WE’RE NOW JUST days away from the beginning of the 2015 Six Nations. Ireland are champions, traditional big-hitting rivals France and England have to come to Dublin and it’s a World Cup year: little wonder that the anticipation and nerves are swelling by the day.
The sooner the tournament gets started the better, then we’ll have answers and we’ll probably be left wondering why we ever doubted Joe in the first place.
1. Starter for 10?
With Jonathan Sexton not returning from his concussion layoff until immediately after Ireland’s curtain-raiser in Rome and Paddy Jackson out of the tournament with an elbow injury, there is a real chance for an out-half to stake a claim in World Cup year.
Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO
However, Ian Madigan’s performance on Friday night – albeit behind a back-tracking pack – did not look like that of a man who was ready to grab the Six Nations by the scruff of the neck.
Last week kicking coach Richie Murphy ‘we know where Ian Keatley is’ in relation to how he operates at number 10 and that consistency may well see the Munster man parachuted in for an overdue Six Nations start. It would seem a sensible call, yet also a decision with a tinge of panic to it as it appeared Madigan was given the Wolfhounds outing to help get his feet under the table for the main course ahead.
As things stand, Madigan’s running style and versatility would seem a better weapon to unleash on a tiring Azzuri defence. Which, we hope, will how things unfold after Keatley guides Ireland through the rough early stages like only a man playing regularly at out-half can.
2. Positional sense
On the other hand, should Schmidt choose to stick by the Leinster tyro in Rome, then Ireland will have a back-line full of players operating outside of their regular position.
Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
Of course, a rugby back-line can be a fairly fluid place but if Schmidt were also to prefer Luke Fitzgerald on the left wing to Simon Zebo then only Rob Kearney, Tommy Bowe and Conor Murray would be in familiar positions that they play week-in week-out for their province.
We say this days before the first team-sheet of the tournament comes in, but a back-line including Jared Payne (fullback in the centre), Robbie Henshaw (13 at 12), Fitzgerald (13 on the wing) and Madigan (utility back at out-half) would surely need a week or two to find a rhythm before taking on one of the best sides in the world.
3. That’s why we’re champions…
At Leinster, Joe Schmidt’s second season was his finest and it was capped by a dominant Heineken Cup final win over Ulster. Throughout that campaign, Schmidt easily brushed aside talk of pressure as defending champions with a mantra of, ‘we’re not defending anything, it’s a fresh new tournament’, and we expect he will do so again.
As ever, time constraints make every task more difficult at international level and it will be intriguing to see how Schmidt and Ireland build on the success of last year’s Six Nations.