LAST UPDATE | 25 Feb 2020
IRELAND SECOND ROW James Ryan has defended halfbacks Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton amid criticism of their performances in Sunday’s defeat to England at Twickenham.
Ireland captain Sexton missed two kicks at goal and had a few other errant touches, while Murray delivered a couple of poor box kicks as Andy Farrell’s side were well beaten by an impressive England team in last weekend’s Six Nations clash.
Sexton and Murray have faced plenty of criticism in the wake of Ireland’s loss in London but Ryan says the Irish forward pack need to take responsibility for making their halfbacks’ lives difficult.
Ireland were 17-0 down at half-time after a poor first-half performance and Ryan feels Murray and Sexton were left under pressure by the lack of quality from up front.
“We know we’ve got to start much better and we’ve just got to be much more relentless with our physicality, with our aggression,” said Ryan today.
“But also probably our shape could have been better as well. We’re not making the lives of Mur and Johnny easy as forwards when we’re too slow to load off nine and 10. So we’re too slow to get set and then when we are set, it’s just kind of one-off runner.
“You’re feeding exactly into England’s game plan, they want to get off the line and get stuck in and smash you. But if we’re working harder and working earlier to get into position off nine and 10, offering several options as opposed to one, what you’re doing is you’re giving the defence uncertainty – can we play front door or will we play out the back?
“But when we’re a bit slow to set and we’re kind of giving that English defence certainty, we’re going backwards and it’s very hard for Mur and Johnny to kind of get any foothold in the game when that’s happening.”
Indeed, Ryan believes that had Ireland’s halfbacks had the kind of platform England’s forwards delivered for Ben Youngs and George Ford, they too would have thrived.
“If Murray is playing that first half for England, he’s probably man of the match, do you know what I mean? But unfortunately, we’ve got to look at ourselves as a forward pack,” said Ryan.
“We’ve got to look at the physical exchanges there and review it and hopefully we’ll grow from it. Obviously there another massive two weeks ahead after this week with a lot to play for still in the championship.
“So, I’ve full confidence that we’re heading in the right direction, and then we’ll take on board the key messages from this game. It’s obviously very disappointing, but there’s nothing we can do now – we just have to learn from it.”
Ireland are currently on a two-day break before regathering on Wednesday in Dublin for their next training camp under head coach Farrell.
Ryan understands that Ireland’s own review of the England game will be as harsh as necessary but says he and the other Irish players will be doing their best to avoid the criticism from outside their environment as much as possible.
The 23-year-old is steering clear of social media for now.
“I wouldn’t see as much of it, we wouldn’t probably have as much access as other people might because I wouldn’t go actively reading what people are saying and stuff,” said Ryan.
“Obviously you come across it, I think you’ve just got to understand that everyone’s entitled to a point of view and whatever that is you’ve just kind of got to say ‘fair enough’ and move on.
“I suppose the key messages that we take on board, and how we grow are the messages that we receive from the management who ultimately see the bigger picture.
“Certainly from the game, they will be the voices we’ll be listening to – the coaches from the review. That will form the basis of our thinking, as opposed to what people are saying from outside.”
James Ryan is brand ambassador for Irish super supplement range Revive Active which includes Zest Active, an everyday nutritional supplement with 25 active ingredients, delivering multiple benefits in 1 handy powdered sachet.
Unfortunately so are the 3 other semi-finalists!!
@John O Reilly: I love how they’re getting carried away like they’ve won the UCl already
@Scorpionvenomm: who is exactly ?
Ive seen plenty of confidence in this semi final…and undoubtedly the nutter brigade that think the club will win evrytbing (like all clubs have) but overall I wouldnt agree with your tribalist bullsh!t at all.
@Colin Ahern: it’s our year lol
@Scorpionvenomm: who is your team playing the semis?
@John O Reilly: This, I believe, will be Liverpool’s toughest opponent of all the semi finalists.
Probably the worst team to have won the champions league that Rafa Benitez side. He never get enough credit for that.
