Stockdale: ‘Drop it’ Reado ‘Drop it’ Reado
There was a twinkle in Jacob Stockdale’s eye as he considered the question. ‘‘I don’t know,’’ grinned Ireland’s hero of the hour. ‘‘I guess we’ll find out.’’
Stockdale had just been asked whether the All Blacks’ aura of invincibility had been shattered in the wake of Ireland’s historic
16-9 victory on Sunday; a victory to which the 22-year-old Ulster wing had contributed no small amount, with a sensational try early in the second half, racing on to his own chip to touch down.
And he was clearly not in the mood to massage any bruised egos or give a stock answer about how New Zealand are still the best in the world and would be sure to bounce back with a vengeance.
And why should he? While for many of us it felt as if the rugby world had shifted a little on its axis, for Stockdale it must have felt almost routine. Success in a green jersey is all he has ever known.
Stockdale did not play in Ireland’s first-ever victory over the All Blacks in Chicago two years ago, admittedly. As he pointed out, again with a grin, he was ‘‘still in Ulster’s academy’’ in late 2016 and had ‘‘barely played for them’’ let alone Ireland. He watched the match on television instead.
But it made an impression on him. He joined a winning set-up the following year, scored on his debut against the United States in New Jersey, and has not stopped scoring ever since.
Sunday’s try was Stockdale’s
12th in 14 tests, a tally which included another sensational chip against England in Ireland’s Grand Slam-clinching victory at Twickenham in March.
Asked which of those two famous tries had given him the biggest buzz, he smiled: ‘‘Pffft. I will stick them on a par, and let you know on Monday!’’
What was so impressive about this one was the fact that only minutes earlier Stockdale had seen another attempted chip charged down by New Zealand’s captain Kieran Read. Fortunately
for him, Read spilled it with a try beckoning.
Rather than retreat into himself, though, or play it more conservatively the next time, Stockdale backed himself again.
‘‘That is the message we get from the coaches, that we can play heads-up rugby,’’ he shrugged.
‘‘They give us the confidence to back ourselves.
‘‘The first chip was probably not the best decision I have made on a rugby pitch. I was screaming ‘Drop it!’ [at Read] and he did, so he must have been listening to me! I suppose I got a bit lucky.’’
He was right. There was an
element of luck involved. Nine times out of 10, you would have expected Read to collect his charge-down. But Stockdale’s willingness to back himself again was typical of this young Ireland team. Whether it is James Ryan – sensational again here with 17 carries and 20 tackles in total – or Garry Ringrose, or Josh van der Flier, or Jordan Larmour, they are all fearless. Success is all they have ever known.
Their youthful exuberance, in turn, has given new life to older pros such as Peter O’Mahony, Devin Toner and Cian Healy.
Joe Schmidt deserves huge credit. The Kiwi coach is famed for his micro-management, his obsessive attention to detail. But once he has given his players the framework in which to play, he clearly encourages them to express themselves.
It is hard to think of a player he has not improved.
Small wonder then that for youngsters such as Stockdale the All Blacks do not hold such an aura.
He was not even born when Jonah Lomu was wreaking havoc at the 1995 World Cup.
His personal record against New Zealand, in age group rugby and now at senior level, is played three, won two.
‘‘Part of me can’t believe it,’’ he admitted of his rapid rise. ‘‘It has been an incredible road to where I am at.
‘‘At the same time, it has been an awful lot of hard work. That’s what it takes to progress in international rugby and professional rugby in general.
‘‘It has been a massive yearand-a-half for me. I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.’’
‘‘It has been an incredible road to where I am at.’’