ANDY FARRELL’S BET on Jamie Osborne being an international fullback is looking increasingly like a good one.
According to those who know the Naas man best, this was never a risky gamble by the Ireland boss. Most of them have always believed that Osborne is at his best with the number 15 on his back.
It’s the position he played when rising through the ranks with Naas RFC and then for the Ireland U20s as he served notice of his potential to a wider audience.
The 24-year-old has played in midfield lots since then, but Farrell likes him at fullback and gave him his Ireland debut there in South Africa in 2024.
Osborne has moved around a bit at Test level in the last couple of years but with Hugo Keenan and Mack Hansen missing for this Six Nations, he has impressed at fullback for Ireland, looking increasingly confident on both sides of the ball.
The Leinster man has been an imposing figure at number 15 for Ireland, producing some thrilling moments to go along with the nuts and bolts required to play fullback at the highest level.
His finish for Ireland’s fifth try against England in Twickenham was emphatic, with Osborne having done the work to be in position to score.
On the phase before, we can see Osborne moving to swing over to Ireland’s right as Nick Timoney carries.
Osborne moves with out-half Jack Crowley, the pair of them communicating as they move.
Their movement helps Ireland to have a multi-layered, multi-option attack for the try-scoring phase, with Crowley set up behind the first pod of forwards and Osborne ready to swing in behind the second pod.
There are lots of possibilities for England to cover and Osborne recognises the fracture in their defence, surging forward powerfully to take the pass from Crowley and break the despairing tackle attempt from Jack van Poortvliet and Fraser Dingwall.
He rides the cover attempt from Guy Pepper and slams the ball down right-handed.
On other occasions, Osborne is inserting himself into the attack and distributing the ball to allow others to do damage. That was the case for Robert Baloucoune’s try in London.
As we see above, Osborne is setting up in the backfield as Tommy O’Brien chases Jamison Gibson-Park’s box kick.
Osborne has to be ready in case England win the aerial contest and kick back immediately.
Instead, O’Brien retains the kick and Ireland strike at speed, with Osborne working upfield and positioning himself well outside Crowley in the attacking line.
Recognising that England centre Ollie Lawrence is exposed in midfield, sitting on his heels, Osborne catches and passes without delay.
Osborne gives the powerful Stuart McCloskey a chance to take on Lawrence with a nice headstart and the Irish centre breaks. Baloucoune scores on the next phase.
It seems as if this kind of decision-making about where to pop up in attack is coming more intuitively for Osborne.
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“You’re just looking for what their defence is doing, space, the spacings of their defence or the density of numbers,” he says.
“We’re a team that wants to play the space. As a backline, we were pretty good in Twickenham in terms of getting the ball there, especially on those transitions where it comes off a kick and the defence is a bit disorganised compared to other parts of the game.”
Osborne also scored a try in the Italy game when he ran a good support line off McCloskey to take an offload and finish.
Osborne is prepared to get the ball in behind McCloskey but he changes tack when Garry Ringrose passes to the powerful centre.
“I was an option out the back off Garry,” says Osborne.
“He obviously played Stu on the front ball, so I just followed him in because he tends to get his hands free and also if he goes and gets tackled, there’s probably the ruck to hit as well.
“Goody [backs coach Andrew Goodman] and Faz [Andy Farrell] would always talk about staying in the play and making sure that we can take those opportunities.”
Osborne has had a nice blend in his contributions for Ireland in this Six Nations so far, with 31 carries, 18 passes, and 11 kicks.
Every good fullback has a strong kicking game and Osborne brings obvious power in this area for Ireland.
He hit a huge 50:22 early on against France in the opening round.
Just five minutes into the game at Stade de France, Osborne’s kick gave Ireland an excellent attacking platform from which to strike the first blow on the scoreboard but they couldn’t deliver in the French 22.
Along with offering a kicking option, fullbacks need to be strong when it comes to fielding kicks and Osborne has largely done well for Ireland in this department.
Contestable kicks are a crucial part of the sport right now and Osborne made his chase of one garryowen count in Twickenham.
Osborne fields a long English kick inside his own half, as we see above, and immediately passes infield to Crowley before setting up to chase his out-half’s return kick.
Crowley’s excellent contestable kick has a hangtime of well over four seconds, giving Osborne time to chase it in a controlled manner, timing his arrival under the ball well.
England’s George Ford has been impeded from a clean jump at the ball by the positioning of team-mate Joe Heyes.
Osborne ends up in a dominant position over Ford, with his knee high to help him win the collision. Ireland make a big linebreak through Caelan Doris on the next phase and soon score through Dan Sheehan.
Osborne goes for the clean catch of the ball, as we see above, rather than the tap back that has become so prominent in the game.
“We’ve been coached to always go as if you were going to catch it clean,” says Osborne.
“When you get your position right and your timing right and you get up there and at the last second, you know you won’t be able to catch it, I think there’s a chance for you to change and slap it.
“But I’d say it’s probably harder to do the other way. If you’re going up to slap it and then you realise, ‘Oh, I could catch it cleanly,’ it’s harder to change what you’re going to do.”
