RBS 6 Nations: Double champion Schmidt is the man England should have appointed - but Kay backs the Jones revolution

“If you asked me at the time who I would have had for England coach I would have thrown the cheque book at Joe Schdmit.”

England’s 2003 World Cup Winner Ben Kay is not the only individual that sings the praises of Ireland’s head coach.

His words above don’t illustrate a lack of support for England’s new man Eddie Jones, instead they reinforce the viewpoint held by many that Ireland have a real gem at their helm and in this year’s tournament they’ll need it.

In Schdmit’s reign Ireland have grown as a national side, they’ve pushed through key retirements and turned themselves into a handful for those facing them. The most emphatic illustration of how challenging they can be to play against came in their famous test against the All Blacks, however more recent illustrations have been during the last two RBS 6 Nations tournaments in which they’ve taken both titles.

However, in 2016 Schdmit has a task on his hands; his players will have arrived in camp off the back of negative outings for their provincial rugby teams in the Champions Cup and their final World Cup match caused trained eyes, including Ben’s, to see chinks in their previously solid armour;

“Although they got to the quarters I think that Ireland’s World Cup will have taken a lot out of them, because how they lost to Argentina gives everyone the blueprint of how to play against them.”

“I was at that game watching and some of the front five forwards were so slow getting into the defensive line; Argentina attacked through the outside centre channel and got a lot of change there.”

Of course Schdmit is hailed ‘the master tactician’ and he will have recognised this issue himself, however the question is does he have the personnel available to him to alter this weakness? Can he once again negate the loss of key players missing due to injury or retirement?

Paul O’Connell, Peter O’Mahony and Ian Henderson are just a few that are unavailable and their absence does leave rather a hole in the national side. Furthermore will he be able to freshen and boost the squad ahead of a colossal opening fixture against a settled, and happy, Wales outfit.

The road ahead has the potential to be a slightly bumpy one for Ireland, they need to start looking forwards and bringing in some of their young talents while maintaining their short-term output.

This is a fine balancing act however if any individual has the ability to manage it with proficiency then it is the man that, since his arrival in the Northern Hemisphere, has won 2 Heineken Cups, 1 Challenge Cup, 1 Pro12 Title and 2 RBS 6 Nations Championships.

Joe Schdmit was Ben Kay’s choice to take the England role for a reason and if Ireland deliver a third consecutive RBS 6 Nations Championship then it will be, without question, the greatest testament of just how good their head coach really is.

But Kay hasn't written England off and believes Jones can make things happen, insisting: "Eddie Jones is focusing on the mindset, the brand, this is who we are I think that it will pay dividends with the work that has already been done and think that under Eddie Jones England have a really good chance"

Ben Kay is part of the Accenture Analysis Team during the RBS 6 Nations, providing fans with insight and analysis to #Seebeyond standard match data. Follow @AccentureRugby or visit accenture-rugby.com. Download the Official RBS 6 Nations app.

History could repeat itself…

History states that in the RBS 6 Nations tournament after a Rugby World Cup Wales always do extremely well. In fact the record books point towards them gaining a Grand Slam, and this year their fans have every reason to feel optimistic about 2016 following suit.

Although Wales didn’t achieve a coveted semi-final or final spot at the recent Rugby World Cup they did take the gloss off England’s ‘fortress’ and will have gained a tremendous amount from the journey that they want on. At times during the tournament you wondered if there would be any players left on the field such were the number of injuries occurring however what was a tribulation at the time will be of great benefit now and in the coming years.

Wales are the most settled and experienced squad heading into this RBS 6 Nations - they have players and coaches that have been together for a sustained period of time and should be quite smug about this. Historically Wales weren’t renowned for their depth of talent however now they have players that have been exposed to rugby of the highest order right across their squad and this will push every member to increase their output.

Right now, with just over a handful of days before the tournament starts, there won’t be any form of panic or race against time in Wales’ training base. The management won’t be wishing that there were extra hours in the day in order to learn new systems or trying to foster relationships between players that have only just met. Instead Wales have the luxury of simply picking up where they left off and refreshing their minds on familiar topics.

Wales’ opening match is away against the reigning Champions Ireland and that in itself presents a hefty opening challenge. Rightly Warren Gatland has identified the need for his players to ‘take a few risks’ and ensure that the ‘shackles are off’ this tournament. This shouldn’t be too difficult to achieve, especially with the return of the extremely talented Jonathan Davies in the centres.

Of course the side have to face the two enigmas, France and England, and both could throw a spanner into their works. However right now, before a whistle has been blown or ball kicked, the men with dragons on their shirts should feel quietly confident and head into this RBS 6 Nations with a spot of swagger.