SHAKY GROUND
Project poster boys under pressure for their places
CJ STANDER and Bundee Aki are the project player poster boys f or Irish rugby. Over the last few years, under Joe Schmidt and now Andy Farrell, they have become first-team regulars, Stander racking up 44 caps since his first appearance against Wales in 2016 and Aki accumulating 29 since his debut a year later.
Their peak involvement was the Grand Slam victory over England in 2018 at Twickenham, when both residency- qualified stars were exceptional, combining superbly with a one-two exchange to send Stander powering over for a brilliant try.
Aki was immense in midfield that afternoon, making 30 metres f rom j ust f our carries while Stander had arguably his finest day in the Ireland backrow, carrying a remarkable 24 times for 35 metres and making a huge impact on both side soft he ball throughout.
However, Ireland’s decline in 2019, and patchy form since, has coincided with a slump in the influence exerted by the project pair – highlighted in Ireland’s struggles against the bigger sides, notably England.
In the two Six Nations losses to the English in 2019 and this year, and in last weekend’s Autumn Nations Cup humbling in London, neither player has been able to impose themselves on Eddie Jones’ white-wall defence – both players averaging less than two metres per run over those three defeats.
Last weekend, even allowing for remodelled duties at blindside flanker as opposed to his customary No8 role, Stander was a peripheral, forlorn figure — managing just three metres from five carries and consistently on the back foot against Sam Underhill, Tom Curry and the other English marauders.
Similarly, despite being pitted against a somewhat makeshift
England centre partnership of Henry Slade and rookie Ollie Lawrence, Aki was unable to bring his experience and aggression to bear as Ireland faffed about with t heir plentiful possession.
It has raised concerns that these two national team stalwarts are ‘flat-track bullies’ — capable of ripping it up in the Pro14 and in Tests against second-tier nations like Italy, Scotland and the struggling Welsh, but marginalised when the i ntensity i ncreases against the elite teams.
And, as Farrell uses the Nations Cup to formulate his plans for next year’s Six Nations and the long run-in to the World Cup in 2023, the ground has become shaky under the feet of Stander and Aki.
Ireland are not short of options at centre and backrow and the competition will be sniffing an opportunity to supplant the established order in these areas – starting on Sunday against Georgia.
Aki is rested for this one, granting Stuart McCloskey a run in the No12 jersey and, even allowing for the expected weakness of the opposition, this is a massive opportunity for the giant Ulster man.
Ireland lacked a focal point in their backline play last weekend and McCloskey’s size, power and direct style can be hugely effective at 12, in an old-school, Rob Henderson-esque, battering ram fashion.
Crucially, McCloskey likes to run from depth (a trend all too lacking in Irish carriers) and it can provide the momentum that was glaringly absent in Twickenham last Saturday. At 6ft4in, he also has the levers and subtlety of touch to get the ball away in the tackle — essential as Farrell and backs coach Mike Catt continue to search for ways to break down blanket defences.
His form for Ulster has been excellent and three caps since 2016 is a scant return for a player of his ability — the fact he has consistently lost out to a player imported from New Zealand no doubt adding to the frustration. Expect McCloskey to make his point on Sunday.
Unlike Aki, Stander will start against the Georgians, back in his familiar role of No8. These are the type of games where he tends to excel but even a man- of-thematch, omnipresent performance will not do a whole lot to change the developing script.
Caelan Doris has been a notable success story in a difficult year and should be nailed on at No8 (his best position) for the foreseeable future. That leaves Stander scrapping for the No6 jersey and there is a queue of players lining up for that position.
Tadhg Beirne starts there on Sunday, offering a more athletic option, but Stander will be aware of Dan Leavy’s gradual return to fitness and form with Leinster — he is a player whose return to the Irish backrow seems inevitable.
And, while Stander has been away on Ireland duty, the South African cannot have failed to notice the remarkable form of Gavin Coombes with Munster, while Farrell seems to be missing a trick by not including the inform Rhys Ruddock (ideally built to address Ireland’s bulk issues) in his plans.
Aki will be 33 at the next World Cup, as will Stander, and you suspect the likes of New Zealand, France or England would have already thanked them for their time and moved them on.
That would be a big call for Farrell to make but the evidence is suggesting that both these projects may have run their course, rendered vulnerable by their failure to impose themselves against the heavyweights, and if the younger competition continues to put the heat on, the Ireland coach will have to act.
“Ireland lack a focal point in the backline”