Boldness may have to come into Joe Schmidt's repertory as he seizes upon options over the weekend and a 31-man squad to travel to the World Cup.
This week players and coach Les Kiss were quizzed about the three injured bodies, Andrew Trimble, Marty Moore and Cian Healy, who hope to travel. But there was little clarity.
Schmidt’s concerns on the health of his players should be clear cut and he will take his cue from the medics. More importantly, if Healy, Trimble or Moore are available he must decide how effective they will be while seriously short of pitch time and dropping into a World Cup.
Loosehead concerns
Jack McGrath has benefited from Healy’s injury and was non committal about the ongoing loosehead concerns, while Kiss tended to look at the players’ experience, especially that of Healy, as a reason to believe he will manage if he is on the plane.
“They are chomping at the bit to get back,” said McGrath, who will probably start on Saturday. “The facilities . . . the physios we have are doing their best to get them back.
“They are working hard. It’s just unfortunate they have the injury at this time. Ideally you wouldn’t want to have the injury now because you’re really trying to make the 31-man squad.”
Tighthead Moore had shoulder surgery at the end of April and it was anticipated that he would have a 12-week lay-off. It is his foot now that is a concern. The bottom line is no game time.
Trimble damaged his toe ligaments at the end of October 2014 and missed the November Series. He played against Wales in the Millennium Stadium a few weeks ago but was replaced injured before half-time. It was his first match since October.
Healy had neck surgery in May and hasn’t played since. Prior to that he had hamstring problems. Again no recent game time and even against weaker sides he’ll come under pressure in the scrum.
Every player from Tommy Bowe to Paul O’Connell who has come back from injury says it takes several matches to achieve the tempo and level of performance they once had.
“You’ve got to lean on a number of things,” explained Kiss. “One of those is the type of person you’re dealing with, the experience they offer, experience they’ve had at that level of football and experience of the major competitions.
“Cian’s had a lot of that experience. I don’t think it’s a precedent that something like that could happen. We’ll take in all the information we can. From the experts, from the coaches, from the people that are closest to the whole thing, but more importantly Cian.”
McGrath is watching it all from the periphery but he’s also central to the solution for Schmidt if Healy’s dash for fitness fails. He takes a blinkered view, keeps his head down and his nose clean. It has worked for him already this year.
In the Six Nations he started against Italy and France. He then came on for Healy against Scotland before starting against Wales.
Healy was then reinstated in the starting line up for the final push against Scotland in what ended up being Irish rugby’s longest, happiest, most stressful day of the year.
“It’s one of the best Irish set ups and team set ups I’ve ever been in,” says McGrath. “It’s quite tough. If you make a mistake in a game you know the guy behind will not make the mistake and it’s pushing you on. We don’t want guys doing their own thing. It’s everyone for the team.”
In his own head there is not just the sense he is on the plane but involved now in a double period of Six Nations.
Difficult problem
“You’re in camp for eight weeks and you are in camp for eight weeks for the Six Nations,” he says. “So there’s not a whole lot of difference. After the eight weeks you are going on to another eight weeks. It’s just kind of re-setting it.”
A simple view of a difficult problem, it’s sometimes the best way to move on.
Kieran Crowley has named his 31-man Canada squad for Rugby World Cup 2015, one that contains 18 players who have never experienced the global tournament before. Ireland play the Canadians in their second pool match.
