FROM THE 61 caps he won for his country, Mike Ross racked up over half of them under Joe Schmidt’s stewardship.

He knows a thing or two about the Ireland coach’s way of doing things and shared some insight on the latest episode of Heineken Rugby Weekly on The42. 

Asked about the influence Schmidt had on his career, the ex-prop praised the Kiwi’s man-management in particular.

“Joe’s a guy who will look at you, look at your strengths and look at your weaknesses, and look at how to magnify your strengths and minimize your weaknesses,” said the Cork native who announced his retirement in April last year.

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“He puts you as part of a team. ‘Mike Ross, maybe he’s not the fastest but there’s plenty of lads who are fast, so we can work on Mike’s strengths which are scrummaging and hitting rucks.’ Joe often develops a team that’s more than the sum of its parts.”

Earlier this year, Jonathan Sexton was quizzed about Schmidt’s attention to detail and the highly-structured environment he commands.

“At times you are driven demented with him, but you know he is doing it for a reason – putting pressure on you in training, at meetings to make sure on Saturday every box is ticked.”

Commenting on Schmidt’s reputation, Ross said that there are no mixed messages and players have a clear idea of what’s expected of them.

“Once you realise what he expects, he’s consistent with what he does, so you can’t really ask for much more in a coach. You knew if you messed up a play that he was coming for you. When I was playing the last few years, it was like I had a little Joe Schmidt on my right shoulder yelling at me, mentally, so that if I messed up a clear-out, I could hear him yelling at me. I’d know that’s going to be on the video, or a missed tackle, that’s going to be on the video. It’s like your little conscience whispering in your ear – or yelling, should I say.

You can listen to the full interview with Mike Ross below: 

ALTHOUGH SLIGO MIGHT not be widely renowned as oval ball country just yet, none other than Joe Schmidt has called it “one of the hotbeds of rugby in Ireland.”

Schmidt’s words came in 2016, soon after three products of Sligo RFC – Cillian Gallagher, Conán O’Donnell and Stephen Kerins – had played for the Ireland U20s together.

That achievement was momentous for the Hamilton Park club, which is one of the oldest in Ireland, and the talented trio has continued to do the club proud since.

Kerins, Gallagher and O’Donnell at the Connacht Rugby awards in 2016. Source: James Crombie/INPHO

Gallagher and O’Donnell are now on senior contracts with Andy Friend’s Connacht, while scrum-half Kerins is in the academy and was a key part of the Connacht Eagles side in the Celtic Cup in recent weeks.

Sligo RFC are a Division 2B club in the All-Ireland League – they face Wanderers at Hamilton Park at 2.30pm this afternoon – and plan to continue to produce homegrown players to play in the AIL and possibly rise through the ranks like O’Donnell, Kerins and Gallagher.

That trio made an impression from the off, with Kerins and O’Donnell – both of whom are 22 – coming through the age grades together, while 21-year-old Gallagher came hot on their heels.

“Conan was built for the job he’s at,” says Sligo RFC’s John Davey, who has been coaching in the club’s youths set-up for 15 years. “He’s a natural prop. They’re not made, they’re born.”

O’Donnell, who initially burst to prominence for the Ireland U20s as a tighthead has switched to loosehead in recent years and is gaining great experience with Connacht, making his fifth appearance of the season last night against the Ospreys.

“Conan was more relaxed but athletically, even at eight-years-old, he was like a wee wrecking ball,” says John Kane, who coached O’Donnell and Kerins from U8s to U13s and is currently assistant manager of Sligo’s AIL team.

“He was a prop who thought he was a winger! He was a great character, a really funny kid who played with a smile on his face.”

O’Donnell in Sligo colours as a seven-year-old. Source: Sligo RFC

O’Donnell, who played two years of Ireland U20s rugby, came from a big GAA family and his father is still involved in the St. Mary’s GAA club, but his potential was clear as he shone from the start alongside Kerins.

“Stephen always had an incredible attitude,” says Kane of scrum-half Kerins, who is in his third year with the Connacht academy.

“No matter who you were or how good you were, how big or strong, he would always better you. He has an amazingly competitive streak in him and anything he lacked in talent, he made up for in determination.”

Both of Kerins’ older brothers were good at rugby too, while his sister is a fine soccer player, so sport came naturally.

“Stephen could play everything,” says Davey. “You could give him a hurl and off he’d go and within a week he could probably make any team in the country.

“We always had a thing in the rugby club encouraging the kids to play everything, not to specialise too early. He played an international U16 tournament with Sligo Rovers and was player of the tournament. But he gave up soccer the next season because he really wants the rugby.”

Gallagher, the youngest of the trio, wasn’t part of the same underage teams as O’Donnell and Kerins but all in Sligo RFC could see that he was special.

Kerins, O’Donnell and Gallagher on a visit back to the club. Source: Sligo RFC

“Physically, he’s a superb athlete and he was a fantastic basketballer as well,” says Kane. “You could always tell with him that he was going to go places.”

