These demons have been exorcised but Youtube keeps dragging the masochists among us back to November 24th, 2013. Jack McGrath’s third cap.
Steadily becoming the ultimate understudy, those who witnessed McGrath's rise through the St Mary's and Leinster ranks had no problem with his arrival that day for the herculean Cian Healy. The more times you watch those final minutes, and increasingly desperate efforts of Richie McCaw to snag Irish ball, the more it seems like the All Blacks' invincibility will be shattered.
Keep your feet
Then, as the clock ticks 77.05, you hear Nigel Owens’ prophetic words:
“Keep your feet please.” McCaw gets pulverised into his own 22. Ian Madigan reads Aaron Cruden’s little chip over the green line to regain possession. The crowd allow themselves to believe.
“Keep your feet,” says Owens again as the clock ticks 79.23 and McGrath barrels through the Franks brothers in the game’s penultimate ruck.
Up he gets up to clear McCaw from the next breakdown. McCaw pulls away and the young prop knees the ground.
“Number 17, straight off your feet.” Up goes Owens’ vertical arm, 23 seconds to go, the rest is known. And it will never change. No matter how many times we rewatch it.
The young prop's action wasn't the reason why Ireland lost to New Zealand but its effect may be the reason why they beat France, Australia and South Africa.
An old coach of McGrath’s was talking the night after Ireland overcame the Springboks last month. He recognised the 25-year-old’s face after that first scrum with Jannie du Plessis left him shrunken necked and red faced. A shake of the head before a familiar look for those who witnessed the rise; up he got to make 17 tackles – astronomical numbers for a prop – allied by constant, controlled rage.
“The more times he plays at that level,” said Leinster scrum coach Marco Caputo, “mixing it up with the big South Africans and big Kiwi packs, coming out and dominating those packs will happen. Once he has miles on the clock.”
He drove all game against Australia, as Ireland revisited the same scenario as New Zealand a year previous. Only this time they refused to yield.
“You just don’t make a mistake,” said McGrath this week. “You try and be onside to the best of your abilities and basically focus in on the job at hand, just stay in the moment more than anything.”
Progress.
“I suppose I have just got used to playing at that level and just getting fitter and just put myself into those positions to make those tackles or those carries...”
There was that low, chopping tackle on 23-stone Will Skelton. And no penalties.
“Experience plays a massive role in that as well, and like, if you have been in that scenario before you know what not to do, I suppose that’s the main thing, obviously, being used to the level whereas before I wasn’t because it was my third cap and it was a fairly ridiculous scenario that we were in and it was obviously massively disappointing but to come through again then with the positives this year gives us massive confidence.”
Caputo, who took over from Greg Feek as Leinster scrum coach this season, feels the rise can only continue.
Only a baby
“I think Jack has really shown everyone how good a player he is. He is still only a baby, only 25 years old, his best years are in front of him.
“He offers you things that most players at that real pointy elite level in Test match rugby don’t give you. He’ll consistently top the tackle count. He is very good when he carries the ball. He is very good in his detail.
“He doesn’t make mistakes.
“Here at Leinster we are privileged to have two of the better loosehead props in the northern hemisphere under our roof.”
Healy, still recovering from hamstring surgery, was in the Leinster shadows this week, offering words in the forwards’ meeting, lending forensic expertise to opposition analysis.
"He'd be in the whole time," McGrath noted. "He'd have played in that Harlequins game [in 2009] , even though it's a long period of time but having that experience, a lot of their squad is still together."
The next comparison is to Harlequins' captain, England's beastly prop, Joe Marler.
“I’ve never played against him, I’ve seen him play plenty of times and he’s a quality player. To be captain of your club at 24 is a massive honour and he’s a top quality international as he proved.
“He’s played against the All Blacks, South Africa and Australia and he went really well against Australia last weekend so he’s a pretty tough operator.” Sounds familiar.
