SINCE CONNACHT ANNOUNCED the capture of Craig Clarke back in February there has been a growing consensus that he is the best bit of transfer business done in Ireland for this season.
With the New Zealander picked to start for Connacht for the first time in tomorrow night’s crucial derby against Ulster, let’s take a look at what he could contribute for Pat Lam’s side.
The 30-year-old is first and foremost an excellent leader. This is certainly one of the areas where Clarke represents an upgrade on the departed Mike McCarthy. Connacht do have several influential seniors players in Gavin Duffy, Michael Swift and John Muldoon, but the Kiwi adds another layer of intelligence. It would have been tempting for Lam to name Clarke as captain, but even without that moniker, he will make a difference.
Leadership is a skill that Clarke has worked hard to improve. When he was first named as captain of a senior team, at Taranaki in New Zealand’s 2010 ITM Cup, he was not seen as a natural choice due to his calm demeanour. However, his demand for high standards impressed and that may be the most important thing that Clarke brings to Connacht. He is a two-time Super Rugby winner, and he will except nothing less than the standards which helped him to achieve that.
Having started his Super Rugby career with the Crusaders and spent one season with the Hurricanes, Clarke joined the Chiefs at the start of the 2009 campaign. He has been a vital cog for the Hamilton-based side ever since, so why hasn’t he been capped by the All Blacks?
One perception that existed about Clarke was that he was lacking in aggression. Again, his calm approach seems to have contributed, but a lock in New Zealand simply can’t have that label if they want to play international rugby. Clarke did represent the Junior All Blacks (like the Irish Wolfhounds) twice, but even those appearances were down to injuries elsewhere.
In the last two years with the Chiefs, Clarke has completely disproved any notion that he is soft on the pitch. He’s not the type of player who gets involved in scuffles every weekend, but he does his job with remarkable efficiency. Rucks are accurately cleared, tackles are completed with conviction, and lineout jumps are never missed; that is the lot of Clarke.
The lineout is a particular area of expertise for Clarke, although the Chiefs did have some trouble in this area at times last season. The stuttering form of hooker Hika Elliot was suggested as the main reason, but Clarke was unhappy with the results. Regardless, he is an excellent jumping option, with soft hands off the top.
Those same abilities make Clarke a good operator on restarts too. A willing chaser, the Kiwi is also comfortable under pressure on reception. Connacht should look to Clarke at the lineout and with their kick-offs.
The 6ft 7ins lock has often cited former All Black Reuben Thorne as a great influence on his career, having played with him at Canterbury and the Crusaders. Blindside flanker Thorne was the epitome of an unsung hero, rarely in the limelight but always effective. In 50 All Black caps, almost half of them as captain, his dogged hard work saw him nicknamed the ‘the clean-up man’.
Connacht’s new signing is certainly a reflection on the player who influenced him so heavily early on in his career. He gets through lots of the dirty work around the fringes of rucks, making short carries, leeching onto teammates to drive them through contact and hitting the breakdown with clinical precision.
What distinguishes Clarke from ‘the clean-up man’ and any other workhorse lock is his sometimes surprising skill level. Under the coaching of Wayne Smith in the last two years, the Chiefs have stressed a style of rugby where every player is expected to have excellent handling skills and an awareness of when to offload out of contact.
Those are the areas where Clarke has always had the natural ability to improve, but it is only later in his career that the 30-year-old has started to stand out as as comfortable in possession. He was certainly one of the outstanding locks in New Zealand over the last two years, but his age probably prevented the All Blacks’ staff from giving him a belated cap.
In Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock, New Zealand are blessed with two superb young second rows, meaning Clarke wasn’t a choice for the future. He was involved in several training squads in 2012, but an appearance never came about. New Zealand’s loss is Connacht’s gain though, and the western province are getting a player who has improved with age.
Last weekend, Connacht were in a superb position at half-time away to the Cardiff Blues, 10-9 up and easily the better team. A frustrating second 40 minutes followed, as Pat Lam’s men failed to score a single point and ran out 21-10 losers.
A feature of that second half was Connacht’s inability to get a foothold up front, and they slipped into conceding penalties with worrying regularity. With Clarke on the pitch, it is hoped to avoid similar collapses. Ulster arrive tomorrow night on the back of two losses in the opening rounds of the PRO12, so Connacht will need to be prepared for a ferocious effort.
The calm, controlled presence of Clarke will be a telling boost in what should be a close encounter.
