Madigan stands up for under-fire Gopperth and O’Connor
Matt O’Connor and Jimmy Gopperth have both been instrumental in denying Ian Madigan the time at out-half that many feel he merits with Leinster this season but the Ireland international yesterday defended both his coach and colleague.
O’Connor has preferred Gopperth at 10 this past season-and-a-half, during which time the team has, with some exceptions, failed to gel in the way it did under Joe Schmidt despite their retention of the Pro12 title last term.
The coach launched an impassioned defence of his tenure last week, but defeat to Harlequins on Sunday has intensified the focus on the men in charge — on and off the field — ahead of Saturday’s return leg at the Aviva.
Lose again and the province’s hopes of qualifying for the Rugby Champions Cup knockout stages will hang by a thread, but Madigan insists the dressing room has “100%” in O’Connor.
“It’s been tough on him the last week. Himself, and Jimmy as well, have copped unfair criticism. Jimmy is playing a lot better than he is made out to be. Matt is a quality coach. There is full confidence in him from the team.
“He formulates a strategy each week, depending on what players he has and who he is playing against. The game plan is designed to make our players look better and to find holes in the opposition.
“He does that brilliantly. It is very clear for players going into a game. I know exactly what I am doing and where their weaknesses are and where our strengths are. It’s just about me going out and executing that.”
The problem, according to Madigan, is that the players have been unable to follow those instructions to a tee and the issues facing them were laid bare by the coach and two players who spoke to the media yesterday.
Between them, Madigan, skills coach Richie Murphy and flanker Rhys Ruddock identified the scrum, breakdown, ruck, their passing and ball use in general as areas for improvement ahead of the weekend’s do-or-die affair. Quite the to-do list.
For some, however, the crux of Leinster’s ills is the presence at 10 of Gopperth who, it was confirmed by the province yesterday, is speaking to other clubs with a view to making way for Johnny Sexton’s summer return.
Murphy stressed the collective rather than any individual, but the assistant coach agreed when asked if some of the criticism may be down to the fact that the out-half is Kiwi and not Irish.
“It possibly is that. Ian Madigan played a couple of times last year (at 10) and has been fantastic this season. He was a little mixed, at times, when he played at 10 last year. People weren’t happy with him either at that stage. It’s swings and roundabouts. Jimmy was much better this week. There is an assessment that has to be made. Whatever team we put out at the weekend will be the best, we feel, to try and win at the weekend.”
Murphy added that the failure to score tries of late — just three in three European games and none in their last two outings, against Ospreys and Quins — may be down to confidence.
Madigan disputed that, but both accepted the high-stakes nature of the second meeting with Conor O’Shea’s side who lie three points ahead in Pool 2 with a far superior points and tries, for and against, difference to boot.
“There is massive pressure,” said Madigan. “It’s boom or bust this week. We know that.”
The signals are that Gordon D’Arcy will be fit to front up again despite departing The Stoop with an injury while Dominic Ryan, Richardt Strauss and Dave Kearney look set to return to the reckoning following injury.
