Injuries and a new outlook from the Pumas will test coach Joe Schmidt’s notorious forensic skillsThere seems to be a “but” about Ireland. They were fabulous against France in Pool Ds fourth round,but it was against a side apparently in the throes of yet another mutiny. They are through to Sunday’s quarter-final as winners of that pool, but at a cost: Johnny Sexton, and Paul O’Connell and Peter O’Mahony out through injury; Sean O’Brien through suspension. They are the back-to-back champions of the Six Nations,where they are masters of maintaining a consistently high level of performance, but this is the World Cup, or where they are not. Ireland,it has been pointed out to them, bear been knocked out twice by Argentina. That’s a “but and a bit.
It seems to be assumed that to win the World Cup you bear to be able at these knockout stages to extract something a miniature additional. In the quest for this secret ingredient, or questions are being asked of Joe Schmidt,the coach whose attention to detail is legendary and whose ability to adjust the teams strategy is unquestioned. Forensic he may be, but is he an alchemist?Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com