Jackson gets his kicks in bid to solve Schmidt’s out-half conundrum
AS A former schoolteacher, Joe Schmidt knows his maths. Four into three (or even two) doesn’t go, so it will be intriguing to see what direction he takes in early September when he finally declares his out-half strategy within his 31- strong World Cup squad.
Johnny Sexton — when fit and able — will wear the No 10 shirt. There isn’t even a debate to be had. It’s the pecking order for his understudies that demands attention.
Ireland have played 18 matches in the Schmidt era, Sexton starti ng 15 with Paddy Jackson (Samoa), Ian Madigan (Georgia) and Ian Keatley (Italy) each wearing the No 10 shirt on a single occasion — hardly a clear indicator as to who really is the preferred alternative should Sexton pull up lame. So expect a battle royale in the jostling for position if last Saturday’s episode in Belfast is anything to by.
Jackson and Keatley went at it hammer and tongs in the drawn interpro. The former is uncapped since March 2014 when displaced by Madigan, and without contact from Schmidt since January; the l atter was Ireland’s surprise starter in the Six Nations opener in Rome after Madigan fluffed his Wolfhounds lines.
And with each having a semifinal to play (and potentially a May 30 final) before the month is out, the incentive exists for the pair to excel in proper competitive surroundings rather than the low-key outing Madigan is primed for with Ireland against the Barbarians in Limerick.
Having endured a difficult season, during which he was excluded from the November series and injured for the Six Nations, Jackson, 23, reminded everyone of his talent with last weekend’s flashy display. His perf ormance culminated i n the game-levelling conversion from out wide after ushering Paul Marshall in for the try with a perfectly delivered pass.
The irony was two-fold. But for Ruan Pienaar’s niggle, Jackson, who hadn’t place-kicked since the January day he damaged his elbow in Toulon, wouldn’t have had that responsibility against Munster. Secondly, he admitted his dry-run the previous day hadn’t gone well. ‘Just before [the kick], I was thinking about how I was kicking with Ian Humphreys on Friday and I missed four in a row from the same position.
‘Once I got that out of my head, all I was thinking about was the strike and I’d been striking it sweet all day. The warm-up had gone well for me and I was just thinking to keep my head down, get through the ball and it paid off.’
It was an emphatic statement on an afternoon when himself and Keatley both impressed in front of the scouting Schmidt.
‘It’s definitely enjoyable,’ said Jackson, reflecting on Ulster’s ambitious ball-in-hand approach, which reaped two tries but could have had two or three times that number. ‘But it’s quite tiring.
‘We were running the ball from deep, whereas Munster were looking for the territory game… it’s definitely a big positive for us that we’re playing adventurously, but those tries that we left out there were a nightmare for us.’
The draw has left Ulsterin line for an away semi-final, unless they beat Glasgow at a sold-out Scotstoun and either the Ospreys or Munster result goes their way. But Jackson has his eye on the bigger picture and World Cup.
‘I’ve been happy with how I’ve been playing… if I keep this form up, I should be able to be thereabouts. I’m just desperate to try and win something here.
‘We’ve another big game against Glasgow and I’d love to be kicking. As an out-half and as a player, you want to be in these positions where you’re trying to win a game. You want to be kicking, so we’ll have to speak with Ruan.’
Jackson, meanwhile, has his fingers crossed that housemate Iain Henderson won’t get a seasonending ban this week following Saturday’s red card. ‘I desperately hope he doesn’t miss the whole season. We were all in disbelief. He said he didn’t make contact with him from the head.’