How Gibson-Park talked his way into Ireland reckoning

Jamison Gibson-Park knew he was under the microscope when Stuart Lancaster requested he wear a microphone. On the training ground, that is, with the former England head coach increasing his capacity to keep a close ear on his players, monitoring everything they say and do even during the week.

Gibson-Park was not the first, nor the last, but as a scrum half – one of the most strategically important players on the pitch – his voice was key. Having moved to Ireland from New Zealand as a relatively quiet 24-year-old, Lancaster was keen to get more from the former Hurricanes player.