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Rugby

'There is a mindset to an offloading game. Ireland don't have it' | Irish rugby star Louise Galvin

It is no secret that Ireland played a conservative game under Joe Schmidt, but are things likely ...



Rugby

'There is a mindset to an offloading game. Ireland don't have it' | Irish rugby star Louise Galvin

It is no secret that Ireland played a conservative game under Joe Schmidt, but are things likely to change that much under Andy Farrell?

South Africa won the World Cup playing a power game but they still had the likes of Willie le Roux and Cheslin Kolbe to produce some magic.

Speaking on Monday's OTB AM, Irish sevens player Louise Galvin said it will take time to implement a more attacking gameplan under Farrell.

"Playing an offloading game is a bit of a mindset as well and Ireland didn't have that mindset.

"It wasn't just the way they were being tackled, if you're playing an offloading game it means your first and second support are running support lines.

Off the pace 

"If you're not a team that looks to offload which Ireland usually aren't, it doesn't matter how you're being tackled," she said.

There is the idea with World Rugby's more stringent officiating around high tackles that it could result in a more open game because players will have more freedom to offload.

In Ireland's case though, we still have not implemented a more expansive game and according to Galvin, we're a long way off the top teams in that regard.

"If you're simply going South Africa beat England, who beat New Zealand who hockeyed us, it looks like we're quite far down the food chain.

"We hope we haven't deteriorated that much and there were warning bells in the lead up to the World Cup.

"We do look quite far off the pace in terms of playing style and where we are in terms of form," Galvin stated.

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