Ulster woes could have knock-on effect for Schmidt
Top dogs Leinster expose glaring deficiencies as northerners flop when heat comes on at Kingspan
THE mid-term report brings mixed grades for the four Irish provinces. In broad terms, Leinster are the A students and top of the pile by a distance, Munster betwixt and between (how could it be otherwise given the circumstances?), Connacht are taking small steps in the right direction but, worryingly, Ulster are all over the shop.
Last weekend was a big weekend for all four provinces – and with the exception of Johnny Sexton and Robbie Henshaw, the various team selections reflected that – but for Ulster especially a performance of substance was badly needed.
Instead what we witnessed at the Kingspan was yet another king-size flop when the spotlight was turned on and the heat turned up. The conditions could scarcely have been any better with Leinster coming to Belfast for a Saturday night showdown in the most complete rugby stadium in the country.
From numbers 11 to 15, the northern province have options in abundance but from one to ten – and I include Christian Lealiifano – there is no semblance of shape or form.
It’s significant that Lealiifano, for all his undoubted ability, is listed in Ulster’s European Player profiles as a full-back. Point being, and here there is no fault with management or administration, the loss of Paddy Jackson is incalculable. Ironically, the one real plus came in the shape of scrum-half Aaron Cairns.
ALTERNATIVES
I know little about the wing apparently converted to scrum-half but, on the evidence of this display and even with John Cooney and Paul Marshall presenting more conventional alternatives at the base of the Ulster scrum, there was something about Cairns that smacked of innovation and threat on his maiden run in the position.
Jacob Stockdale again delivered the type of performance that would see him in my starting line-up to face the Springboks irrespective of his lack of experience. If you’re good enough your old enough and by God he’s big enough and strong enough to take his place in that number 11 shirt. If form and the inter-pros are to mean anything in the context of international selection then Stockdale should be a shoo-in.
Beyond that, specifically based on the evidence of the La Rochelle and Leinster games over the last two weeks, Ulster Rugby is in a mess. There are six players from the province in a national squad of 37 – a small proportion under normal circumstances but given that four of them are forwards, including two hookers, I cannot for the life of me see how. You can have the best backs in the world but, minus a pack of consequence, you are piddling into the wind.
Rory Best’s achievement in reaching 200 appearances for his province and his ability when captaining his country needs little elaboration. I am a fan but while blame can be placed wherever you like for lineout malfunction, the reality is that Best’s throwing technique needs to be addressed. With respect to Best, Rob Herring and James Tracy, an Ireland match-day squad minus Niall Scannell, but more particularly minus Seán Cronin, really worries me. I can’t comprehend what it is that is missing from Cronin’s game (assuming it is lineout throwing) given the three hookers selected.
One player I did know a lot about prior to him announcing his arrival by way of that stunning – and typical – try-scoring finish in Belfast is Jordan Larmour.
Take any position from 11 to 15 and the prodigious former St Andrew’s schoolboy won’t let you down. He possesses a different skill-set to Gordon D’Arcy but in terms of potential at the same age the similarity with the former Clongowes starlet holds strong.
Unlike D’Arcy, Larmour is probably at his best in the outside channels, specifically second centre, wing or full-back. Either way, were I Joe Schmidt I would bring Larmour into the squad for November and pitch him in at some stage against Fiji, preferably from the start.
What Larmour did when bamboozling Iain Henderson – a clear mismatch anyway – and rounding the sweeping Cairns comes naturally to the Leinster utility back. Now more than ever in the professional era good enough is old enough – there is no counter-argument based on age.
At the Sportsground the previous night, meanwhile, even against my beloved Munster, I felt a chill up my spine at the Galway atmosphere, the singing of ‘The Fields’ in their rightful place but more than anything very definite signs of a return through Kieran Keane’s mature hands to the best ways of his predecessor Pat Lam.
SUICIDAL
There is still an almost suicidal element to their rugby and occasional hospital passes still abound but in terms of entertainment give me a Tiernan O’Halloran, a Bundee Aki, a Tom Farrell (what a find), a Jared Butler or an Ultan Dillane (returning to his most effective best) every time.
The red card to Andrew Conway was a tough call although technically correct according to the letter of the law. That said, Connacht were worthy winners regardless. Peter O’Mahony and CJ Stander are playing nowhere near their consistent best and yet alongside fellow Lion Seán O’Brien (absolutely brilliant in Belfast) will be the favoured three to face down the powerful Boks in the opening game.
Even allowing for the obvious lineout issue confronting Schmidt, there is a case for change and we will deal with that later in the week. Still no trophies on display in October but Leinster have copperfastened their position as the Irish side best placed for the long haul.
Top dogs Leinster expose Ulster’s glaring deficiencies when heat comes on