Ireland call for CJ Stander — at last
After completing three years of residency following his move to Munster from his native South Africa, and weeks of anticipation since his qualification to play for Ireland, the back-row forward was yesterday named in Joe Schmidt’s squad for next month’s RBS 6 Nations.
The 25-year-old is the oldest of four uncapped players to feature in the 35-man playing group unveiled for the first two games of Ireland’s bid for a championship three-peat, starting against Wales in Dublin on February 7.
And, of the quartet of new boys, he has perhaps the best chance of donning a green jersey at the first opportunity.
Stander was named alongside three homegrown youngsters, Connacht lock Ultan Dillane and Leinster openside flanker Josh van der Flier, both of whom were academy players last season, and Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey.
All four are in form and being trusted by their provincial coaches with regular starting roles but none has had the impact Stander is having at Munster.
It is difficult to see Van der Flier ousting Sean O’Brien for the number seven jersey or fellow contenders Rhys Ruddock, Tommy O’Donnell, and the soon-to-return Chris Henry while Dillane, despite the loss of Paul O’Connell to retirement and injury to Dan Tuohy, will still have to see his way past Devin Toner and Donnacha Ryan as well as Mike McCarthy.
McCloskey is arguably the form player across the four provinces but will probably have to rely on Robbie Henshaw making a slow return to match fitness following a long lay-off with a hand injury if he is to earn a debut against the Welsh.
Ireland’s inside centre Henshaw is set to return for Connacht on Saturday in the Challenge Cup against Enisei-STM but his reappearance at the Sportsground is pending a surgical review and sign off.
Stander, though, has the form and the leadership qualities reinforced by his temporary captaincy of Munster through the toughest of times recently, to claim a place in the Ireland back row, most likely in continuing to deputise for the stricken Peter O’Mahony at blindside, bringing his ball-carrying and abrasive style to the fore at flanker.
Just being in the squad is an achievement, though, and recognition of the progress the former South Africa U20 captain has made since leaving the Blue Bulls in October 2012 having been told he was too small to make it as a South African back row.
“CJ when he came (to Munster) could hardly speak English!” team-mate Billy Holland recalled this week. “He had a night out in Cork when he came to Munster first and we lost him or he lost himself and he didn’t know where he was staying. All he could say— he couldn’t say the guide dogs all he could say is it was ‘near the blind dogs’ the house was near there.
“So where he has come to in those couple of years is phenomenal. CJ does most of his talking on the pitch and he wears his heart on his sleeve, he carries so well for us. I’d love to see him get an opportunity for Ireland during the Six Nations, he’s definitely good enough.
“What he has brought to his game in the last couple of months is he now speaks very well to us, he speaks very emotionally to us before games... there’s no question but he’s come a long way in the last two years. There’s an opportunity over that period at international level to show what he can do.”
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