Cian Tracey: The Ireland attack is struggling to strike the right balance between past and present

"Over the last few weeks, listening to the Ireland players and coaches outlining why they are confident that the game-plan is very close to coming together, we have been reminded of a similar scenario shortly after Andy Farrell took over as head coach in 2020."

"Back then, the early evidence didn't appear to bode well, and with pressure ramping up on the then backs coach Mike Catt, suddenly everything clicked and what the players had been preaching publicly came to pass. That's why it's too early to write off this team."

Ireland players and coaches express confidence that the team game-plan is very close to coming together. That current confidence mirrors a comparable period after Andy Farrell became head coach in 2020. Early signs during that period appeared poor and pressure increased on backs coach Mike Catt. Following that pressure, team performance suddenly clicked and the public claims of the players were validated by results. The 2020 example shows that apparent initial struggles can precede rapid cohesion. The present team should not be written off given the precedent of swift improvement.

Read at Independent