Osborne’s defensive fielding has also been good in recent weeks.
It helps being around 6ft 4ins and close to 100kg, but Osborne’s technique and timing are sound.
In this instance against Italy, we can see that Osborne again leads with his left knee, having jumped from his right foot.
This high leading knee is something Ireland worked on with GAA legend Brian Fenton when he visited the set-up last year. Osborne wasn’t actually in camp at the time but the lessons were shared with him.
“There was a bit about getting their knee up, being aggressive in the air, and a lot of the coaching points from that, we still take to this day,” he says.
Osborne gets his hips and elbows up above Ioane’s, meaning he can go for the clean catch again, while the Italian wing goes up one-handed to bat the ball back.
Osborne wins the collision but still has to fight for the ball as the contest comes to ground, with Ioane’s hand still in the mix. Osborne wins that second battle and Ireland have possession.
Wearing the number 15 shirt means having to make tackles when missing would result in a try. The fullback is often the last line of defence, so there is great pressure with lots of the tackling they have to do.
In this sense, Osborne has looked assured in this Six Nations.
We can see above that Osborne is covering across to the left side of Ireland’s backfield as Italy attack.
But as the Italians change direction, Osborne adjusts and begins covering across to Ireland’s right.
Italy work the ball to the left edge, freeing fullback Lorenzo Pani, but Osborne is in position to deny him a chance at finishing in the corner.
Osborne positions his head on the wrong side of the tackle here, putting himself in potential harm’s way, but he backs himself to get more force into the contact by using his left shoulder.
He shunts Pani out towards the touchline and the retreating Baloucoune helps him to seal the deal.
Below, we get another example of Osborne making a robust tackle as he closes up from the backfield to shut the door on Italy.
Osborne is enjoying his rugby at fullback, yet his versatility continues to be useful for Ireland. He moved to outside centre for the closing 25 minutes against England, with Ciarán Frawley coming on at fullback when he replaced Ringrose.
“Maybe a little bit in the moment,” says Osborne on whether it’s a big challenge to change positions during a game.
“But you get used to it pretty quickly once you’re involved in a play or two.”
13 caps into his Ireland career, Osborne is looking ever calmer and more confident. Like Ireland, he has made some errors along the way in this Six Nations and will be chasing even better performances in the coming weekends.
He will hope to continue his good form against Wales and Scotland in the closing two rounds of the Six Nations with a Triple Crown on the line.
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Decisive attack, aerial wins, important tackles - Osborne shines at 15
ANDY FARRELL’S BET on Jamie Osborne being an international fullback is looking increasingly like a good one.
According to those who know the Naas man best, this was never a risky gamble by the Ireland boss. Most of them have always believed that Osborne is at his best with the number 15 on his back.
It’s the position he played when rising through the ranks with Naas RFC and then for the Ireland U20s as he served notice of his potential to a wider audience.
The 24-year-old has played in midfield lots since then, but Farrell likes him at fullback and gave him his Ireland debut there in South Africa in 2024.
Osborne has moved around a bit at Test level in the last couple of years but with Hugo Keenan and Mack Hansen missing for this Six Nations, he has impressed at fullback for Ireland, looking increasingly confident on both sides of the ball.
The Leinster man has been an imposing figure at number 15 for Ireland, producing some thrilling moments to go along with the nuts and bolts required to play fullback at the highest level.
His finish for Ireland’s fifth try against England in Twickenham was emphatic, with Osborne having done the work to be in position to score.
On the phase before, we can see Osborne moving to swing over to Ireland’s right as Nick Timoney carries.
Osborne moves with out-half Jack Crowley, the pair of them communicating as they move.
Their movement helps Ireland to have a multi-layered, multi-option attack for the try-scoring phase, with Crowley set up behind the first pod of forwards and Osborne ready to swing in behind the second pod.
There are lots of possibilities for England to cover and Osborne recognises the fracture in their defence, surging forward powerfully to take the pass from Crowley and break the despairing tackle attempt from Jack van Poortvliet and Fraser Dingwall.
He rides the cover attempt from Guy Pepper and slams the ball down right-handed.
On other occasions, Osborne is inserting himself into the attack and distributing the ball to allow others to do damage. That was the case for Robert Baloucoune’s try in London.
As we see above, Osborne is setting up in the backfield as Tommy O’Brien chases Jamison Gibson-Park’s box kick.
Osborne has to be ready in case England win the aerial contest and kick back immediately.
Instead, O’Brien retains the kick and Ireland strike at speed, with Osborne working upfield and positioning himself well outside Crowley in the attacking line.
Recognising that England centre Ollie Lawrence is exposed in midfield, sitting on his heels, Osborne catches and passes without delay.
Osborne gives the powerful Stuart McCloskey a chance to take on Lawrence with a nice headstart and the Irish centre breaks. Baloucoune scores on the next phase.
It seems as if this kind of decision-making about where to pop up in attack is coming more intuitively for Osborne.
