IT WON’T EXACTLY be dank, with the forecast promising 21C and breezy, but Noel McNamara brings out a wry smile when posed a query about what an Argentinian winter will look like.
The Grand Slam-winning Ireland U20 boss can’t shake the feeling that he’s missing out on summer with all the hemisphere hopping.
For a fast-rising coach, striking a regular seasonal rhythm isn’t always high up the list of necessities. And after presiding over a punishing U20 World Cup campaign in France last June he took up a chance to hone his talents with North Harbour in New Zealand’s Mitre 10 Cup. There was plenty about the Six Nations campaign to warm the cockles, but McNamara surely felt a southerly chill as he took an injury-struck squad to South America this week.
“I went from winter in Ireland, to winter in New Zealand to winter in Ireland and, now winter in Argentina,” jokes the Clare man.
“It’s four in a row. I’m definitely going to get some Vitamin D tablets before I travel out.”
Whatever the weather, McNamara’s squad have continually displayed an ability to roll with punches and adjust to any challenge posed to them.
“You prepare as best as you can,” says McNamara, “I’m really clear in my own mind and the players are clear that high performance equals people’s ability to be adaptable.
“There are going to be challenges; the kick-off times, the travel, the different surface, the different refereeing interpretations and so on. It is about our ability to get the best out of ourselves, our ability to be adaptable which will be the key.”
During the Six Nations success they out-shone world champions France because they cranked the tempo up again and again while matching Les Bleus at ferocious breakdowns. Against England, they twice reeled in a double-digit deficits by pitting their pack into a battle they should not have won on paper.
One set of scrums on that pivotal opening night stood out for powerful Connacht hooker Dylan-Tierney Martin. 65 minutes in, the screw was tightening as the white pack marched forward.
“We were down at the far corner playing back up towards the Dolphin end and England kicked to the corner, mauled and took it down and they got a penalty from that,” says Tierney-Martin.
“They scrummed from there, twice, and our loosehead (Michael Milne) got a yellow card and Wych (Josh Wycherley) came back on.”
Martin Moloney was sacrificed for Wycherley’s return and down to seven forwards, it seemed inevitable that England would bully their way from 28-27 down to at least a four-point lead. But Ireland’s front row displayed an invaluable streak of nous.
“In fairness to England, they were getting a bit of a shove on us so Wych turned to me and said: ‘these boys are really fired up for this.’ I suppose we used the dark arts of the scrum. We let the shove come on and they shot the jump and we got the free kick and cleared our lines.
“Looking around there was such a sense of relief with everyone because were only one or two points ahead at that stage and it was a massive turning point for them.
“You could feel their heads drop and from that point on we felt like nothing was going to stop us.”
Opening day at the World Rugby U20 Championship and Ireland will have to build that momentum all over again. But while the absence of five key men is an undoubted blow, Tierney-Martin for one is chomping at the bit to get back into competitive action after feeling the force of the IRFU’s joined-up thinking.
After an intense Six Nations campaign, Tierney-Martin was held back from throwing himself back in to club action.
“Corinthians were battling relegation in 2B and there were times where you would feel like getting in and doing a job to help out the lads.
But it was done for my benefit so I had to understand that and take it on the chin. Thankfully the Corinthians lads went up to Belfast on the last day and won to stay up.”
“It was more loading. In my case, I had played the five games in the Six Nations so it was just about trying to keep the game load down and just get back into full fitness again.
“Because those five games so close together you lose a lot of muscle mass and stuff like that. So it’s just about getting back to that point.”
Back to a place where he and his team-mates are ready to adapt. Be it for 10.30am kick-offs – which McNamara believes they should be used to from their schools days – four-day turnarounds or the variety and strength set before them from England and Australia.
“One of the things we’ve really done throughout the course of this,” adds McNamara, “is place a large focus on ourselves. The reality is we look at what we can control.
“We look at what we can influence and we try and leave the rest for someone else to worry about.”
“This is a really exciting group to be part of and we felt that, when we came back together, we spoke to the leadership group and then the rest of the squad.
And one of the things that kept coming back was the belief that they got over the course of the last few months.
“That underpins any level of performance, so it is very important.
“It’s equally important to move on from it after taking that belief and the learnings from it. The group have done that well and we are excited.
“One of the things with a global calendar is that the opportunity to tour isn’t there that much anymore. And the opportunity to tour the southern hemisphere even less. There are guys who will go through a full professional career and they might get just one opportunity to tour the southern hemisphere.”
Plenty in this group have a bright pro future ahead, yet with England afoot there is no danger of them losing sight of the here and now.
