Why Stockdale’s chip-and-chase is such a weapon
Ireland wing has 16 tries in 22 appearances and is particularly adept at one route, writes Tom Cary
Jacob Stockdale is well on the way to breaking Brian O’driscoll’s all-time try-scoring record for Ireland. The Ulster wing has scored 16 tries in his first 22 appearances for his country (0.73 tries per game), compared with O’driscoll’s 46 in 133 appearances (0.35).
But what has been particularly noteworthy about Stockdale’s career so far is how much success he has enjoyed with chip-kicks.
The 23-year-old collected his own chip to score against England in Ireland’s Six Nations Grand Slam-clinching win at Twickenham last year.
He produced another, even more sensational one against New Zealand when Ireland beat the All Blacks in Dublin for the first time last November.
Then he nearly did it again in Ireland’s 27-3 win in Yokohama last weekend. Only a brilliant trysaving tackle from Scotland’s Sam Johnson stopped him. So, how does he get lucky so often? Asked for the secret after the Scotland game, Stockdale grinned. “I don’t know. I suppose when you’re out in front of everyone else, it is easier to pick up a chip,” he said. “Most of the time the ball is going to bounce up at some point and you just have to wait for it.
“All of the wingers in our set-up are practising those… wee grubbers ahead, wee chips ahead. They’re really dangerous kicks, which today kind of proved. The ball isn’t always going to bounce for you, though.”
Stockdale does himself a disservice. A large part of his success is identifying when it is on. For his try against the All Blacks, Ireland dragged New Zealand’s defenders across the pitch from a line-out before switching the play back to Stockdale’s wing. Rory Best was still out there, having thrown the ball in, which meant Ireland were overloaded on the short side, forcing Ben Smith to step up to cover. Stockdale identified this, seeing the space behind. Stockdale had actually tried a chip a few minutes earlier, which was charged down and might have resulted in a New Zealand try. But having seen it was on, he was brave enough to try it again. The kick itself is something he practises a lot. “To be honest, I think a big part of it is the quality of the kick we try to put in,” he said. “If we get that nice angle on the bounce, there is only really one way it can go [once it bounces]. It can go up or it can go straight rather than left or right. Those wee chips in behind and the dink into space is something I’ve been working on with the kicking coach, Richie Murphy.
“The easier kicks are the ones where you’re able to batter it long, so those smaller kicks probably take more skill and it’s something you have to practise and hone a wee bit more.” Having put the kick in, you still need to beat the turning defender. Stockdale has pace to burn. According to Statsports, who are supporting 12 out of 20 teams here in Japan, the Ulsterman is behind only Jonny May at this World Cup in terms of outright pace, with a