LARMOUR UNFAZED BY ALL BLACK COMPARISONS
Leinster star out to avoid second-season syndrome as Lancaster likens him to New Zealand game-changer
AFTER obliterating his goals for last season, it is understandable that Jordan Larmour is just talking about developing his all-round game as he faces into a potentially difficult second season.
As others have found, year two can be a challenge when opposition coaches pore over video footage in search of weaknesses or tells they can exploit.
Larmour’s trump card is his unpredictable style. With lightning-quick feet, pace and a teak-tough self-belief, he lets a picture present itself before taking an option.
It makes analysis a challenge. Larmour finished last year’s breakthrough season on the front foot, playing a major role in getting Ireland across the line in the final Test in Australia.
Although he didn’t start any of the games on tour, he came off the bench early in all three and demonstrated an adaptability and capacity to hit the ground running that can only have endeared him further to Joe Schmidt.
At Leinster, he is a versatile starter and potential game-changer. Stuart Lancaster sees him as a player in the mould of All Black Damian McKenzie, echoing similar thoughts from James Lowe who played alongside the game-breaking New Zealander at the Chiefs.
Steve Hansen largely uses the goal-kicking McKenzie as an impact sub, bringing the 23-year-old off the bench to exploit tired defences with his pace and clever running lines.
Small in stature, he relies on his speed of thought as well as his pace and he is capable of making a fool out of the best defenders.
Although Larmour plays from No 13 out, McKenzie can play at out-half and regularly does so with the Chiefs.
Despite that difference, Lancaster believes Larmour provides similar dangers to opponents.
“Whether he is in the No 15 shirt or any shirt really, he reminds me of the threat that Damian MacKenzie brings for the All Blacks,” the former England coach said.
“So you don’t know what he is going to do and when he is going to do it and that unpredictability sets Jordan apart from other players I have coached recently.
“So what you’ll find is at No 15 he is a really good option, because if you kick to him then something is liable to happen.
“But he didn’t just run everything back, he gave good, intelligent kicking behind the front line, but it was probably the combination of him and James Low.
“It is interesting speaking to James who played with Damian MacKenzie, I think he sparks off that type of player.
“I think the combination works well for us. Wanting “But, when you have Rob Kearney wanting some game-time soon, Jordan could easily slide on to the wing and what we don’t want to do is to pigeon-hole him as that guy who has got to stay on the wing all the time.
“He just has to get that balance right when he is on the wing, of being on the edge to score tries but equally get the ball in his hands as well.”
Larmour expressed surprise when Lancaster’s comparison with McKenzie was put to him.
And while he admits he is not the greatest student of the game, the 21-year-old says he has been watching other players in his position to try and pick up new skills to add to his box of tricks.
“It’s important to be open-minded and see how other players play, how they operate,” Larmour said.
“Damian McKenzie is an unbelievable player, so trying to add a few things off him, new ideas might help my game a bit. I definitely think it’s important to be open-minded.
“‘Earlsy’ (Keith Earls), for me, I like to watch him a lot and see how he goes about his business.
“He’s an unbelievable player, so you’re trying to get better and improve. Anything that will help that, you want to incorporate into your game somehow.”
Like any player who takes risks, Larmour can sometimes get caught in tight spots but that doesn’t concern Lancaster, who wants to encourage him to counter when it’s on.
“He is a very quick learner and he’s not that type of player that will just run and run and run, because people pay him more attention now,” he said.
“I mean he’s already got more attention this year than he did last year, people didn’t know who he was.
“Suddenly he scores tries; he came on against Ulster, he scored that try against Munster and actually I was reviewing the game of the Dragons last year and he played very well in the home game.
“He has got more attention and that happens as a young player – you are on this upward curve and then people give you more attention and sometimes they plateau a bit, but the best ones kick on again.”
Larmour says he won’t spend too much time second-guessing himself as he trusts his instincts and backs himself.
“In a game, you wouldn’t want mistakes hanging over you so when it happens, it happens,” he said. “You can’t change it, so you move on to the next thing.
“Obviously, in the review, you go through it and you see what you could have done better and then next time I’m in that same position I might do something different.”
After a stunning breakout season, Larmour is ready for his second act.
In November, he may even share a pitch with the New Zealand gamebreaker with whom he is being compared.
That will be a sight to see.