@Gary O’Hanlon: thats a fact
@Gary O’Hanlon: very true. It is hard to believe that Djimi Traore and Vladamir Smicer have Champions League medals. Even Jerzy Dudek is still wondering how it happened.
@Inanimate Carbon Rod: when you look at that Milan team too. Dida, Maldini, Cafu, Nesta, Stam, Pirlo, Gattuso, Seedorf, Kaka, Shevchenko, Crespo and some decent quality on the bench too. Insane, when you really think about it. I was at the final in 2005 the best sign I saw was “who needs Maldini when we’ve got Djimi” kinda summed up the difference between the teams.
@hyippy: the best players don’t win the CL, the best team does.
@KingBen: They also beat one the greatest Juventus sides of all time in that semi lest ye all bitter b’stards forget.
@KingBen: no shoot Sherlock
@Sean: seriously Sean, glad you agree. Now comment on the ‘shoot’ comment above mine.
Fantastic run in the champions league and outstanding players,,especially mo salah but the sad thing about it is man United will still win more trophys this year than the pool..
@Noel O Mahony: Hope the pitch isn’t too dry for them.
@Paul Furey: sure it was fine when they were two up. Classless Klopp the flop saying they’ll play on it in the championship. Imagine Jose saying that.
@Scorpionvenomm: klopp the flop ? Righteo … Taxi for this lad with the chip on his shoulder
@Colin Ahern: what has he won with Liverpool? And the money he has spent
@Scorpionvenomm: he’s only had 2 full seasons at the helm. How may trophies did the Fergie win in the same time period? Zero.
@Noel O Mahony: whens the parade for the second place trophy? Did I miss it?
@Scorpionvenomm: money spent. I want to see your face when you see the net spend for klopp at liverpool :) 34million surplus. Liverpool have done an arsenal since klopp came. Balanced the books got a great team playing nice football and stadium expansion to compete again
@Scorpionvenomm: He says stuff like that all the time
No doubt about it this is one of the strongest sides Liverpool have had in years. This Roma team won’t be any walkover either. Should be a cracking game.
Handy one for Roma tonight
That’s them jinxed so
Where were you in Istanbul?
Get out of our club
@Ollie Watson: does it still hurt that he won pl with man u
@Ac: With only 3 ever, 60+ years including Ferguson era, MU European success is scant. Nottingham F won 2 and retained it, and this over just a 5 year period of dominance. Given their resources this is a far greater footballing level of achievement.
@Nick Leone: nottingham forest and yourselves apart from 2005 won the European cup when just league winners played so considerably easier to win
@Ac: straight knockout easier to win?? Stop making excuses for Utd being unable to win more in europe during their golden period
@Sam Beckett: straight knockout with less top teams to beat along the way hence two of your final wins were club brugge and borussia monchegladbach hardly powerhouses of europe
@Ac: OK so you claim it’s harder now than it was then. United made 3 finals in the last 15 years. Liverpool are heading for their 3rd in the last 15 years. Add that to the “easier” accomplishments of before Liverpool are still far more successful in Europe than United
@hyippy: When, Back in the stone age??
@Ac: showing your stupidity again I see. Was far harder to win then
@Sam Beckett: I’d say English clubs would of won more if Liverpool didn’t get us all banned from Europe in 1985
@Carl Johnson: definitely easier to win then when half top teams in europe not playing in it
@Scorpionvenomm: we’re not allowed talk about that for some reason thats airbrushed out of history
@Ac: ‘… considerable easier to win …’, same rules apply to all for any given era. should have been no problem to MU and their resources.
@Ac: borussia monchengladbach had half the West German WC winning team 1974. What ever the era the best players and clubs were in the latter stages of European competitions. Where else would they have been? Every countries best club was involved, if they were knocked out that’s because the team that beat them were better.
Of course might MU weren’t involved, that’s because they weren’t mightily – just thought them selves as.
Except Liability Lovern
@Stevie Doran: Lovern made 1 mistake, he was very good v MC. Roma pen was unlucky. This is not a major defense issue. LFC now bookies favorites to win CL. BM would be harder than RM because they can defend and grab a goal. RM over the hill. Ron’s last stand.