Ireland's RWC 'a collective failure'
Tue, 18 Dec 2007 13:37
A review carried out by Irish rugby's governing body has found that Ireland's disastrous World Cup campaign was the result of collective failure. The review concluded management, players and the IRFU should all accept "individual and collective responsibility" for the poor showing, adding that rumoured personal issues and rifts within the squad "did not exist". Further to that the review also recommended the appointment of a team manager and a dedicated backs coach. Other operational recommendations included that a professional to provide on-going psychological support for the team and management should be retained. The development of more effective lines of communication between players, management coaches and support staff was also recommended. Ireland went into the World Cup with high expectations but struggled throughout and went out at the group stage after defeats by France and Argentina. The review, assisted by the Genesis consultancy group and the Irish Rugby Union Players' Association, was presented to the IRFU 22-man committee on Monday. IRFU Chief Executive Philip Browne said the findings were produced following extensive consultation with everyone involved in RWC 2007. "There were detailed reviews of key technical areas including fitness and conditioning and mental and psychological preparation," he said. "The findings confirm that management, players and the IRFU alike accept that individually and collectively we under performed at the World Cup and fell well short of our expectations and the expectations of our supporters." The review appears, temporarily at least, to ease the pressure on head coach Eddie O'Sullivan and deflect further criticism from the IRFU's three-man committee which gave him a new four-year contract before the World Cup started. "The onus is on us to learn from the experience and take corrective action to ensure we are competitive and successful at the highest international levels," added Browne. "This presentation identified that there was a complex mix of factors involved in Ireland's under performance at Rugby World Cup 2007." As expected the presentation highlighted the fact that the overall preparation in the run-up to the World Cup was flawed and O'Sullivan has held his hand up in that respect. "In an effort to protect front line players from injury in advance of the World Cup, the findings are that they did not participate in a sufficient number of high intensity matches," he said. "(The players) lacked the level of match practice required for them to perform to their optimal at the actual tournament." Part of the review took the form of a confidential questionnaire in conjunction with players' union IRUPA. "The report clearly found that personal issues or rifts did not exist or play any role in the under performance of the team," said Browne. "While there were some individuals who had specific complaints, the squad members, as a unit, were constructive in their comments and identified areas in which the team management could be strengthened."
