Ireland are back in Six Nations action when they host France next weekend
Paul O'Connell has admitted the Ireland review last Monday was concerned in part with the defending against Wales at the Principality Stadium.
Ireland missed 20 tackles in the brilliant, brilliant win Marseille against France and 25 tackles when losing to England in the 2024 Six Nations for instance; this Six Nations it was 33 missed against England and 25 against Scotland. "It’s a very different challenge to what we’re used to. A lot of teams play very structured rugby, they’re a little bit different.
“He’s obviously a very good second-row forward and he does all the second-row stuff very well, he’s very adept at that Toulouse way of playing. He’s been excellent for France in the last few years, he’s a big part of the challenge for us. "There is a lot more unstructured play happening in the Top 14, look at Toulouse playing, at Bordeaux playing, and you even look at Vern Cotter bringing some of that down to Auckland in Super Rugby, it's been really effective for those teams, and they’re very good at it.
Six Nations France Rugby Union Team Paul O'connell Robbie Henshaw Jamie Osborne Andy Farrell Simon Easterby
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
O'Connell admits defence is concern for Ireland after worrying stat v Wales'At times - we’ve delivered really well what we’re hoping to do. At other times we’ve slipped off a little a bit. Simon spoke about it for sure on Wednesday for his review. It’s something we need to improve on.'
Read more »
Paul O'Connell hails Ireland legends after retirement announcementBetween the three of them they have won 372 caps and played a massive part in a decade and more of remarkable success
Read more »
Paul O’Connell pays tribute to departing Ireland trio of former team-matesIreland forwards coach says the trio’s attitudes have been exemplary and a great help to younger players
Read more »
Wales will not 'die wanting' against Ireland – Wales assistant Mike ForshawThe latest sports news from The42.ie in 60 seconds
Read more »
Ireland Gears Up for Six Nations Clash Against Wales, While Ireland A Prepares for England ASimon Easterby's Ireland squad is preparing for a crucial Six Nations match against Wales in Cardiff, with a focus on securing a victory. While there might be minor changes to the starting lineup, Ireland is unlikely to experiment significantly. The Ireland A team, meanwhile, will face England A in Bristol, providing a platform to assess potential players for future competitions.
Read more »
O'Connell Addresses Leinster Bias Claims in Ireland Team SelectionFormer Ireland captain Paul O'Connell refutes claims of a pro-Leinster bias in the Irish national team's selection process. He emphasizes that decisions are based on merit and team performance, acknowledging Leinster's strength but stressing that provincial affiliations don't influence individual choices.
Read more »