A little surprisingly perhaps, especially bearing in mind Ireland beat France in Paris last March to claim the Six Nations championship, Joe Schmidt admitted that beating England at home on Sunday would constitute the best win of his time as Ireland coach.
“It’d be the biggest win we’ve had so far, without a doubt,” said Schmidt, after announcing the Ireland team at Carton House.
“The position we’re in, what we’ve got to play for, the year that’s in it, the players that have come in and out of the squad; it would be great to give that confidence to the players, to know that they’re capable of doing it. Also, for us, it will be a massive game because we have had unbelievable support in the Aviva.”
“Against the French, that support reached a new volume in recent times. I don’t think we’ve ever quite had it like we had it against New Zealand in November 2013, but I think this Sunday it will get close to that.
“If we can be in the game, at the death, and get our noses in front, I think it would be just reward for the effort the players have made and just reward for those people who come and support us and provide a degree of inspiration to the players.”
One-dimensional
Schmidt smiled at suggestions that Ireland are being labelled boring, or one-dimensional, or a kick-chase team.
"I am not too aware of how we are perceived but I know we have kicked less than some other teams in the Championship and if people have a look they might find it is our opponents at the weekend who have kicked the most," said Schmidt, extolling the kicking and passing game of George Ford.
Schmidt maintained that no coach could be labelled an attacking coach or a practical coach, that instead a coach worked with the players to ensure his team were three dimensional in being proficient at passing, carrying and kicking, while being “functional and flexible”.
He added that key decision-makers have licence to “make an instinctive decision and play the game, and enjoy playing the game.”
In seemingly more relaxed form than before the Italian and French games, Schmidt recalled attending the previous two meetings with England at the Aviva and said: “Yeah, I am really excited. I think it’s hard not to get excited. We’ve been working hard for a long time now; 50 different players in 18 months of work and this gives us an opportunity to maybe culminate in a home victory that would be really special.”
