Ireland's Rob Kearney insists that the players must shoulder much of the blame for the team's disappointing start to the Six Nations. The Irish Independent reports.
"Kearney is also keen to emphasise that, for all the aimless kicking, soft defence and poor ball retention evident in Sunday's performance, management didn't dispense all those 'tactics.'
"The players, we are now told, are entirely responsible for their on-field options. Whether the same players are seeking to take the pressure off the coach remains unclear.
"We did speak about this issue of player ownership on Tuesday," Kearney revealed. "Paul [O'Connell] said a few words about the players having to take a bit more ownership of the whole thing.
"But, in defence of that, I don't get the impression that the players didn't take any ownership last week. I wouldn't say that's a fair point to make. The players always have to run these things.
"The coaches are there to help us and give us game plans and shapes. But, ultimately, we're the guys who run them on the field and that's the most important aspect of the whole thing."
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