Ruddock honoured to take on new leadership role at Blues
Fuelled by last season’s double success, flanker is desperate to start this campaign with a bang, writes Marcus Ó Buachalla
IT’S a second game in the RDS Arena in two weeks for Leinster and for Rhys Ruddock, having watched on from the stands last week, he’s hoping to play a part this week. “A lot of the lads had that runout last week and I had to bide my time but now that it’s nearly upon us I’m hopeful of being in the mix,” he said.
“There was a great buzz to training this week after the win over the Dragons. Everyone now is just focused on the visit of Edinburgh.”
A buzz this week but not so much the week before. Ruddock, 27, had started in Rounds 1 and 2 away to Cardiff and Scarlets, captaining Leinster for both, and while the visit to Cardiff went well, the visit to Llanelli did not.
Missing out on last week has meant he has had to stew on that loss to the Scarlets for an extra week.
“The difference between a win and a loss is pretty stark. We saw it in the opening two games and it starts as soon as the final whistle blows.
“In the dressing-room, but then on the bus, on the plane, on the bus again, your day off and then into the review on a Monday.
“After Cardiff all of that was good craic and you have a natural energy after a win but after the Scarlets game everything was subdued.
“Nobody wants to be in that position. So yeah, not being involved last week means that I’ve had an extra week to think about that last game and have been itching to get out there and to put it right.”
So the million-dollar question: has he learned more from the defeat to Scarlets than from the win against Cardiff?
“It’s not that simple! Definitely after Scarlets we experienced that feeling of a loss and it wasn’t nice. Sometimes that can be a good thing. To realise where you have to go and what you have to put your body through to win in the PRO14 or in Europe.
“What we have also said is that it shouldn’t take a loss for that to happen. We should demand certain standards of each other. We should always strive for that performance that we can stand over and be proud of.
Energy
“Last week after the defeat to Scarlets I think we brought good energy and a bite to training which was good to see and we then saw a performance against the Dragons.
“We now have to remember all of that and make sure that we can replicate that, have the right mindset and go again for Edinburgh.”
Ruddock is, of course, now talking not just as a Leinster player but as a senior player and indeed the club vice-captain having been appointed by his fellow players.
He has captained the club before and has led Ireland on a victorious summer tour to the USA and Japan, but this is a role that he regards as a huge honour. And at a crucial time for the club.
“With Isa (Nacewa) leaving and the massive influence he had on the club and on the players I think it’s even more important than ever that the new leaders carry on and try to bring their own style of leadership but that we carry on his legacy as best we can.
“Obviously Johnny (Sexton) is captain and I’m enjoying my role, supporting him first and foremost and how he wants to lead the club and seeing how we all as a leadership group can drive the club forward.
“It’s a huge honour for me and I hope that I can help in whatever way that I can and that I can play my part.”
Ruddock did played his part in last season’s historic double but by his own admission it was a frustrating season overall with injuries hampering his involvement.
That said, he still came out of the campaign with 11 games to his credit but an injury sustained in the first Exeter game in December left him sidelined until April.
He did manage to force his way back into Leo Cullen’s thoughts and came off the bench against Saracens in April and made the squad for the Champions Cup final as well as starting the PRO14 semi-final and final to make it a brilliant end to the season.
“It was a mixed year, a juxtaposition for me in many ways. The lows of the injury against the highs at the end of the season and in particular playing against Munster and the Scarlets and to finish out the season like that.
“It was a privilege and a massive high to play my part in that success.
“So I was very keen to have a good pre-season and to start the year pos-
itively and thankfully, touch wood, I feel good and it’s now all about getting going again.”
So what has he made of Edinburgh and the threat that they will pose tomorrow in the RDS?
“They are a team that we always had massive respect for but I think that respect has increased over the last year or so, in particular since Richard Cockerill took over.
“There is a steely edge to them now and they battle for every last scrap, every last point, and you saw that in their opening two games where they lost but still went to the final whistle and could have and maybe should have taken more than a losing bonus point from those games.
“We learned a lot from playing them twice last season – us both winning at home – so we’ve looked at that.”
Reflection
It’s not often you hear of players reviewing games played almost a year ago. Generally speaking it’s next-game focus but this is probably a further reflection on the respect this Leinster team have for Edinburgh.
“Each game is different. Sometimes we wouldn’t look back at all on previous games as teams and coaches can have changed so much from year to year but I think this was different and it was good for us to see exactly what they brought to the game.
“They maybe should have beaten us twice last year and it’s good to remember that too.
“We escaped with a win at home and having that reminder will be good for us. These are good players, well coached and we will have to be at our very best to put in a performance.”