IMPROVEMENT WAS JONATHAN Sexton’s word of the day as he headed up media duties for Ireland ahead of Friday’s Autumn Nations Cup meeting against Wales.
The healing powers of time are not available for application to Ireland’s Six Nations disappointment. So, while Sexton finds himself repeating that Ireland finished third and were now looking to improve, the captain and out-half sought to draw a thick line under the five games broken up by a pandemic. Not to mention his own final act when he was replaced late in the loss to France.
“Ultimately we’re never going to be able to make up for last Saturday,” Sexton said of the collective performance.
“Obviously we want to get better and we want to improve and we want to target this competition and try and win it and then target next year’s Six Nations.
“It’s one that got away last weekend because we didn’t play to our potential and now everything this week is about playing to our potential.”
Asked for specifics on what area needed most improvement, Sexton joked ‘where do we start’ before noting that they try to take a critical view to their entire game no matter what the preceding result.
“We generally look at all areas of our game and try and improve on all. Even if some things go well we still try and improve on it, we always try and find fault with our performance so that’s pretty much what the week has been.
“It’s been very much going through all the parts of our game: set-piece, starter plays, our phase stuff, our attack in their 22; all of that stuff needs to be better than it was last week and our defence needs to better. So every part of our game really.”
Indeed, taking a broad view of the newly-created tournament, Sexton hopes the word improvement will loom large at the end of the four Tests ahead. And the end of Andy Farrell’s first year in charge.
“We’d have liked to have improved our performance levels and be consistent.
“We’re trying just to focus on 2020 because it’s a new team and a new coach, as we’ve said before, so we’ve tried to just focus on this campaign.
“We’ve had some great performances, we’ve had some average and we had a poor one, obviously, over in Twickenham, especially in the first half.
“It’s about improving our consistency over the next four games and making sure our performance levels improve from last week, and then stays at a high level for week on week.
We don’t want to go with a massive performance then massive dip – up and down – we need to get that level of consistency. Sometimes that can come with being together a while.
“You look at the last Irish team under Joe and it took us a while to get that consistency. Then, over a few years, we were really consistent in winning four out of five in the Six Nations and winning that Grand Slam. We can get there. We know we can. We’ve got people in our team and people in our backroom staff, the coaches, that are top-class coaches and top-class people.
“We just need to stick together. Like I said, the Six Nations was a start for us and not a drag-over from the previous campaign.”
Early days yet but I think there’s a few things that I’ve read in the last few weeks that are really encouraging in terms of the new management. Firstly is the amount of players that have come out and say how enjoyable the training is in camp, something I haven’t heard in the last few years, POM must be the 3rd or 4th player I’ve seen mention it recently. Secondly how the players went straight into individual skills session. I think there was decline in the skill sets of the players over the last few years and it’s only right to address it. Seeing o mahony offload like that was lovely to see. Lastly I think putting faith in form in the likes of keenan and connors and getting repaid for it is the most positive of all.
@Jim Demps:
It’s way too early to suggest that the coaching staff have made a big difference and turned around a team in relation to their skill set.
I remember you and a few others massively hyping the world class new coaches that Munster had just employed and how a certain Australian ex out half would turn around Munster fortunes.
Well we are still waiting many, many months later to see any difference at all and if anything they are going backwards.
Only the introduction of the young new blood give cause for optimism
Another positive is seeing the benefit of the 7s system on players development. Keenan having the composure to gather the ball at full sprint or keeping it alive by off loading. Really good to see. Looking forward to this weekend!
@Mark Smith: Explain how you think Munster are going backwards under the new coaches?
@Decko49:
Standing still is going backwards
Lack of improvement is going backwards
I often wonder why Munster don’t trust their wingers. Earls and Conway are two of the best in Ireland and all they do is kick chase. Give them the ball in hand , one on one and let them do the business.
Munster play crash ball centres. Their ideal coach would be Garland
@Mark Smith: Standing still is not going backwards. Not improving is not going backwards. Give us a proper explanation Please.
@Decko49:
I just did but you failed to understand it.
@Mark Smith: I think there is signs of progress in Munster finally. Last season was poor, but youth is being given a chance this season. Credit where credit is due. Most of the starters being played today came through Munsters academy.
As for Ireland, I think there are positive signs from Farrells brief time as coach. Schmidt was the most successful coach in Ireland ever, but change can be good sometimes. Sometimes different approaches give players a psychological boost when theyve played under the same person for too long. I remember when schmidt 1st became irish coach and the players were over the moon with the change. In kidneys first year they won a grand slam. Eddie gets a lot of flak for staying after Gatland got the boot, but his team was a big improvement on previous generations
@Mark Smith: No I didn’t fail to understand it. You said staying the same is going backwards. That makes no sense whatsoever.
