It might be time for Andy Farrell to relocate Jacob Stockdale
The search for Rob Kearney’s successor as Ireland fullback remains one of the key problems for Andy Farrell to solve. The position is under extreme scrutiny given it was Farrell himself that made his desire for change crystal clear by not including Kearney in his first squad get-together last Christmas, a decision which effectively retired the player from Test rugby.
Kearney held the fullback position for over a decade, making his Test debut in 2007 and ultimately winning 95 caps for Ireland.
Filling his boots was never going to be easy, but Farrell has quickly discovered that the list of potential heirs to the throne is not as rich as it once appeared.
In his early days at Leinster it was felt Joey Carbery was a better operator at fullback than out-half, but his own determination to become Ireland’s premier 10, mixed with a cruel run of injury setbacks, means any suggestion of Carbery as Ireland’s fullback is at the very least on hold for the foreseeable future. Simon Zebo remains out of the international loop since swapping Munster for Paris, while Andrew Conway is thriving since being almost exclusively used on the wing by Munster.
Other options, such as Will Addison, Mike Haley and Tiernan O’Halloran, have either been held back by injury or not kicked on enough to be seen as Test level options just yet.
So where does Farrell look to next?
On Saturday Jacob Stockdale’s name was thrown back into the hat thanks to an effective performance as Ulster were beaten 28-10 by Leinster.
Stockdale has been used primarily as a winger for both Ulster and Ireland to date, but has increasingly found himself operating in the fullback slot for the province this season, with promising results.
The player himself recently admitted he enjoys the position as he tends to see more of the ball – he led the way with 85 metres made against Leinster – but that won’t be enough for Farrell to relocate him.
With all 28 of his Ireland starts coming on the wing, he is totally unproven on the Test stage as a fullback.
It is worth remembering Farrell is not the first coach to try find a successor to Kearney. In the 2019 Six Nations Joe Schmidt handed Robbie Henshaw a surprise start at fullback only for the Leinster man to endure a difficult evening against an England side that were more than happy to target him. The experiment was not revisited.
Farrell will be wary of a repeat if he does opt to try a new face at fullback.
The argument boils down to what Stockdale offers which Larmour does not.
The most obvious advantage Stockdale holds is his extra bit of height. At 6’1″, Kearney was well able to make his presence felt in the air, making it one of his key strengths. Larmour checks in at 5’10” while Stockdale stands at 6’3″. The high ball remains a problem area for Larmour, and no matter how much he works on his aerial game he can’t add any inches to his frame.
Stockdale is by no means the finished article when it comes to being competitive in the air, but he certainly offers a ready-made frame for Farrell to work with.
The Ulster flyer also brings pace – although Larmour can hardly be accused of dragging his heels – power, and a valuable kicking option, as demonstrated in the defeat to Leinster on Saturday.
So @leinsterrugby prove unbeatable in the #GuinnessPRO14 this season with a flourish of late scores to beat @UlsterRugby ?
Match report ?? https://t.co/q0qkUjh4uw
Catch all the Round 15 highlights at https://t.co/2lIuc64fpF pic.twitter.com/5xsj3evwUz
— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) August 29, 2020
So what about the case for Larmour?
For a start, it appears Leinster coaches Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster have come to the decision that fullback is the 23-year-old’s best position, and he has looked increasingly comfortable at Test level too.
Of his eight starts in all competitions for Leinster this season, seven have come with the 15 on his back. Compare that to last season, where he started eight from 17 games on the wing. Stockdale, on the other hand, has started six games on the wing and just four at fullback across the current campaign. Last season only one of his 11 starts was in the 15 shirt, although he looked remarkably comfortable as the last line of defence against both Connacht and Leinster. Stockdale did regularly play the position at U20 level, but the player himself acknowledges senior rugby is a different ball game. At 24, he has plenty time to learn.
Try of the Decade ?@leinsterrugby's Jordan Larmour vs @Munsterrugby ?
Do you agree? ? pic.twitter.com/L5vBBdK0HF
— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) December 31, 2019
Not only does Larmour have more experience in the position, there is perhaps no player in Ireland who is as exciting with ball in hand. Against Munster two weeks ago he made nine runs for 46 metres, beating five defenders, and his dazzling footwork allows him to find a way out of the tightest holes.
