With BOD and Rory Best gone and Paul O’Connell not likely to be considered because of his recent injury problems, three JOEs discuss who might fill the role as Irish captain for the November internationals.
Sean Nolan says… Just ask yourself, who’s the most important player for Leinster right now. Your heart might say BOD, your gut might say Isa Nacewa but your head, if it’s screwed on right, will be saying Johnny Sexton.
It is hard to believe the Leinster man has only been an Irish international for three years but he is now safely established as the first choice out-half. And deservedly so. While Ronan O’Gara may not have slipped much, if at all, in standards these past three years, Sexton’s consistency, and winning record, means he won’t be displaced by the Munster man now.
Now 27, and with three Heineken Cup winners medals in his locker, Sexton is at the perfect age and stage of his career to step into the biggest job in Irish rugby.
Some may think he is too quiet or undemonstrative for the role but don’t forget, Sexton is the man who delivered that rousing half-time speech against Northampton, credited by BOD himself for turning the 2011 Heineken Cup final around.
I just don’t see why it is deemed odd to suggest a Number 10 should be captain. They survey the field, control the kicking strategy and, in Sexton’s case, take the penalties too. Yes there is a vogue for forwards, especially flankers, to be in the hot seat, but I don’t see any outstanding leaders in the Irish pack.
Yes it is full of experienced, competent professionals but all those available right now are either injury prone or not sure of their spot. Sexton avoids both those categories and he has the bearing, and outstanding playing skills, of a man who can inspire others on the field.
Rather than mess around with this subject for the remainder of the season, give it to Jonny and let him carry the burden. He’s borne every other weight put on him during his career.
Conor Heneghan says… In terms of leadership, the loss of Brian O’Driscoll and Rory Best for the November Internationals is a huge blow for Declan Kidney.
After what happened in the summer in New Zealand, Ireland need a couple of big performances next month and the absence of both of those players could prove vital in two tests that, considering the opposition, are very likely to go down to the wire.
With O’Driscoll and Best gone and Paul O’Connell unlikely to be considered because of injury, Kidney will have to choose a new captain for November, while at the same time bringing forward a decision that he probably hadn’t planned on making for a while yet: Who should succeed BOD as Irish captain in the long-term?
In terms of the established first team players at his disposal, my own humble opinion is that Kidney should plump for a man that has long been touted as a future international captain, Leinster number eight Jamie Heaslip.
There are a number of reasons to endorse Heaslip’s candidacy, but for a start, he’s the closest thing to a certain starter as there is in the Irish camp at present.
He has been in a shoo-in the Irish number eight jersey for a number of years and, fairly remarkably in an area of the field with such a high attrition rate, he has rarely been affected by injuries during his time with Ireland to date.
He’s also experienced in the role, having captained Leinster in the absence of Leo Cullen on numerous occasions and although he can hardly take all the credit for it, Leinster have never lost with Heaslip as captain.
There is also a maturity about Heaslip now that perhaps wasn’t there in the past. A couple of years ago, he got bogged down in a needless Twitter row with Irish supporters and there was also the black mark of becoming the first Irish player in the professional era to be sent off when he blatantly kneed Richie McCaw in a test in New Zealand.
A lot of players have wanted to dish out some damage to the All-Black row over the years but that was just plain stupid. All that is behind Heaslip now, as it would appear, is the loss of form he went through at various stages last season.
Added to all of that, the timing would appear to be just right. Heaslip is 28 and already has a half century of caps under his belt. He was a starter for the Lions three years ago and he has a damn good chance of claiming the number eight jersey again in Australia next summer if he can make his mark on the current campaign as he did when he was an IRB World Player of the Year nominee in 2009.
Being named as captain of his country could well provide him with the confidence to make this season one to really remember.
Declan Whooley says… Ireland face into a daunting Guinness Autumn international series next week that will have serious implications for the seedings for the 2015 World Cup. With Brian O’Driscoll and Rory Best ruled out through injury and Paul O’Connell just returning from injury, Ireland need leadership more than ever.
Should Declan Kidney decide to pass on the armband given O’Connell’s recovery from injury, then one man stands tall above all the other candidates. After a terrific year last year, Stephen Ferris was rightly nominated for European Player of the Year and is the outstanding candidate to lead this Ireland team into battle. Which is exactly what playing these two sides will be, a battle.
South Africa and Argentina pose two of the most physical packs in international rugby. Declan Kidney will need his charges firing on all cylinders and no man is better primed for the role than the marauding flanker from Dungannon.
Such are the Ulster man’s physical attributes that Springbok officials and media went public about their relief in 2009 during the Lions tour when Ferris had to return home prior to the first Test with an injury. High praise indeed from the most critical of rugby supporters.
Injuries have always been constant throughout his career, but this season he has continued like he finished the last and is now as vital for Ireland as he has been for his province.
A master a slowing opposition ball down – ask any Australians at the last World Cup – a comfortable ball carrier and possibly the most ferocious tackler on the island, Ferris leads by example every time he takes to the field. Physical encounters are his forte, so fixtures against the Springboks and the Argentineans will hold no fear for the Ferris.
If we are to be truthful, when you take away our injured players, how many other top class players does Kidney have to choose from that demonstrate such consistency when fit. Other names mentioned (see above) have been Leinster duo Jamie Heaslip and Jonathan Sexton.
Heaslip has been solid if not spectacular for Ireland over the past 18 months, while the weight of captaincy might be an unwanted sideshow for the out-half, a contributing factor why so few number 10s are chosen to wear the armband.
With Paul O’Connell only coming back from injury, it is the ideal opportunity to give Ferris more responsibility while having the Munster lock closely at hand. O’Connell is an excellent captain and we hope he will continue to lead his country for many more games to come, but under such circumstances, Kidney can avail of the circumstances and give the 27 year-old the chance to assume more leadership.
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