OFF-THE-BALL actions are so important in telling us about how hard a player is willing to work for his team-mates, about how much they care.
The efforts when not in possession or directly confronted with a tackle are key insights, and coaches like Joe Schmidt, Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster have always placed a premium on their players delivering in these areas.
Leinster scored eight tries against Glasgow last weekend but perhaps the moment they will have taken most satisfaction from was chasing back to deny Niko Matawalu and the Warriors a breakaway try in the second half.
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It might not seem like much, but Leinster are cruising in the game at this point, leading 34-7 with a bonus point already secured.
Fergus McFadden and Robbie Henshaw are taking nothing for granted, however. They are desperate to work hard for their team-mates and their chase prevents Matawalu from scorching clear.
The angle below highlights the hard work from McFadden and Henshaw even better.
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McFadden [red below] is close to the ball, to be fair, but Henshaw [blue] is almost half the pitch away and still hits full speed within a split second of the ball hitting the ground, even before Matawalu [yellow] has gathered it.
Had Henshaw coasted back, McFadden would have been left in a difficult one-on-one position arriving on the angle.
While neither Leinster man tackles Matawalu, they do force him into an inaccurate offload attempt and Leinster regain possession at the scrum, with other team-mates not far behind.
“It’s just pure work rate,” says Henshaw of this incident. “It’s busting a gut to get back and do your best for your teammates. When that happens, that gives a team an urge to go on and get the ball back.
“When someone chases back on a player or gets a turnover, it really lifts a team. That can be a small margin that swings momentum. In a tight game, it can nearly win you a game.”
Those moments of work rate are the real key. Without them, Leinster’s attacking qualities would be meaningless. Their defence can certainly improve overall, but the fact that the underlying effort is so clearly there is hugely positive for the province.
It’s when they add their offloading and clever line-running gloss on top of that work rate that the results start to become even more impressive.
Henshaw will provide his usual level of ball-carrying excellence against Montpellier on Saturday in France [KO 1pm Irish time, Sky Sports] but he will also be keen to ensure his passing game hits the mark again too.
There were a couple of gems against Glasgow last time out, as in the case below.
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This left-handed pass wide to McFadden was one of the standout moments in Henshaw’s game, although he was a little less accurate with a couple of his other five passes.
“It’s nice when it comes off,” says the Ireland centre. “Both in the club here and during the international windows we work on our wide passing game, being able to vary our passing game.
“So it is an asset to have as players to be able to put your outside guys with the wheels into space – if it comes off obviously!
“There are threats of an intercept or a ball going down and the opposition getting a score off it but when it works out and you get that 20-metre or 30-metre gain, it is always a nice feeling.”
Henshaw is predominantly used as a carrier by Ireland, but he is keen not to pigeonhole himself as being a specific type of player.
“I try to express myself in terms of being well rounded, have that passing, that distribution game,” says Henshaw.
“And being able to be direct, a carrier, as well. Sometimes it depends on the situations, the type of game plan you are playing or the way the opposition are playing. I’d like to see myself as not just a crash-hit player. I like to vary my skills.”
Henshaw was back in the 13 shirt for Leinster last weekend, with the injury to Garry Ringrose meaning that captain Isa Nacewa returned to the inside centre role.
The 35-year-old’s class remains evident and Henshaw is pleased to be playing alongside such a master.
“He brings a kind of calmness to the whole backline and the team. He’s just focused on doing the basics really well, and I think he showed that at the weekend,” says Henshaw of Nacewa.
“He ran some really nice lines. I don’t know how long it’s been since his last game, but it looks like he just came back in seamlessly. Two tries in his first game back is incredible, the lines he picked and the ball he took on was great.
“In defence, he’s a guy who doesn’t hold back. He puts in dominant hits and he gives it everything. He’s the type of player you’d want to play with.”
And Leinster will need the likes of Henshaw and Nacewa to deliver on Saturday as they head for France with bullish determination to make a statement.
Even though they have already qualified from their pool and secured a home quarter-final, Leo Cullen’s side are building this game up as a big one in their ongoing growth.
“I think it’s massive, we need to put down a marker,” says Henshaw.
“Going over there, we’ll have to win – be it ugly or be it scoring a lot of tries or whatever, but we need to over there with the mindset that we need to come out with the win because if we’re to continue to do well and take a step further than we did last year, we need to be comfortable and be uncomfortable over there but come out on the winning side.
“It’s definitely going to test us because Montpellier are a different team at home. Similar to all French teams, when they play at home they are different. So we need to not be fazed by what the crowd will be like or what they’ll bring, but just be focused on ourselves and what we’ve been doing all year.
“We just need to continue that and keep building, but I think for us to lay down a real marker in this competition we want to go over there and we want a clean sweep.”
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Well he pretty much got hit by a car in the Wales game and was 100% in minutes !! He could get over anything in 48 hours !!
And if I remember correctly, the car is a write-off.
Hopefully if won’t spread through the camp.
I can’t believe they’re out camping in this weather! Mad stuff!
In BOD we trust
Too much partying with Seanie Fitz Bod???
http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/seanie-fitzpatrick-anglo-irish-went-2671143
http://www.contactmusic.com/photo/sean-fitzpatrick-brian-odriscoll-testimonial-dinner_3932733
I’m sure Bod will recover- he’s seen worse. Great to see Donnacha back in camp and driving up the standards. Sounds like Schmidt has everyone playing for the collective.
Can’t remember Ireland ever being able to lose a match and have such an outstanding points difference that the championship was still on.
This, and Cole’s absence makes me quitely confident.
Roll on that flight on friday. Twickers here we come.
Who starts instead of O’Driscoll. Candidates are Marshall (a 12), Henshaw (Inexperienced / better fullback) Cave (untried) McFadden (better for sub role / better winger), Bowe (not fully fit / untried). I assume McFadden as cover last week is the likely call. Not sure if there is any outstanding candidate for this game but Cave as a natural 13 nearly gets my vote. When Payne becomes eligible in autumn he leapfrogs them all. Hopefully O’driscoll recovers because without him an edgy win will become a narrow loss
If BOD out has to be Cave at 13, im a big Henshaw fan but he better suited to FB and his best performances for Connacht has been there
I’d agree with you on Cave. He’s a natural 13 who is in great form. If you can’t get in scoring the way he has been provincially this year, then you’re forever doomed.
That said, I’d also like to see Madigan go in the centre. I continue to believe that might be his way to break in.
Cave is injured.
Cat amongst the pigeons here but I would think there’s a real chance of Darcy to 13 and Marshall at 12.
There’s a few options, joe had used Darcy at 13 before, pushing Marshall to 12.
He could go for any of henshaw, cave or McFadden and of course joe being joe there’s always the option he has up his sleeve.
If we can manage without PoC on the morning if a game then we can do the same without bod with a weeks notice.
Big difference between England and Scotland though Chris. I’d prefer to have BoD there before any one else. Defensive ability if no other reason. I think it would upset the team a bit too.
Who’s Bug?
And this is the start of the mind games.. Latest score = 1-0 to schmidt
Darcy to 13 and Luke Marshall at 12 if BOD isn’t fit? If I remember correctly Darcy made his debut in Paris in 2004 at 13 when BOD was injured
Trimble can cover outside centre, McFadden to the wing Henshaw to the bench.
It will be Henshaw if BO D is out, good game to try him out. If your good enough your old enough as they say
Odriscolls vertigo playing up again me thinks.
Does anyone here know where the Ireland rugby team usually train? I know that Leinster and Munster have their own facilities at the University College grounds and the Ireland football team uses Malahide’s facilities at Ganon Park. Anyone?
Who’s bug?