For a man that was frozen out by Declan Kidney, and then seemed to be
losing his place in the Ulster squad to Jared Payne, the former Sullivan
student has been a revelation this season, and his hat-trick on Saturday
against Leicester was no more than he deserved for a phenomenal all-round
performance which included some incredible defensive work to go with his smart
finishing which saw him draw all the plaudits, and deservedly so.
Although when I say “a revelation this season”, I really mean he’s
continuing on his consistent top quality form at outside centre. Cave has been
nothing short of a dedicated servant to Ulster Rugby, and one of their best performers
season in season out, and it is absolutely fantastic to see him enjoying his
rugby still and hitting the heights that he did on Saturday night.
It is beggar’s belief that some people wish for him to be replaced,
specifically the blazers down in Dublin who wish for Jared Payne (Ireland’s
best full-back in my opinion) to be BOD’s successor, when you see the impact
that he is having on Ulster. Cave's defensive ability and organisation is second
to none, he is one of the best support runners in the northern hemisphere and
the fact that Leicester couldn’t cope with him for the full 80 minutes speaks volumes about
his talent.
An Ireland call surely beckons.
Robbie Henshaw played well in the Autumn Internationals and has shown
some impressive form for Connacht too so he will be a tough man to displace.
But with the form that Cave is in it would be an absolute joke if Schmidt omitted
him from the side to face Italy in two weeks’ time, and I am sure the New
Zealander is fully aware of that. Arguably Ulster are under-represented in
Schmidt’s Six Nations squad, but it would be nothing short of a crime if Cave
didn’t make at least the final 23.
It would be just reward for Cave’s form, not just this season but for
all of the seasons he was unjustly passed over by Kidney. He has never been
given a fair shot at proving he can be the successor to Brian O’Driscoll and
when Payne was parachuted into the Ireland team to play Australia ahead of him
you were afraid that that was that.
All credit to the centre, he has plugged away and now he should be
richly rewarded with a Six Nations berth against Italy. The possibility of a
partnership with Robbie Henshaw is a distinct possibility and would feature
Ireland’s two in-form centres playing off each other to great effect. It is a
duo that I believe Joe Schmidt doesn’t just need to go with, he MUST go with
it.
Otherwise we’re not seeing Ireland at their best.
Elsewhere, I’m sure everyone was delighted with the return of Iain
Henderson to the Ulster team, and what a return he made. If Saturday happened
to be the first rugby match you’d ever watched you’d swear that the baby-faced
blindside had been featuring for Ulster all season, not making his long overdue
return from hip surgery in pre-season, such was the impact Henderson had on the
game. It was if injury was a foreign word to him – he launched himself into
every tackle and every ruck with such ferocity that you feared for him every
time he was hit.
It is refreshing to see that from a player who has an incredibly
bright future for both Ulster and Ireland, and his hard-hitting style coupled
with that tenacious breakdown work meant the back rower (and he is a back
rower, not a lock) gave Ulster go forward ball they’ve been badly missing. His
return comes at a timely moment in Ulster’s season, and should he stay fit for
the rest of the year then Ulster have some player on their hands.
Speaking of Henderson, it’s also a good reminder to rugby coaches
everywhere that it is crucial to put players in their best positions.
Isn’t it funny how when we play Jared Payne at full-back he suddenly
looks like a dangerous player? And that Henderson gets through a heap of work
in the back row that he is deprived of when playing lock? It’s no coincidence
that whenever we utilise players in their best positions we provide one of our
best performances of the season so far, and hopefully this will be a healthy
reminder to both Doak and Schmidt that Iain is a flanker and Jared is a full
back.
Indeed, Henderson’s use at lock is no longer required. I have been
very impressed at how Alan O’Connor has coped with the step up from club rugby
to the Pro12 and then to the Champions’ Cup, and should he continue in that
vein then there is no reason why he and Dan Tuohy cannot forge a strong
partnership for several seasons to come. For a player so young O’Connor is not
afraid to shy away from hitting rucks or players and provides something of an
intimidating figure in the loose too. A promising few years lie ahead for the
Academy man.
O’Connor’s rise shows what young players can do when given the chance.
Hopefully more will follow suit.
No comments:
Post a Comment