Ireland's once-dominant lineout is showing cracks, and the pressure is ON to fix it! Bernard Jackman is placing his faith in forwards coach Paul O'Connell to turn things around, but warns that time is of the essence.
Recent matches have revealed a concerning inconsistency in Ireland's own lineout throws. Remember those nail-biting moments against New Zealand and Japan? The missed throws were definitely a source of frustration for fans and the team alike.
Let's break down the numbers: In the Chicago game against the All Blacks, Ireland lost four of their own throws in the first half, achieving only 11 successful throws out of 16. While they improved against Japan with 14 successful throws out of 17, they still lost three of their first seven attempts. And this is the part most people miss: the coaches and players insist the numbers don't tell the full story. They believe minor adjustments, rather than a complete overhaul, are the key.
But here's where it gets controversial... With upcoming clashes against Australia and South Africa – two teams known for their impressive lineout defenses – Ireland needs to get their act together, and fast!
According to Jackman, "Part of having the ball is the lineout and I don't think O'Connell has ever been under as much scrutiny as is [now], and he's responsible for it." He made these comments on the RTÉ Rugby podcast. Jackman believes the issues stem from a lack of confidence within the team. Is he right? Or are deeper tactical or technical issues at play?
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Jackman emphasizes that perception is reality when it comes to lineouts. The longer Ireland's inconsistencies persist, the more aggressively opposing teams will target their throws. "It's not just a blip it's become something that slowly is eroding," he warns.
Think about it: past encounters with the All Blacks have exposed vulnerabilities in this area. This creates a mental hurdle for the players. "The last few times we played the All Blacks we've got ourselves into a lot of trouble in that area so that is now eking away in players' minds and you can actually see that when you look at their body language, you look at their movement, you look at their triggers, they're second guessing each other."
He further points out that confusion around calls, coupled with overthrows, contribute to a lack of cohesion, consistency, and, crucially, calmness. "Calmness is the key word, and that's the challenge."
Jackman believes that if other aspects of Ireland's game aren't firing on all cylinders, the lineout becomes even more critical. He suggests that coach Joe Schmidt will be urging the team to prioritize getting bodies in the air, attacking the lineout, and adapting defensive shapes after the call.
Communication Breakdown?
Communication seems to be a contributing factor to the lineout woes. Remember that moment during the Japan game when hooker Rónan Kelleher gestured to his ear, suggesting he couldn't hear a changed call in the lineout?
Jackman highlights that if audibility was an issue against Japan, it's likely to be an even bigger problem in louder stadiums like the Stade de France during the Six Nations. "You'll see Andrew Porter going to the hooker with a call and a trigger but at that stage any team who changes their defensive shape late is putting doubt in the lineout caller's mind."
He suggests exploring alternative communication methods, such as visual cues that the hooker and the entire team can easily understand. "It's an area we need to fine tune, so maybe it needs to become less verbal and more more visual comms that the hooker can see, and everyone can see." He concludes, "This is an area that O'Connell (above) will fix. It's just that he'd like to see it being fixed this week."
Player Ownership is Key
While placing his confidence in O'Connell, Jackman also emphasizes the importance of players stepping up and taking ownership of the lineout.
"I actually think personnel-wise someone within that team has an opportunity to grab that by the scruff of the neck under O'Connell's tutelage and say: 'I am the lineout guru', and make sure that everyone knows their drill and make sure that they can problem-solve during the game and get quality ball."
According to Jackman, a player who excels in this area, even if they lack some athleticism or power, will become indispensable to coach Andy Farrell. "Whoever does that, even if they're lacking a little bit of athleticism or power, they will then become a must-start player for Andy Farrell because we, more than any other team are so reliant on our lineout starters."
The recent call-up of Darragh Murray is interesting in this context. "It's interesting Darragh Murray got called up this week. I'm not saying he's going to start this week, but that is something that he does very well." Jackman suggests that Murray's lineout expertise might be valuable, even if he doesn't possess the same collision power as James Ryan. "He mightn't have the same collision power as James Ryan but if Ireland can't find a lineout that's developing consistent or quality ball with this group of locks and back rows, someone else may end up jumping the gun."
So, what do you think? Is O'Connell the right person to fix Ireland's lineout woes? Is it a matter of confidence, communication, or personnel? And who will step up and become the "lineout guru" that Jackman describes? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments below!
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