In keeping with a low-key Irish rugby season, Joe Schmidt will announce his Six Nations squad via email on Wednesday.
None of the bells and whistles of a Warren Gatland-style press conference for Ireland’s head coach – who has had to make do with a single 24-hour meet-up with his players since November’s World Cup exit at the hands of a rather unsympathetic Argentina side.
Another World Cup quarter-final defeat provoked a predictable period of soul-searching within Irish rugby, a journey of self-discovery that has not been lightened by a European season of unparalleled disappointment.
Back-to-back Six Nations champions they may be, but Schmidt’s charges – shorn of inspirational captain Paul O’Connell – may require a little building up ahead of the opening match of their defence against Wales at Aviva Stadium on Sunday, 7 February.
There is, of course, one more round of European fixtures before the 35 or 36-man squad meet up in Carton House on Monday: Ulster host Oyonnax at Ravenhill on Saturday before Leinster’s trip to Bath, while Munster are away to Treviso on Sunday. Connacht’s final Challenge Cup game is at home to Siberian outfit Enisei-STM.
Munster and Leinster may be playing for pride, but with 320 minutes of rugby to be played before Test rugby takes over there are a few things that could happen this weekend to help banish those Co Kildare Monday Blues.
Off days for Northampton, Stade, Wasps and Clermont
In years gone by that first Sunday night and Monday morning at Carton House or out in Killiney would be dominated by inter-provincial ribbing over who had secured a home quarter-final in the Heineken Cup.
Such has been the paucity of return this season that it is unlikely anyone will want to mention their European campaigns around the breakfast table.
Leinster were eliminated before Christmas, while a home defeat to Leicester meant Munster’s Pool 4 hopes were always slim.
The maths may be against them but Ulster are not sunk yet and a bonus-point win at home to Oyonnax on Saturday afternoon will leave them anxiously awaiting results elsewhere.
Ireland’s three-in-a-row bid will not live or die by Ulster’s progression to the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup, but some provincial presence in the last eight would surely do morale no harm, especially with Rory Best being touted as a potential captain and young guns like Paddy Jackson, Stuart McCloskey, Craig Gilroy and Luke Marshall making their cases for inclusion.
With fewer points than any of the other second-placed teams, Les Kiss’s side need two of Northampton (away to Scarlets), Clermont (home to Bordeaux), Wasps (home to Leinster) and Stade Francais (home to Leicester) to slip up.
Connacht’s progression in the Challenge Cup would also be welcome, with Pat Lam’s side hoping Newcastle can do them a favour by disposing of Brive.
Some defensive solidity
Thirty-two tries have been conceded thus far by the three provinces competing in the Champions Cup, an average of more than two per game.
Considering he must do without a specialist defence coach while Andy Farrell enjoys his Test rugby gardening leave below in the meadows of Limerick, Schmidt (who is expected to share defensive duties with forwards coach Simon Easterby) would like to see more of Munster and Leinster’s new-found rigour.
The two provinces conceded a single try each against Stade and Bath respectively last weekend and Schmidt will be hoping to recreate such stinginess on the training field as he looks to exorcise the memories of that four-try shellacking at the hands of Argentina, which was an unfortunate way for Kiss’s tenure as defence coach to end.
Leinster stars to shine
While it was heartening to see tyros like Garry Ringrose, Luke McGrath, Peter Dooley, Tadhg Furlong, Josh Van Der Flier and Ross Molony sticking it to Bath last weekend, it did little for green ambitions – for this season at least.
Furlong was capped at the World Cup and looks an able deputy for Mike Ross – but Schmidt would be more interested in seeing Ross fit and firing ahead of the championship.
Likewise Cian Healy, who Schmidt will be hoping returns reinvigorated after a knee surgery that put an end to a worryingly indifferent run of form.
Wasps at the Ricoh Arena is a tough fixture and Leinster coach Leo Cullen may be tempted (or under orders) to bring back the big guns such as Sean O’Brien, Rob Kearney, Johnny Sexton, Jamie Heaslip and Devin Toner – all of whom could use another serious run-out before their provincial season is paused.
Second rows putting their hands up
At this stage everyone has come to terms with O’Connell’s painful exit from Test rugby and, while it may jar with some to see him lining out in the red of Toulon over the coming weeks, his absence from the Six Nations reckoning was well signposted.
His loss as captain cannot be fully measured until we know who is to step into the role, but his loss from the second-row came sharply into focus with the news that Iain Henderson will miss the rest of the season through injury.
That means that of Ireland’s second rows at RWC2015 only Toner and Donnacha Ryan are available for selection. Leinster veteran Mike McCarthy is sure to be involved but retirements and injury mean some fresh blood is required in Ireland’s engine room.
Munster’s Dave Foley has gained plenty of experience over the past few seasons but this season may come too soon for Connacht’s Ultan Dillane. Despite his fine line in bone-crunching tackles.
Ultane Dillaned
Verb
To absolutely smash someone.
"Jaysus, your man was Ultan Dillaned something serious"https://t.co/C90dQgViDg— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) January 19, 2016
Despite the biblical levels of attrition during the World Cup, Schmidt is well-served in nearly every area of the pitch – with the back row and back three looking particularly stacked – but the head coach would love to see a little more from his second row pretenders this weekend.
