Richard Kelly

Ireland revolution all about Joe Schmidt

Richard Kelly

Ireland have won eight of their past nine games under Joe Schmidt © Getty Images Enlarge

There's no respite for Australia on this year's European tour. The Wallabies have little time to lick their wounds following a 29-26 loss to France as they must prepare for what may be the toughest match of their November campaign; a date with the in-form Ireland in Dublin.

Backed by a fanatical crowd at the rebuilt Lansdowne Road, the men in green always pose a unique challenge for a visiting team. But this year they look particularly formidable, thanks to the influence of one Joe Schmidt, the all-conquering former Leinster coach who hails from New Zealand.

The former Bay of Plenty and Blues assistant has forged himself a reputation as one of the finest bosses in Europe thanks to a glittering spell in charge of Leinster after his assistant role with French giants Clermont-Auvergne. Schmidt has since transferred his success from the European club scene to the previously faltering national side, leading Ireland to a first Six Nations championship - at his first attempt - in five years, before recent victories over South Africa and Georgia.

Ireland posted their first loss under Schmidt against Australia last November, however, and this may provide extra incentive for his side this time around. Ireland have been almost unstoppable since narrow defeats by the Wallabies and All Blacks last November, winning eight of nine games - a narrow reverse at Twickenham the only blemish on their 2014 record.

Ireland's previous 12 Tests Ireland 12 Tests under Schmidt Leinster 2012/13 Points 17.8 28.3 26.5 Tries 1.7 3.1 2.8 Penalty Goals 2.3 2.8 2.6 Conversions 1.3 2.2 2.3 Drop Goals 0.0 0.0 0.1 Missed Goals 1.3 1.5 1.2 Goal % 73% 77% 80% Carries 92.4 120.6 116.8 Metres 269.3 419.5 381.9 Clean Breaks 3.4 8.6 6.2 Defenders Beaten 12.2 19.3 16.5 Offloads 4.1 5.3 6.8 Passes 122.3 153.3 148.3 Kicks from Hand 22.3 25.3 18.4 Tackles 108.2 114.5 105.8 Missed Tackles 13.8 16.6 12.7 Tackle % 89% 87% 89% Penalties Conceded 11.9 8.3 9.0 Yellow Cards 0.6 0.1 0.3 Turnovers Conceded 12.0 12.7 13.4 Turnovers Won 6.6 10.6 5.4 Lineout % 83% 93% 86% Lineout Steals 0.8 1.8 1.1 Scrum % 80% 87% 90% Scrum Steals 0.1 0.3 0.2 Ruck % 95% 95% 96% Time in Possession 15:49 19:02 17:46

Ahead of this weekend's clash, we analyse Ireland's 12 matches under Schmidt and take a look at what to expect on Saturday. We compare those figures to the 12 matches Ireland played before Schmidt's reign started, and look at Leinster's performances in his final year as boss to determine whether he has transferred some of his strategies from club rugby to the international stage.

Despite the loss of the retiring Brian O'Driscoll following Ireland's historic triumph in Paris earlier this year, Schmidt's side have not struggled to score tries during his reign. In the 12 matches leading up to Schmidt's arrival Ireland scored just 20 tries, 17 fewer than his side have managed since last November.

A considerable difference in Ireland under Schmidt is their tendency to dominate possession. Stronger, more piercing running is evident through their increase in metres gained, clean breaks and defenders beaten. Better discipline is also evident with and without the ball, as is an improvement at the set piece. Given the increased possession his side has been enjoying, to make only marginally more errors than they were in the previous 18 months will be regarded as an achievement. A more robust defence is also evident, though there is still room for improvement in their tackling.

Jonny Sexton has flourished under Joe Schmidt. © Getty Images Enlarge

An interesting figure comes in the amount of tackles made per game by Ireland before Schmidt's arrival compared to now. Despite enjoying a lot more possession than they did before the current regime took charge, Ireland are now making more tackles than before. This suggests opponents are opting not to kick the ball towards Ireland's back three. Elsewhere, it is hard to spot a change in tactics from the Ireland of old. However, these comparisons beautifully illustrate a side in form against one that was out of sorts for so long.

The similarities between Schmidt's Ireland and his Leinster side are there for all to see. At Leinster, Schmidt established a side who prided themselves on solid defence; but they struggled to force turnovers at the breakdown. This time the coach has the opposite problem; Schmidt now has players at his disposal who can force a mistake or come up with a steal, but who are prone to slipping off more tackles. Going by the fortunes of Schmidt's teams over the past four years though, this shouldn't hamper their success at all.

It's hard to argue with a record as strong as Schmidt's but going by the similarities of his side to the great Leinster team of years gone by, Australia should have a good idea what to expect at the Aviva Stadium this weekend. Whether or not they can handle it is a separate question altogether.

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