Retired Irish player Alan Quinlan has outlined his frustration over the lineout problems affecting Andy Farrell\u2019s team.<\/p>\n
Last Saturday\u2019s 13-26 loss to the All Blacks<\/a> saw Ireland win just 11 of their 16 lineouts. That 69 per cent accuracy mirrored last year\u2019s figure of 70 per cent \u2013 seven wins from 10 lineouts \u2013 in the 13-23 defeat to the same opposition.<\/p>\n Ireland<\/a> are now on a three-game losing streak against New Zealand<\/a> and while their lineout fared better in the 24-28 Rugby World Cup quarter-final loss in 2023 (86 per cent after 13 of 15 lineouts were won), it was still a factor in that defeat.<\/p>\n This has left Quinlan ruing that Ireland don\u2019t have world-class operators who could make the crucial difference in the bigger games. Appearing on the Virgin Media TV Rugby Pod<\/a> after last weekend\u2019s defeat in Chicago, the retired back-rower said: \u201cIt\u2019s frustrating.<\/p>\n \u201cGuys who run a lineout brilliantly and are obsessed\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe games we have suffered in and lost in the last couple of years, there is always a number of lineouts that have gone awry.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a bit of leadership too from players, identification, and I don\u2019t think we have any world-class lineout operators. In that I mean kind of an Alun Wyn Jones, a Paul O\u2019Connell, a Victor Matfield. These types of guys who run a lineout brilliantly and are obsessed \u2013 that\u2019s a big strength in their game.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, it\u2019s difficult to have that type of character in some teams because they don\u2019t grow on trees, the Victor Matfields or Paul O\u2019Connells. But Paul is coaching Ireland and I am sure he is frustrated as well with some of the execution that has been happening there.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is always the possibility you will lose a few (throws), but in the games that Ireland have lost, there have been lineouts in there that have gone awry. It\u2019s good pressure from New Zealand.<\/p>\n \u201cThe positive of the lineout is that defensively, Ireland were quite good and they stole a few from New Zealand. But going back to the attack, if you want to start and build your attack, a lot of the time it comes from the set-piece and five opportunities were gone abegging there for Ireland to launch attacks off.<\/p>\n England great reveals \u2018phenomenal\u2019 snippet of All Blacks \u2018rugby IQ at its absolute best\u2019 and singles out \u2018point of difference\u2019 concern about Ireland<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWho knows what happens if they win those lineouts clean and the lineouts they won, it\u2019s probably nit-picking but they are winning a good few with Ryan Baird at the front. It\u2019s much more difficult in the modern game to win middle, back and have a lovely crisp ball to spin out to your backline.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not saying it is easy, but it was a factor again the other night and it was a factor in the game last November. It was a factor in the 2023 loss at the World Cup to New Zealand, particularly one that Ireland had on the halfway line.<\/p>\n \u201cThey lost it and Ardie Savea scores at the other end of the field a couple of minutes later, and it came off the back of that.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Ireland win that lineout, Ardie Savea is not scoring 90 seconds later \u2013 that\u2019s a fact. It\u2019s a seven-pointer and Ireland lost by four, so there is a prime example.<\/p>\n Justin Marshall\u2019s \u2018categorical\u2019 verdict on the ramifications of Tadhg Beirne\u2019s red card<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOf course it can happen but it\u2019s in these games that Ireland have lost \u2013 of course there have been other factors and that is the same for every team and they will analyse it \u2013 but I am just nervous and unfortunately that was the case again the other night.<\/p>\n \u201cBut look, it\u2019s early days and I don\u2019t think you can be overcritical. Their effort level was good. They did a lot of good things in the game; their contacts and their physical presence were really good.\u201d<\/p>\n Ireland\u2019s set-piece cause in Chicago wasn\u2019t helped by the early red card brandished to Tadhg Beirne<\/a>, who finished joint second-best lineout winner in the 2025 Six Nations along with England\u2019s Maro Itoje.<\/p>\n