Who has put their hand up for a green jersey over the coming seasons?

WITH LOTS of domestic rugby over the past weekends we are now in a position to examine the talent in Ireland. This examination is somewhat hampered by the Irish squad session combined with the elite player policy of restricted matches which has tempered the head-to-heads of the amateur days. Of course restricted matches mean restricted viewing for spectators, and more’s the pity. With action-packed Heineken Cup rounds on the way followed by the Six Nations, I ask myself who has put their hand up for a green jersey over the coming seasons?

In answering this question it is crucially important to take the player out of their team and insert him into the Irish set-up; obvious? Well, not so much as I do recall Eric Miller’s return to Ireland from his Leicester and British and Irish Lions days found him in Ulster. It was a great selection by Ulster but a poor one by Miller. It made sense at the time as Ulster had won the Heineken Cup and were looking forward to dominance. As we know they struggled at that level for the next decade and Miller struggled to gain the international acclaim his early brilliance would have indicated. Forty-eight international caps is an extreme achievement but since he was a Lions Test player at 21, 48 appears a tad light.

So if Miller struggled when in Ulster while the team struggled how will the Connacht boys fare after a 12-match losing streak? Connacht have enjoyed huge TV coverage this season and along with attending many of their matches I have very much enjoyed their performances. Yes I have enjoyed poring over the good, the bad and the ugly. Not unlike my time at Old Crescent there is all three poured into every 80 minutes. And like my time at Old Crescent it is important to acknowledge that with Shannon, Garryowen and Young Munsters it is very difficult to secure enough quality players in Limerick’s playing pool and then break through that ceiling. How depressing it was to be on that upward curve constantly watching Munster Cup finals (not playing).

Then along came the All-Ireland League and the above three battered all and sundry in Ireland, most notably Young Munster when clashing with the all-conquering Wanderers for the first time.

Consequently when I watch Connacht I forensically attempt to unearth the quality that lies there in; and there’s plenty. Regardless of the number on a player’s back I first establish their comfort in traffic, whether in possession or not, and this can indicate the “football” that lies deep within the player.

Unfortunately Connacht have several who are not entirely comfortable, as witnessed by the many costly errors over the weeks but there are many who are. Mick McCarthy, whether in the secondrow or at number six, is a classic example. Still only 30, Gavin Duffy has been outstanding all season especially as the temperature has increased with Harlequins, Toulouse and Gloucester when he has eased himself to the higher levels. He is a class act which deserves recognition.

In front of Duffy lies Tiernan O’Halloran. Pace is a beautiful commodity and to witness him burn past Leinster’s number eight Leo Auva’a in the opening three minutes was lovely. Although his rounding of Auva’a was one thing it was his understanding of the Leinster space in front of him that caught my eye. It’s too early to judge him on his defence but if developed, combined with his pace, he’ll feature.

Alongside the newly-signed O’Halloran are Eoin Griffin and David McSharry in midfield and like their Ulster cousins, Darren Cave and Ian Whitten, they are progressing very well indeed. As Eoin O’Malley has blossomed in Brian O’Driscoll’s absence I wonder how would these four, not to mention Munster’s Danny Barnes, do given the same opportunity? Against Ulster Leinster scrumhalf Eoin Reddan passed the ball 84 times. That’s lots of opportunities for centres.

It’s interesting to read Leinster outhalf Ian Madigan’s critique of himself this week where he questions his kicking game from hand and ground. What Connacht could have achieved with an outhalf who understands the value of geography and more importantly that every three points available must be taken. How would the young guns of Connacht be viewed if they beat Harlequins at the Stoop and Gloucester home and away?

Extend that to beating Leinster in Galway and Munster in Limerick. They are not that far off the pace. As for Madigan, he appears very comfortable on the gain line and controlling patterns in a fast-paced Leinster backline but I can’t imagine Johnny Sexton or Ronan O’Gara passing off the kicking duties to anyone. Demand it!

That said there are some players in Connacht who are simply miles off the pace and indicate a poor recruitment policy. I’ve watched New Zealand Under-19 and Under-20 Rodney Ah You very closely and I’m amazed at how unfit he appears to be. In my view his fitness levels prevent him from any form of positive impact on arrival.

In Gloucester he arrived onto the pitch with the score standing 16-13 in Connacht’s favour; the clock stood at 58 minutes. Gloucester replacement Jonny May’s 75th-minute try was devastating for Connacht but can be traced back to Ah You’s inability to live at the pace of the closing minutes. His defence was all over the place, unable to track a simple switch.

The man Ah You replaced that evening, Ronan Loughney, is worth a close viewing. He’s not unlike All Black and Ulster tighthead John Afoa in his balance on the ball. Both are light on their feet and make yards in traffic. Both are similar in age and physique, with Afoa a little more compact. Afoa’s influence in Ulster’s victory over Munster was immense – not his try but his tackle on the Denis Hurley counter-attack, brilliant.

Up in Ulster there are buckets of players growing in stature such as Dan Tuohy and Paddy McAllister. At fullback, the 25-year-old Irish-qualified Australian Adam D’Arcy is a very exciting player, especially elusive when breaking from deep on a counter-attack. However his defence of Ian Keatley’s cross-field kick to Luke O’Dea was very poor indeed.

As the ball crossed through the air O’Dea was hungry for the high catch and D’Arcy decided he was too late to compete. No problem as this allowed him time to hammer O’Dea into touch when he landed, but D’Arcy achieved neither and O’Dea stole a cracking but very preventable try.

No doubt Stephen Archer will be looking at the tries Ulster scored off Munster scrums. He should not be too hard on himself as his backrow was not as present as it should have been through those scrums. I’m looking forward to watching more from him and hooker Mike Sherry.

PS: There are many many more who are impressing throughout the provinces but I have chosen to exclude any player with an existing national profile.