RUGBY:THERE WEREN'T too many collective plusses to Ireland's opening offering in Murrayfield, but the defence was by some distance the most positive. Hence, when it came to wheeling out one of the Irish coaching staff yesterday, step forward Les Kiss.

It’s perhaps easier for a team to apply their defensive system in a seasonal opener but for Kiss at any rate, there was much to be content with after a good work-out. The opening quarter set the tone, with the team having to make about 93 tackles in the first 20 minutes.

“That’s getting up in the extreme end of the scale. The guys certainly had to dig deep for themselves and each other in those moments, there were some good things but there is still a lot more to come from us.”

In particular Kiss reckoned Ireland “could have been sharper” not only in their technique but in recognising opportunities to apply more line speed.

There were, he admitted, a couple of blemishes in midfield and out wide for Jo Ansbro’s decisive try, as well as four or five line breaks – of which he reckoned two could have been averted by players filling the line rather than needlessly joining rucks.

But the scrambling defence was especially good, as were the trademark ‘choke’ tackles which held up Scottish runners, which Andy Robinson praised as “unique” afterwards. There are signs that other teams are starting to copy this blueprint, but Kiss was unconcerned about Ireland showing their hand.

“I would be hesitant to say that we are just an upright tackle team, when you look at the stats when we were first into the tackle 60 per cent went in high, the rest were low, so you’ve got some good chop tackle as well. If it’s perceived that way, that’s good because I know it’s a good strength that teams have to work out how do they play against that. Does that mean that they forget about passing the ball and trying to go low and trying to create quick ball which then dilutes the way they like to attack?”

“I like to think that the whole system allows guys to bring their strengths to the game, whether it’s an upright tackle and get into a choke and hold it to a maul, and some guys can really read it well and chop the legs and get over the ball and have better decisions that way. I’m hopeful that there is a broad range of skills that we can bring to the tackle area.”

Aside from being highly motivated, Kiss is also infectiously enthusiastic about the game and was a keen student of his native Australia’s defeat to the All Blacks on Saturday. Although, as he stressed, Ireland’s pivotal second pool game against Australia is a while away yet, Kiss did concede that the Kiwis provided something of a defensive template, especially in negating the playmaking influence of the Wallabies’ halves, Will Genia and Quade Cooper.

“They were also smart, the All Blacks, in not allowing the Aussie (ruck) cleaners to take people off out of the tackle area which puts hesitation on your pillar defenders. They were strong there. They didn’t get taken out which was a Reds tactic they used all year which then gives Genia room to move and you hesitate, which opens up space.

“That allowed them to apply the right amount of line speed, particularly on the inside on Cooper, so he passed earlier than he wanted to. He couldn’t take the line under his terms, and those were the interesting things there. But it started in the middle, in the tackle, and I think McCaw and (Kieron) Read and co were crucial in the pressure they put there.”

But none of that will count for much, he pointed out, unless Ireland begin upping their defensive effort against France over the next two weekends.

Similarly, Kiss recognises the need for efficient tackling to prevent the French “congealing” Ireland’s defence with their offloading game and then striking out wide.

“That’s when they’re dangerous, so we need to be able to do the work at the tackle to ensure they don’t get the extra space that they’re looking for, particularly after the second pass. They really strike onto that ball hard and ask some serious questions.”

Then there’s the French unpredictability and individuality. “Individually, any one of them can just quick tap the ball at any stage, any one of them is prepared to throw the ball in quickly, any one of them is prepared to throw it out of the back of their hand and just trust that they can play that lovely way that allows their individuality to come to the top.

“We just need to be hungrier around those things. It’s going to happen. They’re going to question us. They’re going to put our systems under pressure and even those little grubbers they put through on the edges, for those little things that come up we just need to be able to work that extra five or six metres more than we usually do and ensure that we can slowly but surely suffocate what they feel they can get out of the game in that individual flair.”

In that respect, these first two games will be chalk and cheese.

IRFU SEAL DEAL: 02 sponsorship worth €13mTHE BIG guns – Brian O'Driscoll, Paul O'Connell and Jonny Sexton – were rolled out at the Irish squad's base in Carton House yesterday when the IRFU and 02 confirmed the latter's new four-year sponsorship agreement to extend until the end of the 2015-16 season. The deal is reputed to be worth €13 million, writes Gerry Thornley.

In extending its partnership with the IRFU, the 02 deal is set to become the biggest team sports sponsorship in Ireland, exceeding the €800,000 to €1 million deal Vodafone have with the Dublin GAA teams and the €7.5 million which the FAI was reported to be receiving from 3 mobile over four years. Since becoming Ireland’s primary rugby sponsor in 2006, 02 have become associated with a Grand Slam and two Triple Crown successes and their pro-active sponsorship has incorporated a number of initiatives such as the award-winning “Be The Difference” campaign.

As part of yesterday’s announcement, O2 and the IRFU have also unveiled plans to hold an open training session with the Ireland squad on Thursday, August 25th, in the Aviva Stadium. Admission will be free and entry to the Aviva Stadium is by ticket only. Tickets can be ordered at: www.ticketmaster.ie. As John Hussey, president of the IRFU, candidly admitted yesterday: “What we look for in sponsorship in the first place is a lot of money but apart from that there are many other aspects to us and 02 have ticked all the boxes in terms of the kinds of support we want. They’re in with our supporters and they are keen to help us with the grass roots, so they are literally doing everything we could ask for in sponsors.”