Page 20 - Irish Examiner USA

sportsexaminer
20

2019 Joe Schmidt And Ireland Need To Right The

15th,

May Ship Before The Rugby World Cup

| By Barry Coughlan Irish never recovered. It was a timely
EXAMINER Ffor Irish rugby, for Munster wake-up call and once that requires
rustration, frustration, frustra-
tion. It has been a bad season
Schmidt and his fellow coaches to
resolve in the build-up to Japan ’19.
There was one other factor apart
IRISH rugby and now for Leinster rugby. from physicality that Schmidt might
The English, Brexit and all, have
thrown down the gauntlet, physically
examine in the coming weeks.
gotten the better of us and taken the Leinster lost a tightly contested
top prize in European rugby. The con- European Champions Cup final to
solation, for all us non-Brits, is that Saracens, Munster lost (badly) a semi-
Wales won the Grand Slam. final to Saracens. Why? Well, Munster
But let's be magnanimous in defeat were outplayed and outmuscled, but
and allow ourselves some time to nine points down going into the last
reflect over the off-season before ten minutes they had a chance to
World Cup 2019 in Japan. score which would have made it
It’s better that we know now that game-on.
there must be improvement and Then, Conor Murray did what he
adjustment of game plan. used to do well, and Munster used it once too often. Leinster paid a heavy silly act from an otherwise very good
Ireland under Joe Schmidt have as a strength, but he botched a box- price and lost a seven half advantage player, Luke McGrath. Once Saracens
been, up to now, successful because of kick and there was no follow-up. to allow the English heavyweights go got on level terms which they hardly
the intense physical challenge they Saracens counter-attacked and made it into the dressing room at half-time deserved to do, they pushed on.
brought to each and every game. a 16 point game instead of, possibly, a level on a 10-10 score line. They didn’t Ultimately, Saracens were deserv-
They bullied opponents into submis- two-point one. Bye-bye Munster. deserve to be level based on what hap- ing of their European crown, and it is
sion and rarely came away without Saturday in Newcastle, I watched pened over 40 minutes, but Leinster worthy of mention that Mark McCall,
reward once inside the opposition ’22. Leinster scrum-half Luke McGrath didn’'t deserve any better because a proud Ulsterman and former Irish
This season, however, England follow Murray’s pattern and kick they botched an opportunity to carry international, is at the helm.
turned the tables and did to Ireland much too often. Saracens proved a seven point lead into the interval. McCall has been a revelation in
exactly what Ireland have been doing against Munster that they are wise to In as much as I bemoan the fact bringing this Saracens side to the place
to others for a few seasons now. the box-kick and they’ve learned to that drop goal attempts have gone out they are now. It’s fair to say the club
England beat us up in Dublin and deal with them. of the modern rugby game, it has doesn’t have a huge fan base but they
Wales, sniffing a Grand Slam, scored McGrath got away with a couple of become increasingly frustrating for do have a very loyal one and McCall
in the first couple of minutes in bombs, but with the clock ticking the fans watching continuous has made the very best of his playing
Cardiff; from which the shell-shocked towards red in the first half he did it attempts by scrum halves to kick the resources to build a team that has key
ball into the sky and hope the bounce players in key positions and play all
Sean Downes will favour them. the time for one another.
Box kicks worked for a while; they
In a delicately balanced European
don’t much anymore because oppo- decider, they proved yet again why
Attorney at Law nents expect them and have learned they are the team to beat going for-
defend
them.
ward and the age profile is such that
better
how
to
67 Wall Street, Suite 2401 Opponents are also better now in McCall won't have to rush out to
New York, New York 10005-3101 stopping the chasing attackers by sim- replace current talent anytime soon.
Telephone: (212) 248-3232 Fax (212) 248-2848 ple, cute, obstruction that is neither Given the beating handed down to
Representing those injured in: picked up by referee or touch-judges. both Leinster and Munster, and to
SCAFFOLDING ACCIDENTS CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS So, when we look at Leinster’s Ireland, Mr Schmidt and Co have a lot
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS MEDICAL MALPRACTICE failed bid to hold on to their European of talking and fixing to do over the
AND ALL OTHER ACCIDENT CASES
crown, we must look critically at the next couple of months. C
T h e E x a m i n e r P u z z l e S o l u t i o n s

Solution to this Week’s Solution to this Week’s Easy Su Solution to this Week’s Medium
Crossword Doku Puzzle Su Doku Puzzle