Ex-Ireland forward explains how lack of ‘world-class operators’ in key area is affecting Andy Farrell’s side
Jack Conan collects an Ireland lineout last weekend in Chicago and, inset, Alan Quinlan
Retired Irish player Alan Quinlan has outlined his frustration over the lineout problems affecting Andy Farrell’s team.
Last Saturday’s 13-26 loss to the All Blacks saw Ireland win just 11 of their 16 lineouts. That 69 per cent accuracy mirrored last year’s figure of 70 per cent – seven wins from 10 lineouts – in the 13-23 defeat to the same opposition.
Ireland are now on a three-game losing streak against New Zealand and while their lineout fared better in the 24-28 Rugby World Cup quarter-final loss in 2023 (86 per cent after 13 of 15 lineouts were won), it was still a factor in that defeat.
This has left Quinlan ruing that Ireland don’t have world-class operators who could make the crucial difference in the bigger games. Appearing on the Virgin Media TV Rugby Pod after last weekend’s defeat in Chicago, the retired back-rower said: “It’s frustrating.
“Guys who run a lineout brilliantly and are obsessed…”
“The games we have suffered in and lost in the last couple of years, there is always a number of lineouts that have gone awry.
“It’s a bit of leadership too from players, identification, and I don’t think we have any world-class lineout operators. In that I mean kind of an Alun Wyn Jones, a Paul O’Connell, a Victor Matfield. These types of guys who run a lineout brilliantly and are obsessed – that’s a big strength in their game.
“Look, it’s difficult to have that type of character in some teams because they don’t grow on trees, the Victor Matfields or Paul O’Connells. But Paul is coaching Ireland and I am sure he is frustrated as well with some of the execution that has been happening there.
“There is always the possibility you will lose a few (throws), but in the games that Ireland have lost, there have been lineouts in there that have gone awry. It’s good pressure from New Zealand.
“The positive of the lineout is that defensively, Ireland were quite good and they stole a few from New Zealand. But going back to the attack, if you want to start and build your attack, a lot of the time it comes from the set-piece and five opportunities were gone abegging there for Ireland to launch attacks off.
“Who knows what happens if they win those lineouts clean and the lineouts they won, it’s probably nit-picking but they are winning a good few with Ryan Baird at the front. It’s much more difficult in the modern game to win middle, back and have a lovely crisp ball to spin out to your backline.
“I’m not saying it is easy, but it was a factor again the other night and it was a factor in the game last November. It was a factor in the 2023 loss at the World Cup to New Zealand, particularly one that Ireland had on the halfway line.
“They lost it and Ardie Savea scores at the other end of the field a couple of minutes later, and it came off the back of that.
“If Ireland win that lineout, Ardie Savea is not scoring 90 seconds later – that’s a fact. It’s a seven-pointer and Ireland lost by four, so there is a prime example.
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“Of course it can happen but it’s in these games that Ireland have lost – of course there have been other factors and that is the same for every team and they will analyse it – but I am just nervous and unfortunately that was the case again the other night.
“But look, it’s early days and I don’t think you can be overcritical. Their effort level was good. They did a lot of good things in the game; their contacts and their physical presence were really good.”
Ireland’s set-piece cause in Chicago wasn’t helped by the early red card brandished to Tadhg Beirne, who finished joint second-best lineout winner in the 2025 Six Nations along with England’s Maro Itoje.