Joe Schmidt wary of players’ anxiety as expectations return

The Irish squad regroup for two days in Clonmel on Wednesday with two opening home wins to establish momentum, atop the Six Nations table on points difference from France, with a relatively low injury profile and with a Triple Crown to play for next time out. The only issues on their horizon are taking on England at Twickenham and managing heightened expectations, which Joe Schmidt, the man most responsible for generating them, was quick to identify as his priority.

“It’s huge,” he said of the Twickenham game, “and I think part of what we have to manage now is player anxiety because they’re going to be made well aware, going for a break for a couple of days before we go to Clonmel, of the expectation and the public expectation. We want to actually develop but that expectation does build anxiety because you know to meet that expectation you’re going to have to be bang on, on the day, and there are a lot of variables that will make that difficult to do. And that’s our challenge.”

Saturday’s pragmatic and emphatic 26-3 win over Wales makes this the first time Ireland have won their opening two matches since the 2009 Grand Slam. It’s perhaps worth tempering expectations by noting Ireland won their first three in 2005, and lost their last two.

There’s also the sobering reality that Ireland haven’t won in London and Paris in the same year since 1972, after which the Scots and Welsh undid Slam aspirations by not travelling. Yet it’s hard not to become a little giddy. As in ‘09, this squad are experiencing the fresh winds of change brought upon by a new coaching ticket, and the feel-good factor is back amongst players and supporters alike.

Combined with England’s 20-0 win in the Murrayfield mudbath, and France’s 30-10 win yesterday, the weekend’s results leave Ireland ahead of France, also two home wins out of two and now facing a searching test away to a wounded Wales, with a points difference of +45 to France’s +22. The two leaders are set to meet in the tournament finale on March 15th, though before then face difficult and pivotal treks in round three to the teams below them. Conceivably there could be a four-way tie entering the last two rounds.

Recalling as well how two late tries in Rome and Paris contrived to deny Ireland the title in 2007, the contrasting endgames in the Aviva Stadium and Stade de France could prove significant. Whereas Ireland maintained their foot on Welsh throats with the all-in driving maul which led to Conor Murray putting Paddy Jackson over in the 79th minute, France eased off after a three-try salvo in the opening 12 minutes of the second half and ultimately conceded a 76th-minute converted try to Tommasso Iannone. A handy 14-point swing perhaps.

In the hunt
It will also be interesting to see how Wales respond, and it's perhaps beneficial to Ireland that they do so strongly. At the very least, Ireland should now go to Paris on the final weekend in the hunt for what would only be a second title in 29 years.

What pleased Schmidt the most was the way his players executed last Saturday’s tactics on the back of “two very short” training sessions. “Johnny might have missed a few kicks out of his hand, but he also put in some superb kicks down into the right-hand corner in the first half that allowed us put a bit of pressure on, I thought the back field was superb, receiving the kicks and then creating pressure back on them,” said Schmidt, singling out the fielding of the Kearney brothers and Andrew Trimble.

“That didn’t give them a release valve to take the pressure off them and that was probably the most satisfying thing.”

A more ball-in-hand, high-tempo game will surely be required against the juggernaut of the English pack, and when asked if winning in Twickenham was the biggest challenge of his coaching career, Schmidt said: “It’s the next game so it’s the biggest challenge. That’s the way it is. As the next game it is massive though.”

In addition to the enforced switch in the back-up at lock given impending confirmation of Dan Tuohy’s fractured forearm today – Schmidt name-checked Iain Henderson, Mike McCarthy and Donnacha Ryan – Schmidt hinted at a further change or two.

“Inevitably you’d be looking to tweak a few things, there might be a couple of changes to personnel as well just because we are still pretty much committed to grow a group that can be as competitive as possible,” said Schmidt, highlighting the role of the bench so far. “I know people use the word ‘drop’ and I hate the word ‘rotation’ but I do think there is a place for reward, there is a place for growth in a group and I just think that it’s one of the things that we decided early on in November, that we were going to be driven to try to grow our player base to make sure we have enough depth in all positions.”

Tommy Bowe might also re-enter the equation when returning for Ulster at home to Scarlets next Friday, while Schmidt also referenced Luke Fitzgerald and Fergus McFadden, but as the coach also conceded: “It’s hard to fault Dave Kearney, and I thought Andrew Trimble did really well as well. I suppose when you get the jersey, you roll the sleeves of it up and make sure no one can take it off you.” And thus far, all are holding on tightly.