England great Brian Moore believes that Ireland’s issues in attack are bigger than just Jacques Nienaber after the ex-Springboks head coach was criticised following the defeat to France.
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’s men.
His stint as senior coach at the Dubliners has coincided with Ireland losing their rhythm in attack, something which has been a hallmark of their play under Joe Schmidt and Farrell.
Leinster’s defensive focus
Nienaber has certainly looked to change aspects of Leinster’s game, with the defence a bigger focus, but Moore has questioned those who have blamed the two-time Rugby World Cup winner.
“The deconstruction of Ireland’s emphatic loss to France has set many hares running, with a distinguished group of former Irish internationals discussing the influence of Leinster’s South African coach, Jacques Nienaber, on Ireland’s international performance,” he wrote in his Telegraph column.
“Tactical 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.
“The justification for these claims is difficult to judge but they miss factors that might be equally, if not more, responsible for Ireland’s loss.”
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.
‘The ineluctable cycle of regeneration’
“Anybody who is familiar with British and Irish Lions rugby should know that the Six Nations following a tour is never straightforward. The country that dominates Lions’ selections is vulnerable,” he added.
“It 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.
“What cannot be denied is that several of Ireland’s most effective players, particularly those foreign-born players identified as Irish-qualified, are coming to the end of their careers.
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“James Lowe, Bundee Aki and Jamison Gibson-Park are all the wrong side of 30. Seamlessly replacing them with nascent talent is not as easy as imagined, even when younger players show abundant promise.
“Very few sides extend their place at the top of elite world rugby for more than a few years and what we are seeing might be the ineluctable cycle of regeneration, the direction of which is uncertain.”