Irish coach Declan Kidney warns his team not to try too hard
Ireland coach Declan Kidney has urged his team not to try too hard and to relax and enjoy their Test match with Samoa on Saturday 13 November.
Ireland were criticised for over-playing the ball in their 21-23 defeat to South Africa and the Irish coach admitted that his tactics and nervousness resulted in a poor performance.
Speaking at a press conference Kidney said: “Well we know the areas that we improved. My only concern is that they’re so keen to get it right. We have to just temper that keenness and have the belief in
ourselves and keep doing what we’re doing in training. It’s nearly too much effort if anything and that’s the one thing we have to temper coming into it.”
Ireland will expect to produce a good performance against Samoa and a defeat would put the Irish coach Declan Kidney under severe pressure.
The Irish have failed to win their last four Test matches and they will be expected to beat Samoa comprehensively.
However, Kidney has warned his team that Samoa will not be easy opposition and that his team must approach the Test in a professional manner.
Ireland easily beat Fiji in last season’s November Internationals, but the Irish coach warned his team that Samoa have beaten Fiji by a similar margin ahead of the Autumn Internationals.
“We played Fiji on a horrible day here and they (Samoa) put a similar type of score on them in Fiji just a couple of months back, so I wouldn’t be under any illusions. They are a side that do come together
in a World year and they will be very keen to start off this tour well. That’s why the first 20 minutes tomorrow will be very important."
Samoa will be a much changed outfit from the midweek team that was defeated 26-22 by Connaught on Tuesday 9 November and are expected to provide Ireland with a physical test on Saturday. But bookmakers
still have the Irish as substantial favourites.
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