ADAPTABILITY OFTEN PROVES a crucial part of any World Cup squad and with that in mind, Jimmy O’Brien’s arrival on the international stage looks perfectly timed.
From the first time he wore the Ireland jersey, O’Brien has slotted in seamlessly despite being thrown in at the deep end.
Many young players tend to be eased into international rugby but O’Brien’s first Test cap was a real baptism of fire – coming on as a first-half replacement for the injured Stuart McCloskey in the 19-16 win against South Africa last November.
The Leinster player appeared confident and calm throughout an impressive 54-minute shift at outside centre that would have quickly earned Andy Farrell’s trust.
His display was even more remarkable when you consider the context. The night before the Springboks game O’Brien had be selected to start on the wing for Ireland A in their RDS clash against a New Zealand XV. Yet when Robbie Henshaw had to pull out of the squad to face South Africa, Farrell quickly had O’Brien pulled from the Ireland A side and bumped into the senior team.
He continued to highlight his versatility across that November Series by starting at fullback against Fiji and on the wing against Australia – handling a challenging month with impressive confidence.
He then featured twice off the bench during Ireland’s Grand Slam run in the Six Nations before getting another start in the 15 shirt against Italy last week.
And while it was by no means O’Brien’s (or Ireland’s) most polished performance, he certainly did enough to remind Farrell that he is an able deputy for Hugo Keenan at fullback, easing any lingering concerns around squad depth in a position that looked at potential problem a couple of seasons ago.
On the occasion of just his sixth cap, it was easy to forget O’Brien was one of Ireland’s least experienced players on the pitch – with Jack Crowley and Joe McCarthy the only members of the starting XV with fewer international caps.
O’Brien offers good vision and a nice left boot, and early in the game he got plenty of distance on a kick which dragged Italy right back to their own tryline.
And in a half where Ireland were slow to get going, he remained a live attacking threat throughout – almost getting in for a try, only to be beaten to the bouncing ball by a great bit of defensive play from Italy centre Tommaso Menoncello.
Otherwise O’Brien was solid defensively and always looked a threat in attack.
Having already been denied that early try – and seeing another opportunity slip after Crowley couldn’t release him – O’Brien was one of Ireland’s brighter players as their attack began to find some rhythm, his playmaking skills coming to the fore as he linked up nicely with Ireland’s starting half-backs, Crowley and Craig Casey.
Timing his runs well throughout, O’Brien almost released Stuart McCloskey with some good handling skills, but the Ulster player was unfortunate to see the ball knocked on.
He wasn’t afraid to position himself out wide as a new-look Ireland back three of O’Brien, Keith Earls and Jacob Stockdale all attempted to take on the roaming role Farrell’s has implemented.
And while Ireland enjoyed the bulk of the territory and possession, O’Brien stayed alert in defence – an area which has been a big focus for him over the last year – making an important tackle on a rare occasion Italy attacked down the wing, resulting in the visitors turning the ball over, although the collision appeared to result in the shoulder knock which saw O’Brien replaced at half-time.
Farrell would likely have preferred to give O’Brien a longer run-out, but he had probably seen enough to confirm the 26-year-old knows his lines at fullback in this Ireland system.
Whether the 15 shirt proves to be O’Brien’s long-term home is a different question.
The Kildare man moves between fullback, wing and centre for Leinster but has predominantly been used in the back three over the last two seasons, without nailing down one position as his own. Last season he started 18 games for Leinster, with seven of those coming at fullback, six on the left wing, four on the right wing and one at 13 – compare that to his breakthrough campaign in 2019/20, where six of his eight starts came at outside centre.
With Ireland, he has trained across the backline during the week in order to be prepared for whatever situation may arise on matchday.
Long-term, he’ll surely look to establish himself in one position but at the moment, he’s exactly the type of player this Ireland squad needs.
O’Brien’s reliability at 15 and on the wing can afford Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen and James Lower some rest in the World Cup pool stages while his ability to also cover centre makes him a great option on the bench – and that’s before any potential injuries come into play as the weeks roll by.
Having quickly proven himself to be a valuable, quality addition to the squad, he appears a safe bet to make Farrell’s final 33-man World Cup selection. Given the attritional nature of World Cup rugby, he could well find himself having an important part to play in France.
The 42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
