IRELAND players try to follow Joe Schmidt’s game plan, but scrum half Conor Murray insists they aren’t robots.
Schmidt’s efficient team have claimed 10 Test victories in a row and Murray feels there is always room for individual flair.
“You don’t go out on the pitch as a robot and just do exactly what you’re told to do,” Murray says. “You do have a game plan and, under any coach, there’s a game plan that you try to follow as best you can.
“Look through the video and there’s times we go against the grain of play or do our own thing. If you see the little kick for Robbie's try people do back themselves and express themselves if they want to. You can do that within a game plan as well.”
Murray thinks that Ireland’s kicking game is currently under the ‘spotlight’, while the defensive set up remains solid.
“It doesn’t depend on who you are playing or what they are saying. It’s still a tactic we will use to exit our half. Every team in the world uses it. It’s just seems like there’s more spotlight on ours at the moment.
“Maybe Robbie’s try coming from a kick is another reason why it is being mentioned, but it is part and parcel of the game now and if England did talk about it didn’t mean we weren’t going to do it anyway. It was always going to be part of our game plan.
"Our defence is huge, it was really, really good at the weekend. It was the first time in a while where we haven't been within seven points of the opposition and they could win it with a late score.
"It was nice to have that little bit of cushion, I think it was great the way we held them out at the end.
"We are a year further down the line with Joe. We know each other a lot better and that obviously shows on the pitch."
