Next season will show if the performance of the top 3 Irish provinces has been an abhoration or if it's a sign of an underlying trend. Personally I think
Munster will improve next year and should make at least the QFs. Leinster have so much talent that it's difficult not to see them make it no matter how poorly coached they are, but in the knock out stages where every little advantages counts they'll be exposed until either MOC comes up with a recognisable gameplan or he steps aside for someone else.
I think Ulster will have a harder time of it. I admire the fact that they rely on internal promotion and Doak having such a strong link to the province. I hope he can turn the province around next year, but if ever there was a team that needs to proven winner to come in and shake things up it's Ulster.
With Schmidt in charge I'm not nearly as worried for the national team as I am for the provinces. Add that to the fact that there's plenty of things to work on from a decent showing in November and I think there will be plenty of hunger within the group for the 6 nations. We still haven't seen anything from Ireland in attack and that's one area I'd expect a major improvement in. We also need a big focus on the set piece which was below par.
Historically, for me at least, the time to worry about Ireland is when we look like we couldn't play any better, that's when complacency has crept in and we've lost games we were expected to win. This is a big year for Ireland with the prospect of trying to defend thw 6 nations title and have a decent RWC run (for me anything less than a SF for this Irish squad would be a failure).
