Smal boost for Buckley

HE MAY be approaching his 30th birthday and struggling to get game time for his province, but Tony Buckley can be one of the world’s best prop forwards, according to Ireland forwards coach Gert Smal.

Opinions on the Munster giant vary as wildly as some of his performances but after Buckley’s powerful 20 minutes of action at Twickenham, Smal is confident he now has a viable replacement for John Hayes.

Perhaps typically for a former Springbok, it’s Buckley’s size and destructive ability that endear him to the forwards coach but it’s a shot in the arm for a player often written off as an international.

“I like his size,” Smal said. “He gives you a lot of height in the line outs, he gives you a lot of weight in the scrums. We still work a lot on technique at the moment. He looks really calm off the field and sometimes calm when he plays, but he’s got a kind of trip switch where he can just climb into opposition and counter ruck three or four guys off the ball and that’s what you need in that position.

“Also the other asset he has is that he has a fair amount of handling skills as well. Into contact and off-load, not maybe in conventional ways, but maybe a back flip or so, but he keeps two or three guys busy. I think he has a lot of potential.”

Potential is usually something reserved for the under-20s, but with the dearth of quality props in Irish rugby, and question marks over Hayes’ ability to perform for 80 minutes after 100 caps, Smal says that Buckley can step up.

“I’m very confident,” he said. “If you look at the game last week when he came on and the things that he did. He cleared one ball, the block at the lineout when Tommy Bowe scored his try. It’s not obstruction but it’s part of the game. The ball right at the end that he turned over – it was a huge impact that he made right at the end.

“In terms of making it as a player I have a lot of confidence in him. I think he can be one of the best tight heads in the world.

“I think he can take over from John. He’s been the second prop behind him all the time but I think he is at the stage now where I think he can start kicking on. A year ago I was quite worried about the prop situation, but after this year I think we’ve got something, not just in him but also a little bit more depth in other players also.”

Thursday afternoons with Les Kiss and Smal have become a staple diet of the Six Nations routine at this stage, and yesterday they chewed the fat on a wide range of issues, from bonus points in the Six Nations to Ronan O’Gara’s mauling ability.

And, of course, Brian O’Driscoll: “The superlatives are vast for someone of his calibre,” Kiss said. “The main thing is his actions have always spoken for him. I think I speak on behalf of Gert as well when I say he’s one of the best I’ve ever worked with. Based not only on his game but on how he prepares for his game. I wouldn’t say things surprise you. But when you arrive, you find out things on a more intimate basis in terms of working with him closely and you can see the complete package. Right across the park.

“I knew his defensive prowess before I came here but it extends way beyond the obvious. It goes into a lot of areas, what he does for the players around him, what he does for the system, his ability to influence the game off and on the ball is unbelievable in defence. His qualities are beyond the obvious, that’s for sure.”

Confidence has been restored with victory at Twickenham, but Ireland have yet to put in a perfect 80 minute performance after leaving it late in London.

And while Kiss wasn’t going around predicting an all singing, all dancing performance he did have a glint in his eye when asked if was expecting a strong display.

“We wouldn’t like to pre-empt that this will be the match where we find that magic game and everything works perfectly,” he said.

“But it’s there – it’s hidden around the place and whether it comes out for five minutes in a game or last week when we had hardly any possession and we had three opportunities that we just clinically knocked off or if it hits us for 40 minutes of a game. It’ll come.”

With tries raining down in the Super 14, the antipodean was asked if he would like to see the Six Nations altered to include bonus points, and his response was resounding.

“No. Leave that alone please,” he said. “I just think the quality of this competition is based around that. And it’s like cup rugby when you get to the final rounds. It’s do or die. I love it and we can get caught up and make it this beautiful airy fairy game if you want. I’d hate to see a bonus point system brought into the Six Nations.”