Talking Points | infonews.co.nz New Zealand News

A spotlight on the hot topics at Rugby World Cup 2011. The game they play in heaven owes a debt to rival code rugby league. Ireland’s historic 15-6 victory over Tri Nations champion Australia in Auckland, the most noteworthy result to date, was built on a brick-wall defence. The Irish ambushed the Wallabies with their successful tactics of holding up the tackled player to create a maul and either ripping the ball for a turnover or forcing Australia to concede possession through the “use it or lose it” rule. It meant Australia’s electrifying backline, boasting Will Genia, Quade Cooper, James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale, hardly saw the ball and when they did grab the Gilbert, they had little room to move. Ireland’s defence coach Les Kiss, who represented Queensland and Australia as a wing in rugby league, can take some credit for the rapid rise of the 2009 Six Nations champions. The world No.6-ranked Irish have conceded only three tries in their past four big matches - against Wales and England in the Six Nations and USA and Australia in RWC 2011. Intercept tries Two of those were intercept tries, against England and the USA, when Ireland had the matches well in the bag, while a try to Wales was questionable and could have been disallowed. Italy are the only Six Nations member who don’t have a defence coach with a rugby league background. Other RWC 2011 assistant coaches who have played league at the top level include Mike Ford (England), Graham Steadman (Scotland), David Ellis (France) and Shaun Edwards (Wales). Australians John Muggleton (Georgia) and Phil Blake (Australia) and New Zealander Henry Paul (Russia) are former league internationals who are also contributing to rugby union's showpiece tournament. "I think Ireland’s tactics of keeping the man off the ground and slowing down the recycling of the ball enabled their bigger and older forwards to get back into position and be ready," Muggleton said. Big progress "Australia couldn’t attack them. They had to throw the ball backwards every time and give themselves the space to attack rather than flattening up, which is what you want to do. "Ireland’s tactics of really contesting in that area and not actually putting the bloke on the ground slowed Australia’s attack down and put them in a place which was uncomfortable for them. "If you can do that as a defensive group, then you’ve made some big progress." Muggleton, who as defence coach helped Australia secure the Webb Ellis Cup in 1999, and former Great Britain rugby league international Phil Larder were pioneers of coaches switching codes. "It developed from there. It’s common now to have a rugby league bloke there (at rugby union clubs)," said Muggleton, who will link with Super Rugby franchise Melbourne Rebels in November. "The advantage for some of us is that we actually played rugby or have been involved with rugby teams for a long period of time. Tough challenge "You get to learn more about the game the longer you’re in it." Muggleton certainly isn’t one to shy away from a challenge. The Georgians conceded six tries against England in Dunedin on Sunday while the Melbourne Rebels leaked 74 tries from 16 matches last season. "I’m confident I can improve on that," he said with a laugh about the Rebels’ dreadful defensive record. "If I don’t, I’ll have no complaints if I get the bullet."