Stars come in different shapes and sizes
Ireland’s back-up squad has been selected on the basis of Joe Schmidt’s requirements and curiosities. Coughlan isn’t a factor in either at this stage; that’s quite understandable.
But Schmidt isn’t the first Irish coach to look beyond the Dolphin man. Coughlan hasn’t always been 33. He has been a consistent, persistent presence in a great Munster pack for a long time and anyone who has worked with him has serious time for what he stands for. Coughlan is a product of the club game in this country, a throwback whose appeal to international coaches always seemed compromised by his size, age and best position.
For some players, an international element to their career never takes off. That happens. There are always reasons, even if they’re not wholly convincing at times. Is it a surprise that one of Munster’s constant eight-out-of-10 performers has never pulled on his country’s jersey? Of course.
Does it mean a so-called late developer is viewed differently by those in the game? Definitely not. Rugby and Munster means so much to James Coughlan, more than to a lot of players I’ve been in dressing rooms with.
I knows he has the respect of all the Munster players, and the people of Cork. That is enough to make him walk the streets chin up, chest out. The club game, the old AIL, rounded and grounded him. Some of us know how beneficial that can be, but the other 80% have no idea what club rugby is about, even many Munster supporters.
James’ greatest strength is his ability to run back a kick-off — I don’t know have I seen anyone in world rugby better at it. It is a vastly underrated skill to those on the outside looking in. There are three kinds of kick-offs. A lot of teams use what I call a No 3 kick-off — down to the corner, deep inside opponents’ 22. It’s a precise art — too long it’s dead, too wide it’s out on the full. James has received a lot of those kick-offs for Munster, but his ability to beat the first tackler is astounding. That alone generates huge front-foot momentum for a side after scoring — and hence at their most vulnerable.
A No 1 is the little pop-up 12-yard kick. People have misconceptions about the merits of that for the kicking team, believing a good hang-time gives their team a chance to retrieve possession. In fact, it’s the opposite — the hang-time gives an advantage to the catcher of the ball because it allows him to get his lifting pod underneath him. The ideal, therefore, for a 12-yard kick is a flat one that goes about the height of your sitting room ceiling. If that goes flat across the 10-yard line, it gives the forward or winger a chance to come onto it. An example would be Dan Carter’s exhibition in Ireland’s 2012 summer tour to New Zealand, as they beat us 3-0. We won zero kick-offs, the All Blacks won eight out of nine.
The No 2 kick off, by the way, targets that no man’s land around the bridge of the 15m and 22m lines and is designed for second rows, a la Paul O’Connell on Sebastien Chabal. The fact that it is often over-kicked is meat and drink to the likes of Coughlan.
James has done little wrong through his career, and ordinarily — whether it was a November international or even as back row back-up — he’d have expected to have picked up a cap or two. Lord knows, there’s been plenty given out in recent years. He was unlucky last year with Heaslip on Lions duty in Australia that Ireland were looking for a more developmental type of No 8 on the North American tour.
Robin Copeland, soon to be of Munster, will wear No 8 for the Wolfhounds tomorrow night, and there are back row options off the bench in Robbie Diack and Jordi Murphy.
Schmidt essentially knows his Ireland team for the Six Nations opener against Scotland now, perhaps with three positions down as an ‘either or’. The Wolfhounds tomorrow in Kingsholm will crystalise that process for him.
That Simon Zebo is only on the bench would indicate he is unlikely to be in the mix for Sunday week, especially with the queue of wing options ahead of him. He is match-shy, but I’d have thought it prudent to get him as much time on the park as possible over the coming weeks. He still has a significant Six Nations role to play.
Johnny Sexton finds himself in the odd position this weekend of playing club rugby in France, despite agreement between the Ligue and French Federation that will see Philippe Saint-Andre’s 23-man squad with their feet up. The accord doesn’t extend to overseas players, so Sexton, Mike Phillips, Dan Lydiate and Jamie Roberts will be with us tomorrow for the visit of Toulouse.
Toulouse have seven of France’s Six Nations squad, which is just fine by Racing Metro. People talk about Guy Noves’ side not being the “old Toulouse” but Rob Penney doesn’t have the “old Munster” either. Consider this: France have seven Tolousains locked away, two more internationals are injured in Thierry Dusatoir — Les Bleus are mourning that — and Florian Fritz, while Vincent Clerc is coming back from injury and Luke McAlister is yet to return.
And yet when they run out tomorrow in the Stade de France, they are likely to go nine to 15 as: Springbok Yana Vermaak, Lionel Beauxis, Yann David, who will play centre with Hosea Gear, Clerc and Yves Dunguy on the wings and Poitrenaud at 15. Not much wrong with that backline.
Their talent is unquestionable but, from Munster’s viewpoint, hopefully the intimidation factor in Thomond Park will spook them in the Heineken Cup quarter-final.
Guy Noves is out already, talking about the Heineken Cup final they lost to Munster in 2008, saying it sticks in his throat, it was a bitter one to take. He hasn’t forgotten.
My Racing Metro colleagues think it will be a Toulon-Munster semi-final. I’m not so sure. I think that semi-final could be in Dublin. The one time this year, people really started to question Leinster’s mettle, they demolished Northampton at Franklins Gardens. Their well goes deep when they need to dip into it. Discipline will be key with Jonny Wilkinson kicking penalties, but it’ll be a fast track with good weather. Leinster won’t be spooked.
- A good fortnight’s work by the IRFU was rounded off yesterday by securing Jamie Heaslip for three more years. It’s not the first time I’ve said fears of a mass exodus of Irish stars are exaggerated. Those who’ve done it know the true value of playing for your own people.
