Ireland's reality check | 'Predictable' attack, defensive confusion | Scotland's World Cup threat
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is an Irish Independent Podcast. Now, welcome everyone. So, as you know, the first tranche of Nations Championship Games have come and gone across July. We will reconvene in November. What to make of it from an Irish point of view is primarily on the menu today. Big picture, Andy Farrell has nine games to go until World Cup warm-up matches are here. Four in November, five in the Six Nations, and then suddenly, bang.
What is the Nations Championship format and how has it started this July?
albeit it's probably the best World Cup draw Ireland have ever had we should add so it's all very intriguing despite some concerns about Ireland's form to discuss we will be joined by Ian Madigan and Eddie O'Sullivan and our rugby coverage as ever is with thanks to Energia they sponsor rugby in Ireland at all levels at grassroots with the AAL they are official energy partner to Leinster Connacht and the Irish men's and women's teams And their Rugby for All initiative welcomes everyone of all abilities to participate in the game. If you want to learn more about Energy's exclusive home energy offer for rugby fans, you can visit energy.ie forward slash rugby. Ian Madigan, you're there. Hello.
Hey, Joe. Thanks for having me on.
No pleasure as always. And Eddie O'Sullivan, very welcome, Eddie. Good to see you, Joe. Thanks. So, look, if anyone listening is a kind of Nations Championship hardcore fan already in terms of the tables, Northern and Southern Hemisphere in the North, France are top, Scotland are second, England and Ireland are joint third on 10 points apiece. And Southern Hemisphere, New Zealand and South Africa, joint top, 15 points each, three bonus point wins. And that's how things shape up early doors. Eddie, do you like the idea of this tournament and thus far the reality or less so or where are you in it?
Yeah, my first fear when I announced it was that it was kind of like a mini World Cup and it might detract from the World Cup, to be honest with you. But I'd say I was wrong about that. You know, I think it's kind of standalone at the moment. It's got off to a flyer like three weeks in a row. Some really good games there. Problematic with most tournaments is if you've got a couple of whipping boys in there and we seem to have... Italy and Fiji. But by and large, it's been very engaging, some really good games. Probably the hardest thing for the non-rugby people is there's so much rugby in one day. It's just so many games back to back to back to back. But for me, I'm like a pig in mud. I love it and happy out there to be watching four, five, six games.
on the back of it but I say for a lot of people they'd have to pick and choose but look outside of that and I know why it's compressed it has to be compressed it's like the autumn compression but I suppose the fact they're all on the same day if there's a way of staggering them a little like we do in the autumn on Friday night Saturday Sunday might help people to get more access to it but overall I'd say it's been a success and my trepidation about it being a mini World Cup and detracting from the World Cup I think has proven unfounded I'd be happy to admit that
Yeah, Ian, you like the idea of it from the outset. I suspect you've enjoyed the fair generally.
Yeah, I've really enjoyed it. I'd agree with a lot of Eddie's points and you'd certainly enjoy breaking the five games up or six as it is with a game on a Friday and a Sunday. I think part of the issue is there's a substantial amount of travel across all the teams involved. Like you look at what England had to do with going to South Africa, back to the UK and then over to Argentina. if you threw in a six day turnaround there, I'd say that would have been the tipping point. There is something cool about three test series where like Ireland are going over to Australia or South Africa and teams are figuring each other out. But what I would have found is, let's say going into autumn then, if you were to ask me, oh, what do you think of Argentina?
I mightn't have watched a whole lot of them because they could have had three tests against Scotland, for example, whereas I've watched all of the nations across, maybe not every game, but across the three weekends.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–0:27
2
What is the Nations Championship format and how has it started this July?
0:27–8:55
3
How do the hosts rate the tournament's success and scheduling issues?
8:55–22:54
4
Why did New Zealand beat Ireland 40-21 and was the game ever close?
22:54–51:24
5
How have handling errors and fatigue affected Ireland's big-game performances?
51:24–55:36
6
Why do guests say Ireland's attack has become 'predictable' and less effective?
55:36–56:39
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from Indo Sport
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