Ireland’s World Rugby U20 Championship Pool fixtures (Irish kick-off times)
Tuesday, 4 June: England v Ireland, 19.30
Sunday 8 June: Australia v Ireland, 14.30
Wednesday 12 June: Italy v Ireland, 14.30
Gavan Casey is joined by Murray Kinsella and Sean Farrell for a review of the 2018/19 season, and cast an eye forward to next year and the Rugby World Cup in Japan.:
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Defence is the biggest difference that sexton ( and henshaw) will bring. Taking the line up is a very strong part of his game. Leinster over the past few months have been very passive in defence this has to stop. Seanie looks like he’s going to start ( not sure I’d go with that but hey) he needs to dominate contact, so far this year he’s been very passive, he’s not go the skills and ability of Max or the work rate of Ruddock so he needs his best game in about 2 seasons.
@Chris Mc: O’Brien shouldn’t start this game. He has no form at all. Leinster have plenty of practice winning massive games without him.
@grandslamkbo: I agree, my backrow who be Fardy, Conan and Ruddock. But it looks like Sean is starting.
@Chris Mc:
So Chris do you think J Lowe wont make the team , even if we need tries ::can you let us see your team ::thanks
@Martin Quinn: I never said lowe not to start. I wouldn’t pick O’Brien.
My team
Healy, Cronin Furlong
Ryan and toner
Fardy toner and Ruddock
McGrath and sexton
Henshaw ringrose in the centre
Lowe, Kearney and larmour
With Leinster back to more or less full strength they should have too much powder for Toulouse. It’ll be a cracking game but I think home advantage is worth around 7 and with the bookies calling it an 8 point Leinster win I’d say that’s about right, maybe even slightly more.
The two key factors will be the form of their returning key men – sexton and ringrose especially and secondly they need to tighten up defensively. They’re leaking on average 24 points a game over the last 7 games so if they can bring that number down then there should be handy enough winners against a young but very talented Toulouse side.
@Jim Demps: gun powder. Toulouse like leaking points as well haha
@Fred McHugh: they absolutely do but getting into a high scoring slug out wouldn’t be the best idea for Leinster. Structure and wear them down and they’ll walk it.
Your anti Leinster bias is old and predictable. You might pepper it with occasional compliments but everyone knows you can’t stand us.
At least some of us admit we can’t stand the other.
@Fred McHugh: apologies Fred that reply was meant for Jim Dumps.
@Baz Dunne: i thought you had me muted? Couldn’t go a week without me eh?
@Jim Demps: you get some amount of stick on here. Good job your not sensitive. Anyways tell your mob to keep up their end and we’ll see you in the final.
@Chris Mc: era I take no notice. If some grown man spends his day slinging insults at me then I figure let him at it, he can’t have too many important things going for him. Once they make it personal I normally just ignore them until they want to talk about rugby. The only person I’ve muted is Martin though.
I fully expect munster to win. It won’t be easy but the result is there for us if we show up.
@Chris Mc: bless you Chris you say every yr there’ll be an all Irish final and it never happens. Can’t see it happening this yr.. in fact I’d say Sarries v Toulouse is more likely than Leinster v Munster in my opinion.
@Jim Demps: He misses you Jim. Baz gets lonely with all those Dubs ; )
@Baz Dunne: It’s going to be a Munster vs.Leinster HC & Pro 14 final .Believe Baz , believe.Eire Abu !!Éire Abú!!!
@Baz Dunne: this is the third year in a row where both sides got to the semis. It might be this year, I hope so. As long as we win the 5th I’ll be ok but it would be so sweet to beat munster in the final.
@Baz Dunne:
Baz I hope are not annoyed with me, just because he has Muted me and not you, does not mean you need to up your game !! He does run away when things get hard and someone sees his hidden knife jabs at all things Leinster.
@Martin Quinn:
Just love his comments saying you are a “grown man spends his day slinging insults at me” Baz all your posts are about 2 sentence’s long and you post maybe 2 posts where his 10 posts a page tells it all >> One page had 28 posts ::WOW now he is hoping for the 42.ie to hire him ::the lad has a problem ::and he says you “cant have too many important things going for you”
Keep happy : ) ; )
@Fred McHugh:
Regarding the 24 points per game I feel we were through to the play off for all that time. I feel it would a lot less if we put a better team out, but it does not matter now as it all comes down to this weekend .
Regarding Munster
I believe Munster will bring out one of their famious European games and get through (and I may have a go at some posters but I will always cheer for Munster in these games) Wish you the very best
COYBIR
“We can’t kick loosely to them or their counter attack Will punish us.”
He has a tenacity to kick when there’s a need to keep possession, I hope he remembers this during the game. COYBIG
@Con Cussed: You really are concussed.
@Camroc: What for? This is the biggest weakness in his game, other scrum halfs too within the Irish setup, they keep kicking the ball away when we need to protect it. We often kick the ball to the opposition at crucial parts of the game (often the last few minutes) and have lost games as a result.
@Con Cussed: I think some of that is he’s trying to show joe he can do the Conor Murrary role. There’s a time and place for kicking the ball away and Luke’s not really a master at it.
@Con Cussed: Which games have we lost as a result?