Sir, - Having watched this match I asked myself, where oh where have all the following traits gone: individuality, inspiration, flair, style, instantaneous reaction, sudden bursts through, side step, intercept, dummy, acceleration, element of surprise, quick change of pattern from the orthodox?
Such traits were the hallmark of players like Jackie Kyle, Paddy Reid, Mike Gibson, Mickey English, Ollie Campbell, Tony Ward, Simon Geoghegan and a few more. These players generated huge excitement and many spectacular tries by stamping their own individuality on a game.
I'm just wondering have all these characteristics been completely coached out of our present squad with all this full time, intensive training and coaching, including a week's "heat" training (whatever that is) in the Algarve together with other unspecified psychological preparation.
Against Italy they displayed no individual inspiration whatsoever. They rumbled diligently around the pitch, overtrained and overmuscled, to what appeared to be a pre arranged pattern, from beginning to end, even though it was patently obvious this self same pattern was not going to produce any tries.
The squad contains many fine players of high intelligence and ability. Why not encourage them to "read" the game and give the captain and his vice captain the authority to change the pattern of play during the match, as dictated by the play, and not wait for the "post mortems" when it is too late? - Yours, etc.,
N.C.R.,
Limerick.