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'You have to question Ireland players' mentality' | Alan Quinlan on Ireland-Georgia

Alan Quinlan believes that Ireland team find themselves under pressure after a laboured performan...



Rugby

'You have to question Ireland players' mentality' | Alan Quinlan on Ireland-Georgia

Alan Quinlan believes that Ireland team find themselves under pressure after a laboured performance against Georgia followed other poor attacking outings.

Ireland failed to break Georgia down in what was ultimately a 23-10 win against a team below their own standards.

Ireland-Georgia

Quinlan told OTB AM he disappointed with the manner of the win - in particular, a 'dire' second-half performance - and identified where Ireland are lacking.

"[Ireland] are just very, very sloppy. They look like a team whose decision-making is poor [and] their identification of space," said Quinlan.

"They just revert to type when there is a bit of pressure on, looking to go route one with picking and going around the side of rucks and one-out runners as well.

"You can't just throw the ball around and expect to just run around them, you have got to be physical. The breakdown was an issue as well.

"We have regressed so much in that area over the last couple of years. Under Joe Schmidt, Ireland were so good at the breakdown, so efficient; we just look so disjointed."

Alan Quinlan on Ireland

Quinlan believes that a side like Ireland should be 'putting 30 to 40 points' on Georgia, and was concerned with the reaction to the England defeat last week.

"It was a really dire second-half performance, which is concerning because you have to question the mentality of the players; the responsibility of playing in the team and where that is at at the moment.

"It is just not good enough."

Pressure

Quinlan believes that Ireland need to identify a new number nine and ten for the next World Cup which, in part, means the coaching team are in the spotlight.

"I think they can turn it around, of course, there is a lot of a good players there. There are a couple of weaker areas there and they probably need a bit of time.

"At the end of the day, if we don't see more in attack, and we don't see a bit of consistency and confidence in attack, then Mike Catt is under pressure, Andy Farrell's under pressure, Simon Easterby's under pressure and John Fogarty.

"They are all under pressure and that is the way that it is going to go. That is the kind of standard that the Irish rugby team are held in at the moment, [if] they have poor performances then there are a lot of questions asked.

"I think they can turn it around and I hope that [against Scotland] they can get a bit more free-flowing ball and attack Scotland.

"Scotland are a team that will try and play more rugby against them, whereas Georgia tried to stop Ireland and really frustrate them.

"They have got to learn from those types of games, where teams try to outmuscle them.

"Too often, we're seeing those problems arise. Six clean line-breaks against Georgia tells its own story."

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