Other players could influence Farrell’s thinking too, and Larmour could fall victim to his own versatility. Leinster’s James Lowe becomes eligible to play for Ireland later this year, and prefers the left-wing spot currently occupied by Stockdale in Farrell’s team.
James Ryan was ruled out for 10-12 weeks just four weeks ago.
Dan Leavy hasn't played in well over a year.
Both could be back in action this weekend. ?https://t.co/1e0h5RlF1Q
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 31, 2020
Would Farrell push Stockdale back to 15 to accommodate Lowe on the wing? It certainly seems an attractive possibility, particularly given the versatility and quality Larmour could offer from the bench in covering both positions.
It is also worth noting that after a blistering start to his Ireland career Stockdale’s hit-rate has taken a rapid nosedive. In 2018 he memorably scored seven tries in his first Six Nations campaign – a new record – and was being touted as a potential future all-time Ireland try-scorer. Since then he has dotted down five tries in 19 appearances.
Perhaps the time is now right for Stockdale to relocate.
Comments on RugbyPass
Awesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
5 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
5 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
5 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
30 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to commentsThis is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?
35 Go to commentsWow, didn’t realise there was such apathy to URC in SA, or by Champions Cup teams. Just read Nick’s article on Crusaders, are Sharks a similar circumstance? I think SA rugby has been far more balanced than NZs, no?
2 Go to commentsBut here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.
30 Go to commentsIt could be coincidental or prescient that the All Blacks most dominant period under Steve Hansen was when the Crusaders had their least successful period under Todd Blackadder and then the positions reversed when Razor took over the Crusaders.
30 Go to commentsDefinitely sound read everybodyexpects immediate results these days, I don't think any team would travel well at all having lost three of the most important game changers in the game,compiled with the massive injury list they are now carrying, good to see a different more in depth perspective of a coaches history.
3 Go to commentsSinckler is a really big loss for English rugby.
2 Go to commentsThanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause
30 Go to commentsNo way. If you are trying to picture New Zealand rugby with an All Blacks mindset, there have been two factors instrumental to the decline of NZ rugby to date. Those are the horror that the Blues have become and, probably more so, the fixture that the Crusaders became. I don’t think it was healthy to have one team so dominant for so long, both for lack of proper representation of players from outside that environment and on the over reliance on players from within it. If you are another international side, like Ireland for example, sure. You can copy paste something succinct from one level to the next and experience a huge increase in standards, but ultimately you will not be maximizing it, which is what you need to perform to the level the ABs do. Added to that is the apathy that develops in the whole game as a result of one sides dominance. NZ, Super, and Championship rugby should all experience a boom as a result of things balancing out. That said, there is a lot of bad news happening in NZ rugby recently, and I’m not sure the game can be handled well enough here to postpone the always-there feeling of inevitable decline of rugby.
30 Go to commentsNo SA supporter miss Super Rugby - a product that is experiencing significant head wind in ANZ - the competition from rival codes are intense, match attendance figures are at a historical low and the negativity of commentators such as Kirwan and Wilson have accelerated the downward spiral in NZ. After the next RWC in 2027 sponsors will follow Qantas and start leaving in droves.
2 Go to commentsLike others, I am not seeing the connection between this edition of the Crusaders and the All Blacks future prospects under Razor. I think the analysis of the Crusaders attack recently is helpful because Razor and his coaching team used to be able to slot new guys in to their systems and see them succeed. Several of Razor’s coaches are still there so it would be surprising if the current attack and set piece has been overhauled to a great extent - but based on that analysis, it may have been. Whether it is too many new guys due to injuries or retirement or a failure of current Crusaders systems is the main question to be answered imo. It doesn’t seem relevant for the ABs.
30 Go to commentsharry potter is set in stone. he creates stability and finishes well. exactly what schmidt likes. he’s the ben smith of australian rugby. i think it could quite easily be potter toole and kellaway for the foreseeable future.
5 Go to commentsThis is short sighted from Clayton if you ask me, smacks of too much preseason planning and no adaptability. What if DMac is out for a must win match, are they still only going to bring their best first five and playmaker on late in the game? Trusting the game to someone who wasn’t even part of planning (they would have had Trask pinned in as Jacomb preseason). Perhaps if the Crusaders were better they would not have done this, but either way imo you take this opportunity to play a guy you might need starting in a final rather than having their 12th game getting comfortable coming off the bench.
1 Go to commentsThanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.
21 Go to comments