Indeed, it was something of a tussle for Gallagher’s affections as he played basketball for Ireland at underage level. The 6ft 6ins lock/back row is known as ‘Crouchy’ around Sligo after his early growth spurt drew comparisons to English footballer Peter Crouch.

“As an athlete, he’s kind of a freak because he can do everything,” says Davey. “He has the height, he has the pace, he has the stamina. He’s one of these fellas you don’t see too often.”

Gallagher, O’Donnell and Kerins all came through school at Summerhill College, who they also played rugby for. Kane says Sligo RFC has a strong working relationship with Summerhill, as well with Sligo Grammar School.

The now-Connacht trio aren’t the only talented players Sligo has produced. 

David McGowan played for Connacht and Top 14 side La Rochelle during his career, as well as for the Ireland U19s and U21s, while Sligo’s list of representative honours includes several others.

Cathal Sheridan played for Munster before retiring through injury, while hooker Sean Henry was with Munster and Connacht until being forced into retirement in 2015. Centre Niall Kenneally was with Munster’s academy and now captains Cork Con.

Ex-Munster scrum-half Cathal Sheridan came through Sligo RFC. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO

Matthew Cosgrove was a highly-promising back row who came through at the same time as O’Donnell and Kerins, played for the Ireland U18s, was part of Connacht’s system, and was set for an Ireland U20 call-up until suffering an horrific injury in 2016.

The injury involved several ligament tears in his knee and his hamstring coming off the bone during a tackle while playing for Sligo, ending his hopes of moving into the pro game. Cosgrove is, thankfully, now back playing for the club in the AIL.

Prop Kuba Wojtkowicz got a call-up for the Ireland U20s during the World Championship in June and though he was recently released from Connacht’s academy, he will continue to play for Sligo and hopes to prove the province wrong.

Sligo’s promising number eight Donnacha Byrne is currently part of the Ireland U18 Clubs squad, while Luke Hogge and Hubert Gilvarry played alongside him for Connacht U18s in August.

“We are consistently producing talented young fellas, we’re very lucky that way,” says Kane. “The structures in place are very good, there are great people involved and they do their best to try and keep that production line going.”

Around three-quarters of Sligo’s current AIL squad are homegrown players, while they have enough numbers to run seconds and thirds teams as well.

That local talent helped drive the club to promotion from Division 2C last season under head coach and Sligo native Ross Mannion in his last campaign in the role. 

There is no U20s set-up at the club, although that age grade is a problem all over the country, and Sligo’s players simply move into senior rugby at that point.

“On the periphery, where we are in Sligo, we have to have a conveyor belt of players coming through every year,” says Davey.

Ireland U18 Clubs number eight Donnacha Byrne is one to watch. Source: Tommy Grealy/INPHO

“We’re going to lose some to work and college that simply can’t get back to Sligo for weekends, but our ambition is to have at least three lads coming through the youths system every year that can go on to make the senior team.”

The seniors, who have one win from three games before today’s meeting with Wanderers, are targeting the top four of Division 2B this season and Sligo has slowly but surely developed into something of a rugby town.

“It’s becoming a big deal,” says Davey. “I remember going back a few years ago, when I played, you’d go in with a black eye to work or a cut on your face and they’d be like, ‘Ah, he was out drinking again!’

“Now it’s a badge of honour because you play rugby. It’s not elitist at all anymore.”

Watching O’Donnell, Kerins and Gallagher represent the club for Connacht will hopefully inspire the next generation as Sligo RFC aim to continue producing excellent players.

“When they come back to the club, they’d do anything for us, meet any of the youth teams, come to juvenile training sessions, there’s never any problem there,” says Kane.

“It’s a huge thing for everyone seeing them in Connacht jerseys, everyone’s so delighted to see those guys doing well. Any time they’re playing, there are people taking a trip to Galway and there’s a real sense of pride about it.”

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JOHNNY SEXTON SENT a memorable birthday present to Anthony Foley’s son Dan earlier this year.

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During RTÉ’s Claire Byrne Live, Anthony’s father Brendan told the story of how Sexton posted a jersey to Dan which he wore in Ireland’s thrilling Six Nations victory over France that was settled by Sexton’s last-minute drop goal.

Brendan was speaking on the show about Munster’s famous win over the All Blacks in 1978 when he mentioned the special present Dan received from Sexton.

“A parcel arrived in the post last March, and just to coincide, it was Dan’s birthday.

“[It was] the one he wore in Paris the day he scored the winning points.”

Munster legend and former head coach Anthony Foley passed away suddenly in 2016 at the age of 42.

He was in Paris with the Munster team for a European Champions Cup game against Racing 92 when he died suddenly from a heart rhythm disorder that caused an acute pulmonary edema.

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JOSH VAN DER Flier will start for Ireland against the All Blacks tomorrow at the Aviva Stadium [KO 7pm, RTÉ/Channel 4] after Dan Leavy was ruled out with injury.

