England great Brian Moore believes that Ireland\u2019s issues in attack are bigger than just Jacques Nienaber after the ex-Springboks head coach was criticised following the defeat to France.<\/p>\n
The 53-year-old joined Leinster at the end of 2023 but certain pundits have pointed the finger at the South African over the decline of Andy Farrell\u2019s men.<\/p>\n
His stint as senior coach at the Dubliners has coincided with Ireland<\/a> losing their rhythm in attack, something which has been a hallmark of their play under Joe Schmidt and Farrell.<\/p>\n Leinster\u2019s defensive focus<\/p>\n Nienaber<\/a> has certainly looked to change aspects of Leinster\u2019s game, with the defence a bigger focus, but Moore has questioned those who have blamed the two-time Rugby World Cup winner.<\/p>\n \u201cThe deconstruction of Ireland\u2019s emphatic loss to France has set many hares running, with a distinguished group of former Irish internationals discussing the influence of Leinster\u2019s South African<\/a> coach, Jacques Nienaber, on Ireland\u2019s international performance,\u201d he wrote in his Telegraph<\/a> column.<\/p>\n \u201cTactical dissonance, lack of basic passing skills and predictable attacking patterns were all forwarded as reasons for what was one of the most underwhelming first halves of rugby played by Ireland in recent memory.<\/p>\n \u201cThe justification for these claims is difficult to judge but they miss factors that might be equally, if not more, responsible for Ireland\u2019s loss.\u201d<\/p>\n Ex-Ireland stars blame Jacques Nienaber for national team\u2019s \u2018regression\u2019 as Leinster stint has had \u2018unforeseen consequences\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Moore then delved into the reasons why Ireland may be currently struggling, discussing the recent British and Irish Lions tour to Australia and their ageing squad.<\/p>\n \u2018The ineluctable cycle of regeneration\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cAnybody who is familiar with British and Irish Lions rugby should know that the Six Nations<\/a> following a tour is never straightforward. The country that dominates Lions\u2019 selections is vulnerable,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is as much a question of the mental state of players as it is physical and Ireland have a long list of affected players. Once they are all available we will be able to judge more accurately.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat cannot be denied is that several of Ireland\u2019s most effective players, particularly those foreign-born players identified as Irish-qualified, are coming to the end of their careers.<\/p>\n