One training session is not a lot.
But that is all Joe Schmidt’s Ireland are going to have ahead of Saturday’s trip to Paris as the head coach picks up the pieces following a punishing draw with Wales.
Keith Earls is likely to miss out with a concussion, while Johnny Sexton and Tommy O’Donnell also nurse minor injuries but, speaking on Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio One, Schmidt said the whole squad was battered after an attritional encounter with Wales.
“We’ve got a few guys who might struggle to back up. We’ve got guys who came off with knocks. Tommy O’Donnell was fine and was very perky after the game,” said Schmidt.
“Keith Earls got a knock as well and we’re just going to have to wait and see how he comes through his HIA assessments.
“Apart from that, I think there are some bruised bodies but no one that would be necessarily in doubt.”
Bumps, bruises and injuries are a rugby reality, however Schmidt feels his battered squad are not being sufficient time to recover due to a schedule that the Kiwi considers unprecedented.”
“I’m not quite sure how they worked that out. I’ve never seen a draw quite like this one,” he said.
“Getting such a big team first up and having the ball in play for 39-odd minutes and both teams were suffering at the end of it a bit, [Wales] have to welcome Scotland at the weekend and it’s a little more complicated for us travelling to France.
“We’ll get one training in on Thursday and we’ll have a light run today and we’ll see how we go.”
Last year Ireland’s final two games, away to Wales and Scotland, were seven days apart, which brought it’s own logistical and recovery concerns.
The only previous six-day Six Nations turnaround in Schmidt’s time came int he opening two games of 2014 – when Ireland played Scotland at the Aviva on the opening Sunday, followed by Wales in Dublin the following Saturday.
It is not unprecedented, however. In fact Eddie O’Sullivan’s Ireland played away to Italy on the opening Sunday of the 2005 Six Nations before playing away to Scotland the following Saturday, which is a tougher ask logistically, if not physically, than what Schmidt’s men must do this week.
France battled past Italy on the opening day but Schmidt saw enough in the performance to consider Guy Noves new look side a serious threat, even if he expects them to rein in their play a little for the visit of the champions.
“Incredibly dangerous. It was probably what they set out to do but they’ll reflect on that and maybe they tipped the scale too far towards play-at-all-costs and maybe we’ll see a little bit more of a structure from them,” he added.
“I think some of the athletes demonstrated the pace and the power they have, the likes of Vakatawa and I’ve always had respect for the likes of Maxime Medard on the counter-attack. That’s going to be something we’re going to have to be very good at defending.”
Lots to do in that one training session.
