Jordan Larmour compared to All Black by Stuart Lancaster
Stuart Lancaster has been working at Leinster for two years now and has witnessed first-hand the amount of talent churning through the academy system at the Irish province. He has astute judgement when it comes to young players, having also worked with Leeds Academy and as the RFU Head of Elite Player Development.
One player who has stood out in Lancaster’s time at the club is Jordan Larmour.
The versatile back only turned 21 in June and is just 12 months into his senior career, but Larmour already has a Grand Slam with Ireland and a 2-1 series win in Australia under his belt, along with Champions Cup and PRO14 winner’s medals. And the former England head coach feels Ireland and Leinster have their own version of prodigiously talented All Black Damian McKenzie.
“Whether he is in the 15 shirt or any shirt really, he reminds me of the threat that Damian McKenzie brings for the All Blacks, so you don’t know what he is going to do and when he is going to do it and that unpredictability sets Jordan apart from other players I have coached recently, so what you’ll find is at 15 he is a really good option, because if you kick to him then something is liable to happen,” Lancaster said.
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“Interesting speaking to James Lowe who played with Damian McKenzie, I think he sparks off that type of player. I think the combination works well for us.”
Larmour made 22 appearances in an outstanding breakout season for Leinster, scoring eight tries. He was picked on the wing for both finals, marking him out as one of their key men. When told of Lancaster’s comparison to the Chiefs playmaker, the humble Larmour said “He hasn’t told me that!”
Larmour, who has played most of his rugby on the wing or fullback, is also comfortable slotting in at centre and while not a “nerd of the game” as he describes some of his teammates, he says he’s picking up things by analysing others, including the aforementioned McKenzie, who predominantly plays at 10 or 15.
“I think it’s important to be open-minded and see how other players play, how they operate. Damian McKenzie is an unbelievable player, so trying to add a few things off him, new ideas might help my game a bit. I definitely think it’s important to be open-minded.
“Earlsy (Ireland and Munster player Keith Earls), for me, I like to watch him a lot and see how he goes about his business. He’s an unbelievable player, so you’re trying to get better and improve. Anything that will help that, you want to incorporate into your game somehow.”
Larmour is still far from the finished product and struggled on his Six Nations debut against Italy when Ireland shipped a few late tries. And while not name-checked by Ireland defence coach Andy Farrell in the aftermath, his pointed comment that “some young lads who hadn’t got vast amounts of experience might have been getting carried away with themselves”, may have hit home.
Larmour speaks of the “high risk/high reward” that is part of his natural game and there were a few times against the Scarlets in the PRO14 last weekend where he found himself in difficulty, but asked whether Larmour ironing out mistakes will come with maturity or if some players never mature Lancaster was emphatic.
“Yeah you are right, some players never do and then they ultimately don’t get picked in the big games, but I don’t get that sense with Jordan,” Leinster’s senior coach said.
“He is a very quick learner and he’s not that type of player that will just run and run and run, because people pay him more attention now. I mean he’s already got more attention this year than he did last year, people didn’t know who he was.
“Suddenly he scores tries, well he came on against Ulster, he scored that try against Munster and actually I was reviewing the game of the Dragons last year and he played very well in the home game against the Dragons last year. He has got more attention and that happens as a young player – you are on this upward curve and then people give you more attention and sometimes they plateau a bit, but the best ones kick on again.”
COURTESY: Leinster Rugby
Certainly Larmour isn’t resting on his laurels and asked what his targets for the season he said:
“Probably just to grow more as a player, watching more rugby and trying to understand it more. The things in my game that need work, I want to try and bring them up and be more of a rounded player, a better one overall.
“I’m doing a lot of work on my high ball, with my kicking, my defending… it’s kind of just trying to bring those areas up. Those are the main targets I’d have, just to grow as a player and to try to talk more, be more dominant.”
One journalist stepped in with another goal suggestion – don’t get shouted at by Johnny Sexton (as he did against the Scarlets in the Champions Cup semi-final last April).
“Definitely. Ah, he only did it once, but you never want it to be you!
