Clinical Carty desperately striving for perfection

JACK CARTY is in the form of his life for Connacht and his quality displays this season are all down to paying attention to the smallest of details.

His line-kicking and other efforts from the hand have been precise for Connacht in their opening six games, while his goal-kicking sees him top of the charts with Ospreys’ Sam Davies on 54 points.

But it’s the kicks that don’t land which command his attention and he goes back over the details to figure out what went wrong.

A run of 11 successful kicks ended when he failed to convert Bundee Aki’s late try in the win over Ulster, and he spent more time poring over that kick than savouring his side’s first win in Belfast in 58 years.

“You could obviously say you are striking the ball well but fundamentally it comes down to the outcome, the stats. I was very disappointed to miss the last kick at the weekend.

“My two previous kicks, when I was standing over the ball, were 26 seconds and 26 seconds (before kicking it) and the last kick was 19 seconds.

Rushed

“I felt when I was lining up the kick that I rushed it and then when we went back and looked at it, it was much quicker. The length of time standing over the ball should be quite similar.

“I had been on a good streak, I think I had hit the last 11 in a row so it was disappointing to miss it, but it is just a good learning,” said the 26-year-old who made his debut for his native province in 2014.

The manner of the win in Belfast was pleasing and they will go into their Challenge Cup campaign at home to Bordeaux-Begles on Saturday with a pep in their step.

“This weekend will be different, the French teams historically are much more physical and you never know what sort of French team will travel.

“Over the years we have had teams battling relegation but with Bordeaux it is quite different, they are quite high up in the Top 14 (eighth), so I think it will be a different challenge for us. They have something like 20 internationals in their squad.”