STOCKDALE’S RISE CONTINUES
STARDOM wasn’t supposed to happen this quickly for Jacob Stockdale. The Irish way is to allow academy apprentices gradually earn their stripes in the provinces after signing off with the Ireland Under 20s.
However, Stockdale is one of three from the Class of 2016 which lost a World Cup final to England to have already jumped the fence, after James Ryan and Andrew Porter were capped by Joe Schmidt at senior Ireland level last June and again this month.
When Stockdale left Manchester that June night 17 months ago, after Ireland’s 21-45 defeat to England in the decider of a tournament lit up by Ireland’s pool ambush of New Zealand, he never envisaged making so much progress so quickly.
‘At that point it was trying to get over being beaten in the final and getting stuck into pre-season with Ulster because that was my second pre-season with them,’ he recalled,
‘I just wanted to train as hard as I could with them and then, at that point, I was just trying to get games for Ulster and get on the pitch because there was Tommy [Bowe], Andrew [Trimble], [Craig] Gilroy, Louis Ludic, a whole plethora of wingers ahead of me and I was just trying to get on the pitch.’
Not that he didn’t have inspiration for how wonderful life could become. He did. ‘If you look at Robbie Henshaw coming through when he was at Connacht, he played Under 20s and in no time he was into the Irish senior set-up.
‘He has been a guy I have always looked at for being pretty impressive and going about it the right way. Obviously, he has gone the next step now and is a Lion. Robbie is a pretty good player to try and chase.’
In time he’d love to give outside centre a try at Test level. So, too, full-back. But just now, the 21-yearold wants to set about securing the No 11 jersey as so new is he to the scene, his start against South Africa 13 days ago was his first ever run at Aviva Stadium.
‘It was 30,000 more people than I have ever played in front of, so it was a bit of a change up,’ he said, his sense of wonder clear as he looked back on a first fixture in Dublin which culminated with his late try.
‘I maybe felt I had to feel my way into the game more than I would usually like to. That being said, hopefully against Argentina I’ll be used to everything that comes with an Irish game at home.
‘I just have to do everything I can right. Against South Africa, I didn’t really get much opportunity with the ball, but anything I did, I did well. It will be the same against Argentina. I have done my prep, know them inside out, and know what I’m doing. If the opportunities come I have to take them.
‘I wasn’t really that worried in the first half against South Africa, but at the same time I was glad for a few more involvements in the second. That tackle in the 68th minute was a big turning point for me and off the back of that I had a couple of involvements in a row and it really helped me to get into the game.
‘But that being said, I didn’t feel like I was out of the game at any point. From the first whistle I was switched on. I tried to keep myself calm because it is the kind of thing you can’t control. You can control what you do and if the ball comes you control what you do with it, but you can’t control where the ball goes and if you get opportunities or not.’