Joe Schmidt’s Ireland maintain had a day less than France to prepare for Saturday’s match in Paris and cannot afford to be chasing the game in the final quarter as they did against WalesIt would hardly be unique for Ireland to be chasing a noble start in any game in Paris,but never before has it seemed so vital. The key themes at what will be a dank Stade de France are the level of pressure on the domestic side after an ordinary start against Italy last weekend, and Ireland’s capacity to compete with a day less to prepare.
For much of the final quarter at the Aviva Stadium last Sunday it was hard not to look forward to this weekend and imagine the state of Joe Schmidt’s side. The tackle count against Wales was high at 156 but the stats do not clarify the effect of having to stop such stout runners so often. Those impacts will maintain defined Ireland’s working week.
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Source: theguardian.com