All the specialist positions have their core skills, and everything else is secondary. As with a scrum-half and his passing, an out-half (usually) with his goal-kicking and game management, a hooker and his darts etc, so it is that the fundamental part of a prop’s game is his scrummaging. The game changes but some things stay the same.
Hence, Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong will be men on a specific mission tomorrow, for the second test offers an opportunity to put to rights last week’s difficult day at the scrum coalface. “Yeah, it’s another chance to have a shot at them,” says Healy.
“The battle is everywhere but for us our main one is in there. That’s what we rank our game on. You could have all the carries in the world but if you don’t back it up, that’s shit. That’s not good.
“So that’s what we rank ourselves on and we have to take a bit of pride in it and put it forward and essentially give the backs the platforms or give the defensive structure the right platform as well to deal with anything.”
Healy described last week as “a bit messy in the scrum and we haven’t been used to that”, adding: “We’ve been pretty dominant in all our scrums and we felt they kind of got the head on us there. We haven’t been used to going backwards.”
Manipulated
The Australian front row’s tactic of scrummaging at an angle and splintering the Irish tighthead and hooker proved particularly fruitful for the 69th minute penalty which pushed Australia in front. This, said Healy, can be countered by “just securing the joints and how the pressure is manipulated through the scrum, where you won’t necessarily need as much coming through me and you can unload the lads and feel the change when the tighthead’s coming at me and load me with more. So move it around a bit like that.”
Another key is countering the threat of David Pocock over the ball, which for Healy provokes a similar mindset. “You just have to deal with it. It has to be physical, it has to be fast and we need to be there before them and cut off our rucks before they even think about going in for the ball.”
Leinster had a similar focus in negating the threat of Tadhg Beirne for the European Cup semi-final against the Scarlets. “We’ve done a lot of those repeats of having to get places in training this week and everyone fronted up very well and it was pretty fast.
“So we’re primed for it and you do your best to arm for it but the (Australian) lads are dangerous poachers there. There’s a load of them all over their team. But we’ll go right at it try and shut them out.”
Last week’s problem areas also helps the players focus. “It zones you in a bit. It’s pretty simple, if we can starve them of the ball then we can get our own stuff flowing so you’re given a focus. Not only that there’s a few things we had to hone in on and I think we did pretty well and we had a spicy enough session today to put it into practice. It was good.”
Defeats also help focus the mind and last weekend’s was James Ryan’s first in a Leinster or Irish jersey. “I didn’t know what James Ryan was going to be like when it happened. I gave him a hug and picked him up but I don’t think he needed picking up. He’s pretty strong like that, and he’s lost games before, just not professional games, so you know how to deal with it.
“We picked up, moved on and got back to work from Monday; just learn from it put it aside. You can’t cry over it for too long. You take your learnings and start putting together everything for your next shot.
“That’s kind of the joy of a three-test tour, it’s not over after one, you’ve another chance to go.”
Game management
One that has to be taken, or else next week’s test is a dead rubber.
“It wouldn’t be the ideal situation. We want to have a chance there [Sydney]. We’re well capable and we’ve the plays and the physicality and the fitness and everything to do it. It’s just about executing our game and I really have no worries about the lads’ head space.
“Everyone is pretty fired up for this. Even in the week there’s been less [going] out and about. It’s been seeing lads in on computers and getting stuff right. You just know you need to be switched in more.”
For all their careful game management, it’s been a mentally exacting season for the vast majority of this squad, with only interpros for light relief from European or international days. But so be it.
“It’s test rugby like, it’s the pinnacle for us,” says Healy. “It’s what you want to do, why you get to the top level with your club, to move on to this and the opportunity to wear that shirt and represent everything it does.”
