Alan Quinlan and Shane Jennings are agreed that Ireland supporters can forget about repeating the expansive game he instilled in Leinster with the national team.
The two former Ireland players joined Off The Ball in studio today during Schmidt’s side’s Six Nations curtain-raiser victory in Rome.
“I think people need to get away from this idea of Joe Schmidt at Leinster,” said Jennings. “You can’t really compare. It’s going to be a completely different game next week. Let’s get beyond this Leinster Joe idea.”
Quinlan added: “He cant’ do it with Ireland. You have the players for a little block (of time) ... his approach with Ireland is do the basics very well.”
Jennings continued: “Not a great overall performance - they’ll certainly look back and they’ll have a lot of work to do before France ... no injuries in the match – apart from Sean O’Brien – so we can look forward to France.”
“Our physicality was poor today,” Quinlan continued. “We were bossed around at the breakdown. We do struggle a little bit if we’re not 100 per cent tuned in.”
Will Schmidt be annoyed?
SJ: “He’s not going to blow his top off for the sake of it. The scrum was a tough place to go today. I think there’s a lot of positives.”
“There was rustiness,” he added. (Simon) Zebo got counter-rucked in the first half. That’s the sort of stuff that will annoy Joe.”
"It think it’s a good start and a good win. The ugly wins can be good as well."
Ian Keatley?
Ian Keatley came through a big test in Rome and Quinlan said it’s key the Dubliner focuses on the positives rather than the negatives. “Keatley’s not a young fella any more,” said Quinlan.
“He just has to do the basics well” and “blank out this Jonny Sexton scenario” ... “and he’s possibly on the bench then ahead of Madigan.”
Of Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray’s partnership, Quinlan said: “I think they’re the best half-backs in the world, potentially.”
Meanwhile, Quinlan reckons Robbie Henshaw has the potential to become as good as Brian O’Driscoll.
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