WATCH: Ian Madigan coming under closer inspection

For all the talk about Ian Madigan’s worth as an out-half, there haven’t actually been many opportunities to judge his abilities in the position of late.

Matt O’Connor’s preference for Jimmy Gopperth at Leinster this past two seasons saw Madigan’s chances at his preferred slot squeezed ever more as time went on. He managed just five appearances at ten for his province last season.

He tries not to dwell on it.

He will tell you he trained at out-half with Ireland last season during both the November internationals and the Six Nations. Add that to his five outings, he says, and he reckons he spent 20 weeks in the role all told.

Maybe he did, but there is no substitute for game time. Even Joe Schmidt, a man who places such a punishing emphasis on the nuts and bolts of the training paddock, said as much on Saturday night as he surveyed the lay of the land.

Schmidt spoke about “plenty of positives” where Madigan was concerned without shying away from some aspects he thought could be improved upon – his defence was suspect at times against the Scots - and the player himself was in a similar frame of mind.

“I think it went reasonably well. Parts of the game were good, but there are certainly parts of the game I need to work on. There were times in the game we lost momentum and I could have kicked the ball in behind them. Just split decisons, the kind of decisions early on in the season you mightn’t get right.

“You can look over footage and go, ‘that was a time I could have put one in behind’ or ‘that was a time I should have run it’. As a team, we grew into the game. Early on in the season, when guys are calling for the ball and they’re in a better position than you, the guy who’s in possession of the ball doesn’t necessarily have the confidence.”

He grew into that as the game wore on. They all did.

Luke Fitzgerald had the confidence despite his own decidedly mixed evening to point out the space being left on his wing to his out-half and Madigan had the confidence to dink that cross-kick into his clubmate’s bread basket for the side’s third try.

His kicking from the tee was, that last fluffed penalty kick aside, exemplary, but tens are judged first and foremost on their ability to make a game dance to their tune and that has always been the first question some of asked most of Madigan.

Schmidt spoke last week about how capable he had been in that capacity during the coach’s last season with Leinster when Jonathan Sexton was out injured and Madigan understands the fascination with that topic.

“A big part of the game at out-half is controlling it. You guys love talking about game management: when to kick, when to pass, when to run. That is a massive part of the game at out-half. For me, bringing other players into the game is a huge part of it.

“I did my best to do that. Like I mentioned earlier, there were times when we lost momentum and I should have put the ball in behind them, which is an ongoing work-on. On balance, I was reasonably happy with the game management.” Ultimately, his versatility will guarantee his place on the plane. Out-half, first centre, full-back: Madigan can pitch in at all three stations, but it is his head-to-head with Paddy Jackson for the role of Sexton’s understudy that fascinates the most.

“It is pretty intense. There’s competition across the board. You’ve got a minimum of two players in each position and three in some. Johnny, Paddy and myself are going really hard at it in training, competing really hard for every rep.

“There is definitely a feeling that every rep counts. I’m sure Johnny will get his chance in the next two games. He’s been going really well in pre-season. He is enjoying having the longest pre-season he has had in years.

“There is no doubt that he’ll hit the ground running as well.”