like you that make chauvinism so fun
Wales got stuck in from the start. I think Kidney didn’t explain to the lads that there wouldn’t be a return leg! Still proud of them all nonetheless. Good luck to Wales.
Really disappointed. We all dreamed for a while and some of us even got carried away. Wonderful to get carried away about an Irish team. Can all those negative pricks out there go back to dwelling on ur property portfolio and shut up. FairPlay lads, for a few weeks you had the country dreaming.
Wales did a good job but were we over hyped
good luck ireland!!
Congrats Wales. Ye gave our boys a lesson this morning. :(
Go on lads
Talk of semi final and final opponents before a ball had been kicked by the media, of course Wales were underestimated. End of day last eight in the world another disappointing world cup campaign
LOSERS. We are losers. Why are we so useless. Needs addressing
Did people think they would actually get anywhere in this world cup. They are a one hit wonder team good against Australia and now fade away to nothing. Just goes to show how asleep Australia were that day…. O’Gara please please retire you are crap
Paul, you really have equipment issues
@Paul: I don’t think that someone who can’t spell their name correctly can start pointing fingers Mc grath – capitol G dumbass….
You will have the same people saying weren’t they great for trying, but they are just a bunch of losers on a world stage. A half arsed effort and the country should hang it’s head in shame. Ireland needs to start producing winners of some kind and stop this clap on the back for losing mentality!
If Ireland starts producing “winners” like you, Kelly, we are well and truly doomed. Hitler had the same “winning” attitude, I’m sure. Nonetheless, not having *your* support is probably the best thing to happen to the team today – with fair-weather fans like you, who needs enemies.
Disappointed with the loss of course but the lads have done us proud and I’m sure will get a hero’s welcome home.
To have low expectations
Gatland did his homework and showed us to be a two trick pony. Can’t fault the Welsh – they did it right and wanted it more. We looked shook from the get go. Too many unforced errors. Most of the lads had a ghastly day as their game plan collapsed. Still, there’s a lot of positives to take away from this tournament and the win against Australia will go down in history. I hope they get a warm welcome home. They have plenty to be proud of.
Back to the drawing board. The style of Irish rugby will only get you so far on the world stage and that needs to be addressed. But that’s for another day.
Proud of our boys.
denied…………………………. so sad……..
they at least got us this far… shame
Been up since 7 o’clock yesterday morning and only now do I remember that I can’t watch it on RTE because I’m in England for college….
10-3 down and half time here.. experience will out in the second half i can feel it….. cmon ireland
That and kicking some of the penalties
did we under estimate them ?????
I think so :(
Time to look forward to our soccer’s team glorious failure now on Tuesday night
yes it pisses me off to that we have lost folks……!!!!!
The welsh were as tight as a ducks arse and ireland didn’t create and momentum and were to slow to adapt but i was not on the field and having been in the boxing ring myself
ITS NOT THE LADS ON THE SIDE LINE WHO HAVE LOST THE FIGHT…
ITS THE LADS ON THE PITCH…
YES THEY LOST AND WE ALL KNOW IT BUT FAIR PLAY TO THEM FOR GETTING US THIS FAR…..
LETS REGROUP AND LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES.
MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT YOUNGER PLAYERS…
i am still gutted though….
Cmon ireland….
we all need support even in shit times not just good…….
denied……………….. so so sad…
Same old story
their defense is a brick wall. they need to go out to the flank…
Can we please take this opportunity which it is, to sacrifice the next 3 six nations, every year the fans jump all over the Irish team for their performance in six nations championships. The fact is nothing holds a candle to the world cup. Let’s bleed new players ROG, D’Arcy, O’Connell, O’Driscoll and others won’t be around for 2015 so let’s drop them now and build for the future. It sounds harsh but this professional international rugby not underage tip!
My heart is in my mouth. Going to need a stiff drink after this!
Why the hell replace O’Gara with Sexton? How many will he miss in this match?
Least he might actually have a go.
Why do we always need to be underdogs to achieve anything its gettin kinda old !
How many times can they knock it on?
Not for faint hearted
LOOSERS!
The irony is delicious.
I bet they can at least spell
@Sean Armstrong you have a serious case of sour grapes turning nasty on the female sex is a juvenile response and its dick-heads like you that turn straight women into lesbians!!!!!!!!!!
Tip of the day: scroll back to the original comment and then hit reply. Then your ironic comment will pop up just below mine and I can appreciate it in all it’s glory! Almost would have missed it and then you wouldn’t have been very happy would you pet?
I don’t think Sean have much interest in the female sex going by his profile pic. Makes his comments understandable.
@ willy pearse
How does a comment like this get any thumbs up?!
Im dissapointed we lost today, especially for BOD and ROG :(
And they did us proud in this world cup, I dont care what dick pearse says, they played well for most of the time, and I really enjoyed watching all of their performances, It was a big improvement on the last world cup, Improvement is how you win, Ireland WILL win the world cup some day! The only thing that annoyed from the start of this match was the fact we didnt kick our penalties, That was our downfall in RWC2003 – we lost to Australia 17-16 because we didnt go for the 3 points when we had the chance! Same thing again today, but at the end of the day, wales were the better team, and I really hope they go on to win the World Cup!
Hard luck Ireland! :(
LOOSERS
All those red thumbs guarantees we will always be LOSERS
I see you discovered spellcheck so?
Bet the sheep in the valleys are in for a torrid time today
@ngvireland if they didn’t get far this country shouldn’t play rugby
@Sean mc Grath listen asshole my fucking name and il write it what ever what I want…. Dick head
Jesus are you able to use the shift key – Sean McGrath (capitol M this time numnuts), u need to go back to school, the dog in the picture would have got it right at this stage…
@sean mc grath Suck my ball sac you twat