Soccer (FIFA)
fromIndependent
1 week agoIreland's reliance on project players is coming home to roost
Modern rugby demands a true 23-man approach because squad depth and replacement impact increasingly determine match outcomes.
They left it late, but a less than convincing Leinster finally got the job done, coming from behind to see off a battling Ulster who had led 17-7 at the halfway point. As had been expected, the powerful Leinster bench made the difference, Dan Sheehan - who scored the winning try which brought the bonus point - as well as Tadhg Furlong, and the McCarthys,
Scoreboard flattered Andy Farrell's team but bench-impact is a positive That the better side won convincingly - on the scoreboard at least - is beyond dispute but that the better side deserved to win convincingly is not. Before Saturday's game against Japan, Andy Farrell had declared his pre-match mantra as "a lot needing to be better as far as accuracy is concerned but our intent in how we play the game, we need a reaction to that".