“I suppose sometimes you need that, you know? You need a barking, a kick up the ass really.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Crusaders reached their heights through recruitment of North Island players, often leaving those NI teams bereft of key players. Example: Scott Barrett and Sam Whitelock robbed the Canes of their lineout and AB locks. For years the Canes have struggled at lock. This rabid recruitment was iniated by rule changes by a Crusader dominated NZR Head Office. Now this aggressive recruitment has back-fired, going after young inside back Hamilton Boys stars. They now have 4 Chiefs region 10s and not one with the requisite experience at Super level. Problems of their own making!
1 Go to commentsOver rated for a long time…exposed at scrum time too.
3 Go to comments“Firing me” should have been Gatland’s answer.
2 Go to commentsFinn Russell logic: “World” = 4 countries. Ireland may be at or near the top. FR’s bigger concern should be he and his fellow Scots (incl. the Bloemfontein ones) sliding back down to below top 10
42 Go to commentsMind games have begun. Ireland learned their lesson after saying they could beat England with 13 players or whatever. Still, if they win at Loftus, that would be impressive - final frontier etc.
58 Go to comments$950k for a Prop that isn’t fit enough to play 10 mins of rugby? Surely there is someone better to replace Big Mike with
3 Go to commentsFour Kiwis in that backline. A solid statement on the lack of invention, risk-taking and joy in the NH game; game of attrition and head- banging tedium. Longterm medical problems aplenty in the future!
2 Go to commentsGood article, I learnt quite a lot. A big sliding door moment was in the mid 00s when they rejected Steve Anderson's long term transformation and he wrote Ireland's strategy instead.
2 Go to commentsHi Dr Nick! I'm worried that I've started to enjoy watching England and have actually wanted them to win their last two games. What would you prescribe? On a more serious note, I've noticed that the standard of play in March is often better than early February. Do you think this is because of the weather or because the players have been together for longer?
11 Go to commentsMy question in all this brett is who is going to wear the consequences of these actions? Surely just getting the sack isn’t sufficient? A teenager working the till at woolies would probably get taken to court if they took $20 out of the till. You mean to tell me that someone can spend $2.6 million and get away with it? Where was it spent? What companies/people were the beneficiaries etc? How is it just being talked about as an ‘oopsie’ and we all just move on and not a matter of the court for gross negligence, fraud, take your pick…
18 Go to commentslove Manu too but England have relied on him coming back from injury for far too long and not sorted the position with someone else long term . It will be a blessing he has gone . Huge shame he was so injury prone . God speed Manu .
3 Go to commentsI agree with Ben Smith about Brett Cameron. The No. 6 position has to be a monster and a genuine lineout option, like Ollivon, Lawes (now Chessum), Du Toit, etc. The only player who fits that bill right now is Scott Barrett. A fit and fizzing Tuipolotu together with one of the young towers, Sam Darry or Josh Lord, would give Razor the freedom to play Barret at 6.
16 Go to commentsOutstanding article, Graham. Agree with all of it. And enjoy the style of writing too (particularly Grand Slap!).
3 Go to commentsI wouldn't pay a cent for that loafer. He just stands around, waiting for play to come his way. He won't make the Wallabies.
3 Go to commentsGood bit of te reo maori Nic. Or is that Niko or Nikora? On the theme of trees the Oaks v Totara. Game plan would be key. I have one but it would cost you.
11 Go to comments> Shaun Edwards’ You should not have to score 30 points to win a game, as exciting as it is. This statement was surprising to me. It is nonsensical .I guess it is a defence coach speaking. But head coach, defence and attacking coaches all work together. They are inseparable. You score more than the opposition to win. It only needs to be one score. You score whatever the game demands, whatever the opposition demand. You defend whatever it takes. The attack coach needs to be able to clock up 30pts if need be.
11 Go to commentsWho’d have thought, not having Farrell & Youngs kicking the ball at every possible opportunity and playing flat and allowing your centres to run and pass would pay off? No one could possibly have seen this coming. FML. It took a LONG time coming but at least that time has finally come. England need to find a backup to Lawrence. Freeman is the best candidate for me, I see no reason why he can't play 12. He's big, strong, fast and has great hands.
11 Go to commentsLove Manu but he's not the player he was and I imagine Bayonne have paid too much money for him.
3 Go to commentsNew Zealand have not beaten England since 2018 and even that was a pretty close shave.
1 Go to comments“a renewed focus on Scottish-qualified players” Scottish-qualified is another way of saying English. England has development more players for the Scotland national Rugby team in the last 4 years, than Scotland has.
2 Go to comments