Legendary centre Brian O’Driscoll is perplexed as to why Ireland have become so “risk-averse” under Andy Farrell since the Rugby World Cup.
Farrell’s side became renowned for their multi-phase rugby and it proved to be hugely successful as it secured a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2023 and a series victory over the All Blacks in New Zealand a year earlier.
Although it didn’t quite yield a deep run at the World Cup, they were not far away from beating the All Blacks in the last-eight, which would have opened the path to the final.
Ireland’s decline
However, that has changed following the global tournament with 2025 and the start of 2026 being a particular struggle for the Irishmen.
Several factors could be at play, including execution and an ageing squad, but O’Driscoll believes that Ireland have fundamentally become a “negative” side.
The game has changed somewhat with the removal of ‘escorts’ placing extra importance on the kicking battle, but the former captain insists that they can still be more adventurous.
“They’ve gone so negative. Do you not think we’re never going to beat a team by just winning in the air? We’ve got to think our way around beating the best sides and when you look back and reflect on our best rugby and kind of inspiring rugby, it wasn’t about our kicking game,” he said on Off The Ball’s The Rugby Roadshow.
“It was about us backing ourselves to get soft shoulders, to get off-loads away, to take a few more risks. I think we’re becoming increasingly risk-averse.
“[Jamison] Gibson-Park, it’s so unlike him to get to a ruck and almost just wait for the players to get into their shape. Screw the shape, if it’s free, go! Because the defence isn’t aligned either.
“You have to play heads-up and see what’s in front of you. I think we’ve come away from that a little bit, about backing ourselves.”
O’Driscoll was joined on the panel by fellow ex-Ireland international Stephen Ferris, who believes that his former side Ulster have shown what can be done with a positive mindset.
Adventurous Ulster
“Is that now why a lot of people are really enjoying watching Ulster? Ulster are playing with that intent,” Ferris said.
“Ulster attack from everywhere. Yes, they have a half-decent kicking game but their skill set, this season in particular, has been really, really high.
“I think that’s why everybody is getting massively excited about Ulster and why some of the guys should maybe be given more of an opportunity with Ireland.”
O’Driscoll agreed with Ferris and also claimed that Farrell’s side do not really have an identity.
“People will go, ‘not kicking the ball again’, but if you get it back, it’s like ‘okay at least there’s a result-based outcome here’, where we’re going to get territory, we’re going to get position,” he added.
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“Whereas, if you lose that, it’s like, we’re kicking the ball away and we’re not getting it back, and we’re not winning the scrap, so what are we doing? What’s our style? What do we stand for?
“It’s really hard to see at the moment what constitutes an Irish style and I think we’re a little bit lost on that front and we need to rediscover what we’re best at.”
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