Will Greenwood exclusive
Could it be time for Lancaster to return to England set-up?
The more I watch Leinster, the more acutely aware I am that the Irish are getting the best out of a man who should have a Red Rose on his chest. After the failure of England’s 2015 World Cup campaign, Stuart Lancaster wanted redemption and headed to Dublin. Alongside Leo Cullen and the Leinster coaching staff they have created a special team.
This is not a piece of clickbait where I suggest that Eddie Jones’s time is up. It is not. My point is simply that it might make sense for Eddie to get on a plane at some point and have a pint of Guinness with his predecessor, who is one of life’s truly great people and could offer a lot to the English cause.
There seems to be the odd vacancy cropping up at HQ and there are few better than Lancaster at the moment. It may be that he would not want to come back to England after the way he was spoken of and chased out of town. And who could blame him, based on the success he is having with the team he has helped to create at Leinster?
The more I watch this team, the more convinced I am that they could even win the Six Nations!
Leinster were very, very good last week against Northampton. It all came together after they showed glimpses of what they could do in the opening two rounds of the competition. Northampton were good and came into the game unbeaten. They had taken Leicester to the cleaners the week before and looked half decent as the match kicked off.
But towards the back end of the first half, there was a weird look to the score – even though it was 16-14 to Northampton, you had a feeling that the Saints were hanging on. They were robust, dynamic and powerful, true, but also a little too frenetic, which is understandable because there are a few youngsters out there, and a hatful of lads for whom this was a real step up.
Overall their game felt a bit “boom or bust”, whereas Leinster showed incredible calmness and composure under intense fire. Northampton will doubtless become increasingly used to these sorts of fixtures. It is just that they came up against a Leinster team who could weather the storm beautifully, and then take control.
Leinster knew Northampton would have golden patches, but they also knew that if they kept their line intact, rolled with the punches and took their chances, then the Saints could not live with them over 80 minutes.
The reality check came with 12 points in two minutes in the second half. After that it was about whether Saints could salvage a bonus point, because Leinster completely shut them out.
Leinster have multiple threats and styles. Garry Ringrose can go through you or around you. There is the continuing development of their No8 options, with Caelan Doris and Max Deegan sharing the role so far in Europe, showing huge energy and dynamism.
They have a wonderful
‘The more I see of Leinster, the more convinced I am they could even win the Six Nations!’
openside in Josh van der Flier, who is just one of those ever-present rugby players in and around the ball. There is no great fanfare, but he is playing as well as any openside in the northern hemisphere and away in Lyon he was simply fantastic.
Rhys Ruddock is everyone’s favourite style of six – a bruising, enforcing, close-quarter grappling king. A huge slab of a bloke who dents you and keeps denting you. He does not need a 10-minute quiet patch to rediscover his mojo – he is at you all game. In the second row, Devin Toner and James Ryan were awesome in Northampton. They have very different styles but they complement each other so well.
Toner has some points to prove, probably to himself, which are always the best ones, and he looks 25 again. Ryan is like Maro Itoje and knows only one direction – full-on, forward at full tilt. The energy and power he brings to both sides of the ball is special.
The front row is strong enough to allow Cian Healey and Tadhg Furlong to ease their way back into the team after their World Cup exertions. At three, Andrew Porter is now looking so much more than an understudy. Behind the scrum the rotation of their nines works well between Luke Mcgrath and Jamison Gibson-park, while Johnny Sexton is back to his confrontational best.
The centres of Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw enjoyed a cracking ding-dong with Northampton’s Rory Hutchinson and Matt Proctor. Their key “points decision” came early in the second half when Ringrose stretched Hutchinson and Proctor on the outside and dropped Henshaw back on a switch into the hole.
James Lowe is an awesome competitor and wonderful footballer on the wing – so much like the legendary Isa Nacewa at times. He is so aware, so willing to play. He never allows Leinster to play dull, and always wants to put the opposition away.
Jordan Larmour is now so much more rounded as a full-back. He plays both sides of the ball well and still has that outside arc and step that frightens anyone.
Then take a look at their strength in depth. The bench included Furlong, Scott Fardy, Luke Mcgrath, Rob Kearney and Ross Byrne – who almost scored with his first touch of the ball – true impact.
Make no mistake Leinster, under Cullen and Lancaster, look red-hot favourites to win this tournament this year.