JAMISON GIBSON-PARK has achieved a lot since becoming a Test international with Ireland but a win over France is an itch he’s yet to scratch.
Since debuting for Ireland in 2020, the Leinster scrum-half has faced the French three times (2020, 2021 and 2022). He missed last year’s clash in Dublin with a hamstring injury but tomorrow he’s primed to start alongside Jack Crowley in a new-look Ireland half-back pairing, with Gibson-Park now the senior man in the partnership following the retirement of Johnny Sexton.
“Yeah, I’m getting old man, I suppose, one of the senior folk now I suppose,” says Gibson-Park, who has tried to take on a greater leadership role within the squad.
“I’ve not been trying to force it too much, but I think it just happens over time naturally. I played with Johnny for so long and learned so much. I think it’s only right for me (to take on more leadership now)… Obviously I’m not going to do it at the same level as him but to be passing it onto the other guys.”
Sexton’s absence has allowed Crowley step into the spotlight, with the Munster player due to make his first Six Nations start in Marseille.
The sense from the Ireland camp is that the 24-year-old is wearing the responsibility lightly, having always cut an assured, confident figure around the group.
“Whenever he played before, he was pretty keen to lead the team around and he did a lot of sitting down with Johnny and he was pretty keen to pick his brain as well,” Gibson-Park says.
“All of them [out-halves] I think, in their own right, are pretty confident of leading a team. You’ve certainly seen it with Harry [Byrne], the games he’s played for Leinster, he’s done pretty well. And it’s the same with Jack marshalling Munster around the pitch. I think they’re still young guys but with pretty good heads on their shoulders.”
Yesterday’s team announcement contained a couple of surprises, with Garry Ringrose ruled out through injury and Andy Farrell opting for a 6:2 bench split for the first time.
The versatile Ciarán Frawley will be tasked with covering the backline from the bench but Ireland often train with players moved from their usual positions in a bid to prepare for any setbacks on matchday, with Gibson-Park ready to slot in on the wing if needed.
“A lot of that stuff has to be done in your book because sometimes it can be hard to get reps when other guys are trying to get them as well, especially when there is X amount of wingers and they want you to get reps at wing.
“It could be done at the walk-through but you have to spend a bit of time with your book and with the other guys who play in that position to get an idea of lines and that sort of thing but it can be hard to get time on the wing for a 9.”
France go to the game without star-half Antoine Dupont, but Gibson-Park highly rates his replacement, 31-year-old Bordeaux-Begles nine Maxime Lucu.
“Lucu who starts and he’s a class player, he’s had some unbelievable games, even for France with a very limited amount of game time. He’d normally come on for five minutes. It’s understandable because why are you going to take off a guy like Antoine?
“But he’s doing awesome stuff with his club and I’m sure between him and [Matthieu] Jalibert, they’ll have a few things cooked up. It doesn’t take away much from them at all. You could argue that potentially Lucu could be a better system player. We might expect a little bit of a different style from them but certainly not any weaker.”
Despite the changes in personnel, Ireland feel they have a good grasp of what to expect at the 67,000 capacity Stade Vélodrome. While the French pride themselves on their physicality up front, their backline can spark into life at any moment.
“I think you can’t be reactive at all. I think back to memory and they did a quick throw in like the first minute over there and stuff like that, you have to be really on it and they love the game to be open and flowing.
They’ve some serious wheels in the back three so you have to be really on it. Hopefully we will be.”
It’s a challenging Six Nations opener but Ireland appear energised by the opportunity to crack into a new campaign following the disappointment of last year’s World Cup.
“We didn’t have a set review [of the World Cup] I suppose but there have been clips that have come up. Obviously we have Si [Simon Easterby] doing the D and Faz and Catty [Mike Catt] on attack and they’ve had certain clips that have come up and a few good learnings.
“It’s tough to watch some of those clips. There’s a bit of PTSD but hopefully we’ll see some learnings out there at the weekend.”