@Mark Smith: green shoots my friend, players enjoying themselves and playing with confidence is something we were lacking since probably the end of 2018. Like I said, encouraging signs.
@Rudiger McMonihan:
The young guys in Munster coming through are a breath of fresh air and I hope to see them excel .
There are only so many times the old stagers can go to the well.
I would just love to watch them play something other than bish, bosh, bash rugby all the time.
Mix it up and make the opposition’s defence have to think what is coming
@Jim Demps:
And long may that last but only time and stiffer opposition will truly tell us where we are with that but I suspect a revert to text might be more likely.
Youth coming through gives everyone a lift of feel good factor, including to a certain degree the players in the jersey as they have to step up.
The supporters get an even bigger lift I suspect.
@Decko49:
Ok, I don’t want to be flippant about it but I will give you another sporting analogy to explain it.
A horse race where my horse and your horse are neck and neck with the last furlong to go.
My horse fails to quicken and your horse gets another gear, leaves me behind and your horse goes onto win.
As such I fail to improve/keep up and get passed by others and lose ground to them.
@Decko49: how many times did munster put the ball into the hands of either of their wingers in the semi final? Even their centres for that matter.
@Mark Smith: And I will try explain to you again that failing to improve is not going backwards. It’s failing to improve. Going backwards is getting worse. Explain how Munster are worse?
@Mark Smith: Regardless of performances Munster still have a great ability to fascinate non Munster fans. Another non Munster article turned into a Munster discussion. Thanks for your interest Mark
@Jim Demps: each and every one of them said the same at the camp before the world Cup. In the history of sport has anyone who was looking to get into a team every said this new coach is no where near as good as the last one? And training is just a load poo.
@Decko49: well up to two seasons ago they were without question in the top 4 or 5 in Europe and the second best side in the country. In the past 2 seasons ulster are the 2nd best side in Ireland. League and European prove thst.
@Decko49:
I fear you might be like a horse that you can take to water but can’t make it drink.
@Timmy O’Toole:
You are quite welcome
@Chris Mc: would you say leinster have regressed aswell? In the hcup they went from champs to beaten finalists to beaten quarter finalists over the same period
@Mark Smith: I’ve asked you to explain where Munster got worse. You haven’t. So I’m afraid you’re just blowing hot air. And you’re muted
@Tim Magner: not really, topped the group stages, seeded no 1. Scored the most tries in the group stages but got beat by a better side on the day. When you Lose only one game in a season you can’t really say regressed.
@Chris Mc: munster v sarries were pretty tight games
@Mark Smith: if you’d just held off for a few hours. Also, what’s the time difference in coaching appointments at Munster and Ireland? It’s about three months I reckon, off the back of a world cup.
@Tim Magner: yes they were. But bigging up one off performances any team can do that. It’s winning big games that count. Munster just haven’t done that in a while.
So far in the pro 14 the young munster home grown players have really stepped up and at their stage every game is a big game so maybe they will bring that winning mentality back to the club.
I will say one thing you need new blood in the leadership team. What you had for teh last few seasons just dosent work.
The official post RWC report highlighted our skills deficit so that was always going to be targeted, but we’re definitely beginning to reap the rewards. The fact it was immediately addressed & is an ongoing focus shows we’re definitely evolving tactically, which is great to see. The workrate & energy Keenan & Connors brought to the team was huge, adding more of that quality of player will bring us to a higher standard again. Delighted Farrells backing form & quality.
@Daithí O’ Donnabhain: was the post RWC report published? Haven’t seen it anywhere.
@Jim Demps: don’t think so, but main outcomes were widely reported in the media at the time.
I remember in Twickenham 2018, everyone praised Furlong for his skills when passing for the Stander try, equally Stockdale in the same match and the AB game. The skills have been there. Over the 18 months, the accuracy hasn’t. Skills come in a package of timing, execution and accuracy. When 1 is off, its assumed we have been de-skilled. Such fine margins to judge on
@Neill Elliott: yeah there definitely has been some fantastic individual skills however it was always off set piece rather than improvised.
Also the game plan under Schmidt was possession and collisions based.
Off loads were too high risk compared to playing the percentages of getting go forward, rucking and recycling.
Which meant Ireland often took many phases to go across the field.
A new heads up approach where players can use their skills rather than being robots is welcome.