Leavy sat out Ireland’s training session yesterday, with head coach Joe Schmidt citing “full body soreness” as the reason for the openside flanker’s absence.

With Leavy ruled out, van der Flier starts for Ireland.

The Leinster man was named in Ireland’s starting team yesterday but with Leavy also missing today’s captain’s run at the Aviva Stadium, he has now been officially ruled out.

Ireland cited “general tightness” as the reason Leavy misses out, declining to provide further detail.

Leavy’s injury means van der Flier is promoted from the bench into the starting number seven shirt, with Jordi Murphy now included among the replacements.

The injury to Leavy follows Ireland losing Sean O’Brien to a broken arm last weekend against Argentina, denying him the opportunity to face the All Blacks.

Schmidt is also without centre Robbie Henshaw, out with a hamstring injury, and scrum-half Conor Murray, who has still not returned from a neck issue. 

Source: Heineken Rugby Weekly on The42/SoundCloud

– Originally published at 13.00

Scotland 14Argentina 9

SCOTLAND MAY NOT have been at their free-flowing best, but Gregor Townsend’s side finished 2018 on a high note with a 14-9 victory over Argentina on Saturday.

Three penalties from captain Greig Laidlaw and a superb try from Sean Maitland proved enough to secure a third successive home win for Scotland over Argentina.

While Laidlaw was accurate from the tee, Argentina rued a number of wasted opportunities to add to their total — Nicolas Sanchez, three times, and Emiliano Boffelli both unable to convert.

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Those 12 points would have secured a third away win in 15 matches for the Pumas, but instead they head into 2019 having lost all three matches in Europe this month.

The opening half did little to lift the subdued atmosphere inside Murrayfield, play getting bogged down in midfield as both sides relied on their kicking game in wet conditions.

Laidlaw put Scotland in front inside four minutes after Santiago Medrano had been caught offside, but Sanchez and Boffelli both missed chances to bring the Pumas level from the tee.

Just before the half hour Sanchez found his range as Argentina enjoyed some possession in the Scotland half, but parity did not last long as Laidlaw restored the hosts’ lead from close range.

Sanchez did level the scores just after the restart, but was again off-target when presented with a chance to put his side ahead.

That proved costly as Scotland responded with a superb break from out-half Adam Hastings that finally gave the fans something to get excited about.

Hastings’ break was held up but in the following phases Agustin Creevy was punished for a high tackle on Huw Jones, allowing Laidlaw to split the posts.

Just after the hour Maitland ran in the game’s only try, the winger profiting after Laidlaw and Stuart Hogg had spotted an opportunity down the blindside.

Laidlaw’s conversion attempt dropped just short and, after Sanchez had missed another penalty, Argentina were able to reduce their deficit.

Sanchez’s third penalty left the Pumas needing a converted try to claim the win, but handling errors denied them that chance as Scotland clung on to a slender victory. 

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AS MUCH AS Johann van Graan will continue to claim these are weeks like any other, there is something special afoot.

More than just the unique atmosphere promised by Thomond Park on a European matchday, Sunday seems set to be the day the head coach finally gets to field his first-choice playmakers.

Between Conor Murray’s early-season neck injury and Joey Carbery’s international commitments, Munster have not been able to pair their uber-classy creators this season. A home clash against the French champions is a fitting stage to debut the double act.

“Obviously they have trained a bit together, played for Ireland together and it is not something we have spent too much thought about,” said Van Graan when asked how much preparation time could have been invested in the partnership.

“If Joey and Conor get selected it will be like any normal week, get the job done in training and then get the job done on the field.”

Sealing the Grand Slam at Twickenham features in a brief showreel of the Carbery and Murray axis. Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

Since Carbery was introduced to Test rugby in Chicago two years ago, he and Murray have become well acquainted with one another. Yet their time on the field as a 9-10 combination has been rare. They have shared significant (i.e. more than five minutes) competitive gametime on just four occasions, most recently when Carbery started the first Test of the series against Australia. An earlier meeting with Australia in Dublin counts for another 49 minutes of playing time, when of course Carbery was playing as fullback. 

More often, they have spent fleeting late-match minutes as a pair or passed one another on the sideline as one shed a jacket and the other pulled one on.

Seeing them together, in red, is a mouthwatering prospect.

Carbery and Murray in training this week. Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO

Selection appears straightforward, toss Carbery and CJ Stander in among the group who tore through Edinburgh, though Andrew Conway, Mike Haley and Stephen Archer are injury concerns for Van Graan as he mulls his team-sheet for Sunday.

Having recently celebrated his anniversary in charge of Munster, round three of Europe is another landmark for Van Graan. Last year’s back-to-back victories over Leicester Tigers were his first foray into European rugby, yet a year on Munster look in formidable shape as they welcome back Carbery and Murray as well as Chris Farrell and Tyler Bleyendaal. All of a sudden, Van Graan has a core of front-line talents who are almost alll fit and available, a fleet of new contracts and they are playing for a settled coaching ticket.