Keenan confident Ireland can go toe to toe with France's kicking kings
KEY MAN: Hugo Keenan helped Optimum Nutrition launch its #TruthUnlocked campaign. INPHO/James Crombie
Next up: the French. Eleven tries in Rome last weekend. Seven on opening night against Wales in Paris. Three in defeat to England in London where Fabien Galthié’s side suffered that awful case of the ‘dropsies’ and left a litter of scores and the match points behind them.
France have scored 55 more points than Ireland so far in this Six Nations. They have over twice as many tries (21 to ten) and some of their attacking rugby has been every bit as sumptuous as the finest of Bordeaux reds. But they put boot to ball, too.
In the last 13 rounds of Six Nations rugby, going back to opening weekend in 2023, no team has put boot to ball to more effect than Les Bleus who have racked up 12,324 metres for an average of 1,027 per game.
Ireland aren’t exactly poor relations here. Their 11,839m ranks them third, one place behind England, in the same ladder. This is all worth remembering when anticipating the type of spectacle when they meet in Dublin next Saturday week.
“They have got a lot of variation in their kickers as well,” said Hugo Keenan, who should be back as full-back in round four having sat out the win in Cardiff last weekend.
“Obviously at the weekend, [Antoine] Dupont and [Thomas] Ramos, but then [Romain] Ntamack is looking like he will be back for our game. Even Léo Barré went very well.
“It’s certainly a challenge. They are world-class players, world-class kickers of the ball. It’s a big part of their game, playing in the right positions, dominating that territory."
The impression is that Ireland are leaning more into the kicking side of things lately. Some statistics don’t back that up. The team’s average in terms of kicking metres per game in the 2023 Championships was 960. It’s 934 after three rounds this time out.
Ireland kicked an average of 31 times per game two years ago. The same stat now as we head into round four is 30.6. They invariably kick more than their opponents on any given day, but they have lost while doing that and won by doing it less.
The meeting with France in Dublin two years ago made for an exhilarating game, especially in a first-half that was up there with the best 40 minutes in recent times, and yet the teams ended with over 2,472 metres kicked between them.
Beauty isn’t just offloads and gorgeous line breaks and Ireland have shown an ability to win with ball in hand - both in the trenches and out wide - and by going to the air so far in this Test window.
“It’s not that we didn’t look to kick in the first two rounds but sometimes when the ball is sticking in our phase play, when we are getting momentum and those easy metres running, you end up kicking a bit less.
“France kick a lot more than is perceived out there. They do play brilliant, brilliant and exciting rugby but they also have smart enough playmakers to get their forwards going on the front foot from the kicking game as well.”
Attack coach Andrew Goodman and Johnny Sexton have been pushing the rest of the back line to take the pressure off the Ireland nines and tens. It makes sense with the likes of Keenan, Osborne, James Lowe and Mack Hansen to call on. All of them have exceptional technique. Some bring incredible distance with that too.
That’s only half this battle, though. The distances being kicked by all teams in the Six Nations is up by almost 700m in total when compared to the first three rounds in 2023, but it is the more open nature of the contest that is the bigger difference.
The advantage has swung from defending teams that can corral the receiver with a cordon of retreating teammates to attacking sides that can generate all the momentum and height as they chase the ball on its descent from the skies.
Full-back and wingers are now finding themselves having to catch balls above their heads more than before, although the ability to tap balls back towards supporting teammates can be every bit as valuable a skill.
As with Lowe’s pat down to Osborne for the latter’s try in Cardiff.
“We had Brian Fenton in with us two weeks ago. He is obviously one of the best to ever do that high-fielding job and it was great picking his brains on little tips and tricks he has from his Gaelic background," said Keenan.
“I think we saw one or two bits of it in Lowey’s tap back for Jamie. You might have to credit Brian Fenton and Andrew Goodman for exploring those opportunities as well. It was great to see that pay off for the lads at the weekend.”
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