IRISH RUGBY IN DISARRAY

Sir, - Desperate situations need desperate remedies

Sir, - Desperate situations need desperate remedies. Bearing in mind the embarrassing and consistently recurring disintegration of our Irish team (particularly in the final 15 minutes), perhaps the management might try the following.

Instead of £3,000 appearance money and £1,000 win bonus, reverse the values, making it £1,000 appearance and £3,000 for a win. I believe that could help to increase the players' concentration, alertness and accuracy, and decrease the needless concession of unforced penalties, both in attack and defence.

It could help to reduce the repeated frittering away of hard-won possession by childish off-side, forward pass, knock-on or "over-the-top". It would also help to install into the players' minds that total concentration must be maintained for 90 minutes, not 60, 70, 80 or 85. - Yours, etc.,

NCR, Limerick.