CHARLIE TECTOR’S impressive outing at No 12 in Leinster’s opening game of the URC campaign caught the attention of the panel on the latest edition of Rugby Weekly Extra, the podcast for subscribers to The 42.
“The player for me who shone the brightest was Charlie Tector,” Bernard Jackman said.
“He’s a guy who has been forgotten about. When we talk about Leinster number 10s, we talk about Harry Byrne, Ross Byrne, Ciarán Frawley and Sam Prendergast.
“He was two years ahead of Sam in the academy and he’s had difficulty with injury and difficulty with just getting a chance because up until last year or so, Sexton was still in there as well.
“He’s a very talented footballer but he brought physicality and go-forward ball to the 12 jersey the other night, which, to be honest, I hadn’t seen in his game.
“And look, as a 10 you don’t carry in the way that you need to as a 12, so there’s a reason for that. But he’s someone who probably isn’t going to, or at least wasn’t going to get a huge amount of rotation. Now maybe he’s someone who can get some game time at 12 because he had a big impact on the game.”
Rugby Weekly Extra host Gavan Casey added: “We had kind of forgotten about Charlie Tector, but in our defence, he was nowhere to be seen. I don’t know where this beast has come from, playing at 12 and really excelling in contact. If disaster was to strike and Jordie Barrett wasn’t available until a little after he signed, they have a new option here.”
“It was a great reminder of his talent which we saw at U20s,” The 42’s Murray Kinsella said.
“He had that period out injured last season, and he looks more athletic for it. That often happens to guys. It happened to Joe McCarthy when he had that long-term injury and came back, peaked and kind of maximised his athletic potential.
“It looks to be that way for Tector too. He looks quicker and more fluid in how he moves. He’s a big guy and is suited to playing at 12 in that regard because he has to carry.
“But you also saw his flashes of skill; his handling for the Larmour try, where he plays that ball out the back to Prendergast. It was just a wonderful moment of skill.
“Leinster have done this before when Harry [Byrne] played at 12. Ross [Byrne] played at inside centre; I think he wore 13 one time as well. But it wasn’t a kind of natural fit whereas this does look more like that.
“It’s a really nice option for them moving forward,” Kinsella said.
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As long as BOD can walk onto the pitch, he should be Captain!!
I agree with Noel – why all the red thumbs !? – O’Driscoll should be captain.
Its the whole as long as he can walk bit. Nobody is bigger than any team…
Well… I believe a captain should always be a forward. But, BOD is a talisman. While he’s fit and picked leave him b. After that… Well, there are a few outstanding candidates brewing around the provinces…
No, the best man to captain a rugby team is always a forward. My shout would be Stephen Ferris
As fine a player as he is, I don’t think Ferris is captain material
Author, have some bottle and don’t tell the reader “the answer is yes” let the reader decide for themselves. It is a valid question to ask, and I can see your reason for being a little scared no press person dares speak ill of BOD. He has earned that respect in fairness, although his game against scarlets was shocking hope his form improves soon he wont get in to the Lions team on current form, Jonathan Davies and Jamie Roberts/Tuilagi are well ahead as it is now.
A captain has to lead on and off the pitch. nRef’s listen to BOD other players listen to BOD he has earned a respect above with only PoC in the current squad to compare with. nThere is no better 13 on this island and this earls stuff does earls no favours. He’s a winger and a very very good one but at 13 his defence is average and he can’t/wont pass the ball. He wants to play 13, well I want to fly the space shuttle neither are good ideas. nAs far as a forward as captain goes every team has a pack leader so why not allow a back to lead the team as the ref will talk to pack leader and captain too, helps if ref takes a dislike to one or the other. nAs for ferris the man has never put a run of games together, every third or forth game we’d need someone to step in. Not a good idea. n