IT’S NOT QUITE a return from out in the cold. Jacob Stockdale was around Andy Farrell’s squad all of last season. He has trained with the wider group, played for Ireland A last November, and we’ve seen him on waterboy duties during Tests, passing messages from coaches to players.
But how he must have been yearning for what is to come today – his 36th cap for Ireland. Stockdale starts in the number 11 jersey that he was unrivaled for a few years ago. Now he’s fighting for a place in the World Cup squad as Andy Farrell’s side meet Italy [KO 8pm, RTÉ].
The last time Stockdale played for Ireland was against Japan in 2021 when many of the front-liners were away on the Lions tour. Back when Stockdale was a prolific force in the green jersey in 2018, you would have said he was a certainty for that Lions tour
Let’s remember that this is a man who has scored 19 tries for Ireland, won a Grand Slam, beaten the All Blacks, and a fair bit more. He’s joint-sixth on the all-time try-scoring list for Ireland, with his rate of tries per game higher than anyone else in the top 10.
But between injury nightmares and resulting losses of form and confidence, that prolific scoring has been on hold for years. Stockdale did dot down on that last Test outing against Japan but even with Ulster he has only managed seven tries in 44 appearances over the last four seasons.
We’d be the first to point out that rugby is not all about scoring tries, even for wings, but the man himself has admitted that he’d like to be among the five-pointers far more often.
It’s widely agreed that if Stockdale can get back to his 2018 form, all will be well. And it would certainly be a huge improvement. It can be easy to write off his success at that time as simply being handy at finishing clear chances but that does Stockdale a disservice.
Some of his tries were sublime. The chip-and-score against the All Blacks in November 2018 took scintillating skill and athleticism. It also demonstrated Stockdale’s bouncebackability given that a chip attempt only minutes before had nearly handed the Kiwis a try down the other end.
There were intercept tries on the end of brave defensive reads, there were moments of beautiful timing in set-piece plays, his aerial work was aggressive, and there was some devastating power in Stockdale’s carrying too. Throw in his cannon of a left boot and he offered a heady blend of strengths.
So yes, getting back to that place would be brilliant, but really Stockdale needs to show even more. The game has changed since 2018 and Ireland have changed almost beyond recognition.
First-choice wing duo James Lowe and Mack Hansen rarely hold their width, instead roaming the pitch to pop up in all sorts of positions that unsettle the defence. One of their roles is to be distributors, often from first receiver, while they intuitively connect with scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park, particularly in Lowe’s case.
Perhaps the biggest ask for both Lowe and Hansen has been on the defensive side of the game and though it isn’t discussed as much as their attacking contribution, they’ve been excellent in this domain. Lowe and Hansen have had steep learning curves that they’ll admit they’re still on, but they’ve been making some good reads and we’re now even seeing both of them jackal for breakdown turnovers in the wide channels.
The defensive demands on wings in rugby today are on a different planet from what was expected a few years ago. Stockdale knows this as well as anyone, having had some tough times out wide. Wings have got to be aggressive with their linespeed and make split-second decisions when they’re usually outnumbered on the edge. And when there are errors or laziness further in the defensive line, the wings are often unfairly blamed.
Lowe and Hansen have set a new standard for Ireland’s wings and it’s clear to see that they’re well suited to what Farrell wants his team to do.
That’s not to say that there’s no room for wings of a different profile. The best squads have a blend of skillsets that allow them to play in a few different ways. Stockdale is perhaps more of a ‘traditional’ wing in the sense that he’s not known for distributing or popping up at first receiver, but he has been working on this roaming aspect of his game.
Having missed the 2021/22 season with a foot injury, Stockdale started the 2022/23 campaign in impressive fashion but he was restarting from a long way back with Ireland and couldn’t force his way into the team during the November Tests or the Six Nations.
Some questioned why Farrell was even picking Stockdale in his wider squad, but the Ireland boss evidently believes that having him involved can be part of the process of getting Stockdale back to his confident best.
With back three places at a premium in the final 33-man World Cup squad and competition from the likes of Keith Earls, Jimmy O’Brien, and Calvin Nash – who is set for his debut off the bench today – Stockdale could do with a convincing performance.
He’s still only 27 and Farrell would love to see Stockdale start showing that his peak in international rugby isn’t in the past.
