LEINSTER BLINDSIDE RHYS Ruddock has always had an old head on young shoulders.
That’s what brought him an international cap while he was still a teenager. It’s what prompted Joe Schmidt to make him captain in a Leinster fixture in 2011 and it’s the reason there’s only one question from the huddled media that makes him look the least bit confused.
‘Do you have to take on more responsibility?’
No. Ruddock has always heaped responsibility on himself.
If there are extras on his plate these days, it’s because he feels the need to help out players with less experience than himself. Even those who are a little older get words of protection when the 23-year-old looks back on a difficult Champions Cup opener for Leinster.
“When you look at the performance in terms of the intensity we brought to the breakdown and delivering quick ball it was a lot more like what you saw last year from us.
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“The likes of Jack McGrath, Michael Bent; they hit something like 80 rucks between them,” Ruddock said after the win over Wasps had been reviewed.
“So although they might not be showing up as much in terms of ball-carrying — Jack covered the same amount of ground as the back rows on the weekend – he’s putting in massive shifts and I think a lot of the lads are doing the same.
“The willingness to work was definitely there. So if we have that, we’re well on the way to getting a good performance and a result.”
That will be the over-arching collective plan when Leinster head to Castres on Sunday. Individually, Ruddock will look across to his opposite number and see a key battle that could well swing the direction of the match.
The blindside needs no prompting to bring up the name of Ibrahim Diarra when listing the strengths of Castres:
Marked man
“Physical, dangerous ball carriers and dangerous at the breakdown. Especially Diarra, he’s a top quality player…”
A calf injury kept Ruddock out of the testing encounter between these sides in January. Yet watching from home didn’t stop him taking note of how, even as a marked man, Diarra’s nose for a turnover made life extremely difficult for the eastern province.
“We were well aware of his threat last year in the away game, but he still came out and caused us a lot of trouble, a lot of headaches at the breakdown.
Diarra and Combezou contest the same ball against 'Quins last Friday. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
“He’s also a great athlete, he carries ball hard, he seems a big unit and he seems to be an all-round sort of player. So he’s definitely someone who, if you let him get in the game, he’ll work for 80 minutes and cause you a lot of trouble.
“So we need to be really accurate in terms of our work at the breakdown, clearing him out on time, targeting him early and making sure he doesn’t get easy metres when he’s carrying the ball.”
Jamie Heaslip was rightly praised for a “captain’s performance” for his contribution in the win over Wasps, but’s flanked by another leader who’s not ready to accept injuries as an excuse for any dip in Leinster form.
Ruddock aiming to shut down Diarra when Leinster renew rivalry with Castres
LEINSTER BLINDSIDE RHYS Ruddock has always had an old head on young shoulders.
That’s what brought him an international cap while he was still a teenager. It’s what prompted Joe Schmidt to make him captain in a Leinster fixture in 2011 and it’s the reason there’s only one question from the huddled media that makes him look the least bit confused.
‘Do you have to take on more responsibility?’
No. Ruddock has always heaped responsibility on himself.
If there are extras on his plate these days, it’s because he feels the need to help out players with less experience than himself. Even those who are a little older get words of protection when the 23-year-old looks back on a difficult Champions Cup opener for Leinster.
“When you look at the performance in terms of the intensity we brought to the breakdown and delivering quick ball it was a lot more like what you saw last year from us.
“The likes of Jack McGrath, Michael Bent; they hit something like 80 rucks between them,” Ruddock said after the win over Wasps had been reviewed.
“The willingness to work was definitely there. So if we have that, we’re well on the way to getting a good performance and a result.”
That will be the over-arching collective plan when Leinster head to Castres on Sunday. Individually, Ruddock will look across to his opposite number and see a key battle that could well swing the direction of the match.
The blindside needs no prompting to bring up the name of Ibrahim Diarra when listing the strengths of Castres:
Marked man
“Physical, dangerous ball carriers and dangerous at the breakdown. Especially Diarra, he’s a top quality player…”
A calf injury kept Ruddock out of the testing encounter between these sides in January. Yet watching from home didn’t stop him taking note of how, even as a marked man, Diarra’s nose for a turnover made life extremely difficult for the eastern province.
“We were well aware of his threat last year in the away game, but he still came out and caused us a lot of trouble, a lot of headaches at the breakdown.
“He’s also a great athlete, he carries ball hard, he seems a big unit and he seems to be an all-round sort of player. So he’s definitely someone who, if you let him get in the game, he’ll work for 80 minutes and cause you a lot of trouble.
“So we need to be really accurate in terms of our work at the breakdown, clearing him out on time, targeting him early and making sure he doesn’t get easy metres when he’s carrying the ball.”
Jamie Heaslip was rightly praised for a “captain’s performance” for his contribution in the win over Wasps, but’s flanked by another leader who’s not ready to accept injuries as an excuse for any dip in Leinster form.
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