‘The only problem with this Irish team is the amount of playacting and screaming they do’

Jack O'Toole

Former England scrum-half Austin Healy has said that his only problem with Ireland’s Grand Slam winning team is that the players do too much playacting and screaming.

Ireland won the Grand Slam with a 24-15 win over England last weekend, and while Healey did lament how vocal Ireland could be with what we’re assuming is the opposition and the referee, he did acknowledge that they will be one of the favourites for next year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan.

“That’s my only problem with the Irish team – brilliant side, great players across the field – but there was an awful lot of playacting going on,” said Healey on BT Sport’s Rugby Tonight Podcast.

“A lot of screaming, a lot of noise, it’s working for them and it’s getting them where they need to be – I mean they’ve won three Six Nations in the last five years and now they’ve got a Grand Slam – undoubtedly one of the favourites for the World Cup.”

Meanwhile former England second-row Ben Kay added that he thinks that Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray has evolved into the best nine in world rugby and that he offers something different to New Zealand counterpart Aaron Smith.

“I think Murray is the best in the world,” said Kay.

“Not necessarily someone like Aaron Smith, who might have glitzy play to him, but in terms of a nine that manages the game; his box kicking is absolutely superb, which they’ve built a lot of the foundations for some of their performances over the years on, his speed that he gets the ball to Sexton or the forward carriers’ hands is as quick as anyone.

“He plays the referee perfectly, not by chomping at him and screaming at him, but because he plays so fast all the time and as soon as it’s not coming the hands come out and he goes – ‘where is it? I can’t see it’ – and then the referee gives a penalty.

“Murray controls the agenda at the breakdown.”

Murray was one of four players alongside Johnny Sexton, Keith Earls and Jacob Stockdale to be nominated for the Six Nations player of the championship.

Check out our poll to see which Irish player SportsJOE readers think should claim the award.