"It's going to be a good war!"
Cameron Woki knows very well what awaits the Blues on Saturday at the Stade de France.
A suffocating fight.
An intense showdown.
It must be said that the images of last Saturday made a strong impression: it is not every day that we see the Welsh, yet not the last of the painful, being wrung out like this (29-7).
Ireland struck a big blow and sent a strong message to France, the last team to beat them (13-15 last year) before going on to win nine in a row.
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Read alsoSix Nations: hard blow for Ireland with Sexton's package
And Woki, usual flanker successfully converted to the second line, to detail:
“It is the team which is the most disciplined in Europe.
She has a good structure and she is sure of herself.
We don't necessarily have to unleash our game to try to put them at fault.
We will have to concentrate on our discipline and try to put our game in place and put them at risk on their weak points that we have seen.
Above all, we will have to stick to the score.”
Against the Italians, the Blues failed in discipline, being penalized 14 times.
A sector to watch against the XV of Clover who knows how to feed off opposing faults.
The Irish now have a smooth game, very beautiful to see, with the impression that everything is successful for them
Cameron Woki
For this clash at the top, presented as a final before the time of this edition, Ireland will be deprived of its master to play and captain, Jonathan Sexton, 102 caps and 955 points on the clock.
He will be replaced in Saint-Denis by Joey Carbery, the opening half of Munster.
An absence that will not transform the face of the Irish, according to Fabien Galthié.
“When we worked on Ireland, we did it with Johnny as fly-half, playmaker and captain.
Joey Carbery, we met him last year during our match in Dublin, he's a player we know, he
recalls.
The Irish team is very structured, they have a very calm game plan and they will keep this attacking animation with surely small adjustments because, they too, they have studied our team and our weak points.
They will remain on the same background, offensive and defensive, despite the absence of Johnny Sexton.
Long mocked for their minimalist and boring rugby during former manager Joe Schmidt's long tenure (2013-2019), the Irish team now presents a more ambitious face, still as solid and well in place defensively, but more efficient and inspired. ball in hand.
What Cameron Woki summarizes: “
It's always the same team, very strong on the bases, which excels in conquest.
There are no changes but a surplus of confidence because the Irish are undefeated since our last victory.
They now have a smooth game, very beautiful to see, with the impression that everything is working out for them.
“With a brilliant three-quarter line, in the wake of the formidable pair of centers composed by Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose.
It's not just about one player (Sexton), it never was and never will be, we want to grow as a group
Andy Farrel
On the Irish side, the absence of Sexton is not at all experienced as a drama.
“Of course Johnny is an important member of our group since he is the captain,
reacted coach Andy Farrell.
He is an integral part of how we move forward in many areas, but at the same time we are focused on our group.
Because we are a band, it's not just about one player, it never has been and never will be, we want to grow as a band.
We want to approach every game that way.”
The Clover XV, which is taking full advantage of the good performance of the Irish provinces in the European Cup, is sure of its physical strength and its game plan. James Ryan, the second line of Leinster, will wear the captain's armband.
Andy Farrell is not worried about his troops.
“All
these things
are beneficial to us
, he says positively.
We're growing as a band, right?
It's part of the journey.
James has captained the team several times now.
We get to know each other better.”
Ireland is aiming for a first victory in the Tournament since its Grand Slam in 2018, the year of its last victory (13-15) at the Stade de France.
The composition of Ireland:
Keenan - Conway, Ringrose, Aki, Hansen - (o) Carbery, (m) Gibson-Park - Van der Flier, Conan, Doris - Ryan, Beirne - Furlong, Porter, Kelleher Subs
:
Sheehan, Healy, Bealham, Henderson, O 'Mahony, Murray, Carty, Henshaw