“You’re just looking for what their defence is doing, space, the spacings of their defence or the density of numbers,” he says.
“We’re a team that wants to play the space. As a backline, we were pretty good in Twickenham in terms of getting the ball there, especially on those transitions where it comes off a kick and the defence is a bit disorganised compared to other parts of the game.”
Osborne also scored a try in the Italy game when he ran a good support line off McCloskey to take an offload and finish.
Osborne is prepared to get the ball in behind McCloskey but he changes tack when Garry Ringrose passes to the powerful centre.
“I was an option out the back off Garry,” says Osborne.
“He obviously played Stu on the front ball, so I just followed him in because he tends to get his hands free and also if he goes and gets tackled, there’s probably the ruck to hit as well.
“Goody [backs coach Andrew Goodman] and Faz [Andy Farrell] would always talk about staying in the play and making sure that we can take those opportunities.”
Osborne has had a nice blend in his contributions for Ireland in this Six Nations so far, with 31 carries, 18 passes, and 11 kicks.
Every good fullback has a strong kicking game and Osborne brings obvious power in this area for Ireland.
He hit a huge 50:22 early on against France in the opening round.
Just five minutes into the game at Stade de France, Osborne’s kick gave Ireland an excellent attacking platform from which to strike the first blow on the scoreboard but they couldn’t deliver in the French 22.
Along with offering a kicking option, fullbacks need to be strong when it comes to fielding kicks and Osborne has largely done well for Ireland in this department.
Contestable kicks are a crucial part of the sport right now and Osborne made his chase of one garryowen count in Twickenham.
Osborne fields a long English kick inside his own half, as we see above, and immediately passes infield to Crowley before setting up to chase his out-half’s return kick.
Crowley’s excellent contestable kick has a hangtime of well over four seconds, giving Osborne time to chase it in a controlled manner, timing his arrival under the ball well.
England’s George Ford has been impeded from a clean jump at the ball by the positioning of team-mate Joe Heyes.
Osborne ends up in a dominant position over Ford, with his knee high to help him win the collision. Ireland make a big linebreak through Caelan Doris on the next phase and soon score through Dan Sheehan.
Osborne goes for the clean catch of the ball, as we see above, rather than the tap back that has become so prominent in the game.
“We’ve been coached to always go as if you were going to catch it clean,” says Osborne.
“When you get your position right and your timing right and you get up there and at the last second, you know you won’t be able to catch it, I think there’s a chance for you to change and slap it.
“But I’d say it’s probably harder to do the other way. If you’re going up to slap it and then you realise, ‘Oh, I could catch it cleanly,’ it’s harder to change what you’re going to do.”
Osborne’s defensive fielding has also been good in recent weeks.
It helps being around 6ft 4ins and close to 100kg, but Osborne’s technique and timing are sound.
In this instance against Italy, we can see that Osborne again leads with his left knee, having jumped from his right foot.
This high leading knee is something Ireland worked on with GAA legend Brian Fenton when he visited the set-up last year. Osborne wasn’t actually in camp at the time but the lessons were shared with him.
“There was a bit about getting their knee up, being aggressive in the air, and a lot of the coaching points from that, we still take to this day,” he says.
Osborne gets his hips and elbows up above Ioane’s, meaning he can go for the clean catch again, while the Italian wing goes up one-handed to bat the ball back.
Osborne wins the collision but still has to fight for the ball as the contest comes to ground, with Ioane’s hand still in the mix. Osborne wins that second battle and Ireland have possession.
Wearing the number 15 shirt means having to make tackles when missing would result in a try. The fullback is often the last line of defence, so there is great pressure with lots of the tackling they have to do.
In this sense, Osborne has looked assured in this Six Nations.
We can see above that Osborne is covering across to the left side of Ireland’s backfield as Italy attack.
But as the Italians change direction, Osborne adjusts and begins covering across to Ireland’s right.
Italy work the ball to the left edge, freeing fullback Lorenzo Pani, but Osborne is in position to deny him a chance at finishing in the corner.
Osborne positions his head on the wrong side of the tackle here, putting himself in potential harm’s way, but he backs himself to get more force into the contact by using his left shoulder.
He shunts Pani out towards the touchline and the retreating Baloucoune helps him to seal the deal.
Below, we get another example of Osborne making a robust tackle as he closes up from the backfield to shut the door on Italy.
Osborne is enjoying his rugby at fullback, yet his versatility continues to be useful for Ireland. He moved to outside centre for the closing 25 minutes against England, with Ciarán Frawley coming on at fullback when he replaced Ringrose.
“Maybe a little bit in the moment,” says Osborne on whether it’s a big challenge to change positions during a game.
“But you get used to it pretty quickly once you’re involved in a play or two.”
13 caps into his Ireland career, Osborne is looking ever calmer and more confident. Like Ireland, he has made some errors along the way in this Six Nations and will be chasing even better performances in the coming weekends.
He will hope to continue his good form against Wales and Scotland in the closing two rounds of the Six Nations with a Triple Crown on the line.
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Six Nations fullback Ireland Italy Jamie Osborne