In recent weeks, some journalists have been suggesting the Irish team now has a wealth of options at scrum half. In reality, none of them have the all round game that some of their British Lions competitor’s poses. Phillips, Peel, Care, Ellis and Blair are all better players and would wear 9 regularly if they were Irish. So who’s the best of the lads we’ve got?
Let us first look at the incumbent Tomas O’Leary. He is as physical a scrum half as you’ll find in the British Isles (bar the oversized Mike Phillips), and his defence is excellent. A recent cover tackle in a league game away to the Ospreys was as good an example of scrum half cover you’ll find, and an impressive show of strength. That day he had a good game overall, but was hailed by many as the finished article. Careful study will show his box kicks to touch from near his own line never left the 22. This is a problem area for O’Leary. His kicking against France was terrible, never giving the limited chasers a chance and allowing the French back three to counter into ample space. I have no doubt that it was the management’s strategy to kick through O’Leary, but surely they’d have rathered the chaser arriving the same time as the ball? This is an area easily worked on for a man who has played out half at senior cup level and I’m sure he’ll improve here.
His pass however is a bigger issue. Against Argentina he had a pass from a ruck intercepted before reaching the out half. I’ve never seen this before, and haven’t since. In the Italian game he frequently found the deck rather than the man as he chose the wrong side on a regular basis. If I could paint a picture of my abiding memory from that game, it would be O’Leary standing at the base of a ruck, looking around with the ball at his feet. He sucked all dynamism out of the game. This hasn’t happened as often in other games but occurred regularly in O’Leary’s worst international performance to date. Whilst he is ahead of his two Irish competitors in defence and physicality, his kicking, passing and decision making needs to better, and above all, quicker. Slow ball was a major problem against the Italians, one which Stringer rectified in an instant.
For many years Stringer has been the quickest and most accurate passer in world rugby. This hasn’t changed. The pace he put on the Italian game was clear to see. His policy of never breaking makes him predictable to defend; but O’Gara gets the ball exactly where he wants it every time, and rarely does he go the wrong way. He’s a good kicker too. The Italian game showed us one thing though – he is perhaps best used as an impact sub, injecting pace on a game when it looks to have fizzled out. He’s the ideal number 20 for Ireland at present. In the medium term O’Leary’s main starting challenger is last years first choice – Eoin Reddan.
Let us first look at the incumbent Tomas O’Leary. He is as physical a scrum half as you’ll find in the British Isles (bar the oversized Mike Phillips), and his defence is excellent. A recent cover tackle in a league game away to the Ospreys was as good an example of scrum half cover you’ll find, and an impressive show of strength. That day he had a good game overall, but was hailed by many as the finished article. Careful study will show his box kicks to touch from near his own line never left the 22. This is a problem area for O’Leary. His kicking against France was terrible, never giving the limited chasers a chance and allowing the French back three to counter into ample space. I have no doubt that it was the management’s strategy to kick through O’Leary, but surely they’d have rathered the chaser arriving the same time as the ball? This is an area easily worked on for a man who has played out half at senior cup level and I’m sure he’ll improve here.
His pass however is a bigger issue. Against Argentina he had a pass from a ruck intercepted before reaching the out half. I’ve never seen this before, and haven’t since. In the Italian game he frequently found the deck rather than the man as he chose the wrong side on a regular basis. If I could paint a picture of my abiding memory from that game, it would be O’Leary standing at the base of a ruck, looking around with the ball at his feet. He sucked all dynamism out of the game. This hasn’t happened as often in other games but occurred regularly in O’Leary’s worst international performance to date. Whilst he is ahead of his two Irish competitors in defence and physicality, his kicking, passing and decision making needs to better, and above all, quicker. Slow ball was a major problem against the Italians, one which Stringer rectified in an instant.
For many years Stringer has been the quickest and most accurate passer in world rugby. This hasn’t changed. The pace he put on the Italian game was clear to see. His policy of never breaking makes him predictable to defend; but O’Gara gets the ball exactly where he wants it every time, and rarely does he go the wrong way. He’s a good kicker too. The Italian game showed us one thing though – he is perhaps best used as an impact sub, injecting pace on a game when it looks to have fizzled out. He’s the ideal number 20 for Ireland at present. In the medium term O’Leary’s main starting challenger is last years first choice – Eoin Reddan.
Reddan hasn’t been playing well this year. I’ve watched highlights of every Wasps game this year and am yet to see him dominate a game as he did throughout last year. Being 3rd choice is probably a fair assessment of where he is at the moment. Having said that, against a weak Scotland A side he showed what a class player he can be. Quick taps led to points. Quick service led to points. It is hard to discuss his performance in the context as I did with O’Leary because the opposition is a million times worse; but he is showing signs of picking up his form. He is comfortably the best kicker of the three, and the best breaker. He lacks the pace of O’Leary, but his breaks are far more regular and effective. He is more aware of his options, which is probably as a result of having played there for so long compared to his Munster colleague. O’Leary has a massive edge in defence, and on club form is rightly the first choice. But Reddan has the most complete all round game of the three when on form, and if O’Leary’s international performances don’t begin to reflect those he produces in red, he should see action soon. I strongly doubt Kidney will deviate from the two he currently has playing - but I can hope.
