Ireland in rude health to break through
ENDRIK KRUGER is amused how Ireland Under 20s boss Nigel Carolan seems to be copying the Samsonlike beard growth of John Muldoon, the Connacht skipper who refused to have a shave until after the PRO12 trophy was lifted last month. ‘I’m not sure how much is superstition. I just think it’s a new look and he hasn’t got around to shave it off, but we don’t want him to now,’ quips the IRFU agegrade manager whose involvement with teams at this level stretches all the way to an assistant coach’s role at the 1999 U21 SANZAR tournament hosted in Argentina.
Kruger’s current head office position at the union is the one the blazers infamously wanted Declan Kidney to fill way back in 2004 after the Corkman was unceremoniously shunted off Eddie O’Sullivan’s national team ticket, an offer Kidney spurned to remain a hands-on tracksuit coach, not an administrator (two European Cups and a Grand Slam triumph proved Kidney’s decision right).
Administration, though, is suiting Kruger and while it’s a job that has curiosities such as invigilating Leaving Certificate exams for a couple of players in Auckland while team manager during the 2014 U20s World Cup, he is thrilled with Ireland’s run to a first final at a level which was the 2008 halfway house compromise after IRB scratched annual U21 and U19 World Cups.
Ironically, 20s is a competition Ireland threatened to withdraw from following an eighth place finish in 2011 that included a 42point thrashing by South Africa, the IRFU claiming playing five matches in 17 days took too much of a physical toll on resources.
They dug their heels in at Lansdowne Road and now, five years later after the length of the event was increased by two days to 19, they have surpassed 2014’s feat of reaching a first semi-final by progressing to a maiden final with a flourish that included gripping victory over defending champions New Zealand.
‘Absolutely,’ said Kruger, claiming Ireland’s rude health in Manchester vindicates the IRFU’s hard-nosed ‘boycott’ stance. ‘People do under-estimate the intensity of matches at this level. It’s savage... that is possibly one of most positive things that happened to this tournament, that extra rest day for each of the last two rounds of matches.’
Irish vitality was especially evident in last Monday’s runaway semi-final win over Argentina. Whereas their opponents played their strongest hand all through, Carolan was able to ring multiple changes in the final pool outing against Georgia meaning a nineday gap between the win over New Zealand and the knockout game for most of his key players.
And some of those players such as second-row captain James Ryan, muscular prop Andrew Porter and IRB U20 player of the year nominee Max Deegan at No.8 are already being flagged up as senior internationals in the making.
That’s not to say 2016 has been all plain sailing for Ireland’s latest kids on the block. Kruger admits there was no way in February he could have foreseen these uplifting results, Ireland trailing England 14 points at the break in Newcastle after losing Six Nations openers to Wales and France.
However, one of the great learnings, starting with that comeback win over tonight’s opponents, has been how to cope with adversity, the squad even overcoming some pre-tournament withdrawals that could have diluted enthusiasm.
‘Their reaction intrigued me. There was no panic. Instead, the players valued whoever came in, rated their ability and the contribution they could make to the group,’ Kruger said.
Winning trophies at this level isn’t the be all and end all, the main aim ultimately being to provide the best possible stepping stone into the professional ranks, but this leap appears a slow process in this neck of the woods.
Whereas Leinster only this week announced how eight of Carolan’s squad are joining them as firstyear academy members and Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale is the only Ireland player to have already featured in PRO12, nine of England’s team have senior club team exposure.
Arrested development? Not so, insisted Kruger. ‘They [English clubs] do give young players opportunity a bit sooner than we do in Ireland but, with respect, time will tell. The main aim of this team, this tournament and the age grade programme is for us to identify, develop and push players up to senior level.’
Yet it would be nice if players made that breakthrough as World Cup winners. ‘I have mentioned it to the players: “How many Irish teams make a final? How many Irish teams have win a final?” This is a unique opportunity and we must make the most of it.’
Carolan’s rusting razor is ready to shave.