Ross Byrne is a figure that carries a striking level of resilience, having spent his professional rugby career largely within Johnny Sexton’s monumental shadow. For Byrne, significant trials came following Sexton’s retirement from Leinster and Ireland, with a lengthy injury preventing him from seizing his moment in the spotlight, a chance which found its way to Harry Byrne and Jack Crowley instead.
Nonetheless, Byrne’s mental fortitude was evident in his victorious return to the game. A demonstration of this was witnessed in the match against La Rochelle, where Byrne put forth an astounding performance confirming that true mettle is measured not by how often you falter, but by how frequently and effectively you rise again following setbacks.
Irish rugby seemed to have discounted Byrne, however, demonstrating tremendous inner strength, his exceptional performance stood as proof, transforming several improbable scenarios into realities. His command of Leinster’s intricate attack system was a key factor in the team’s staggering 40 point victory against European champions. His subsequent performance in Croke Park for the semi-final further ignited aspirations within both Northampton and Ireland’s rugby supporters.
Byrne’s near perfect execution of place kicking against challenging wind conditions signalled his robust return into the competition for Ireland’s coveted number 10 jersey. This was unthinkable just a week prior to the summer series against Springboks in South Africa.
Last year’s World Cup and the triumphant Six Nations team showcased Jack Crowley as a formidable force in the Irish locker room. His passing, defence and support play have been unmatched. However, Crowley’s goal-kicking percentage – a mere 74% success rate – along with his overall choice of kicks, leave room for improvement. This opens doors for Byrne to potentially change the dynamic within elite international rugby.
On the 6th of July, the inaugural Test between the Springboks and Ireland will be held at Loftus Versfeld, situated in Pretoria. Loftus Versfeld sits at an astounding 1,339m (or 4,393ft) above sea level, consequently making the air concentration of oxygen lower hence ‘thinner’. The uniqueness of the altitude in which rugby is played is that it results in the ball encountering less air resistance therefore propelling to further distances. This ultimately emphasises the critical role of successful goal kicking.
In October 1993, the Emerging Wallabies and I, a youthful coach then and newly retired player, had the privilege of gracing the verdant Loftus Versfeld turf, the invitation to tour South Africa was offered on account of Nelson Mandela’s release from his Robben Island detention. The international rugby-stricken crowds and historical era notably enhanced the experience. Reflecting the old golden times, our trip spanned seven weeks with weekly fixtures on Saturdays and Wednesdays. The journey took us from Durban through Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls, Namibia, Cape, culminating with games in South Africa’s high veld, Pretoria and Johannesburg.
John Connolly, my manager and subsequent Wallaby coach, was a profound source of knowledge and inspiration. Among my duties was accompanying the squad’s kickers to Loftius Versfeld for practice a day before our matches. Once, we arrived to see South African kickers wrapping up their practice with spectacular kicks at goal, taken from his own half’s 10m line, each of which we estimated cleared an approximately 70m distance. Instantly, we were dumbfounded. This moment was significantly burnt into my rugby cognizance.
The next day, the South African kicker replicated his initial performance, an action which taught us that to triumph in the high veld, one’s tee kicking must be at least 90% successful since that is the standard the South Africans set, often exceeding it. Renowned Springbok kickers such as Naas Botha, Joel Stransky, Morne Steyn, and Handré Pollard (who was given the opportunity owing to Manie Libbok’s dismal World cup kicking performance) have indeed proven to be top-notch in this sport.
Throughout his three-decade-long career of coaching and monitoring South African high veld football games, a target of achieving 90% of goals has nearly always been met. Infrequently, the extraordinary playing style of Kiwi teams has rendered goal-kicking redundant, but such instances are rare rather than common.
Last week, Byrne’s display at the Aviva provided a massive advantage to Andy Farrell by reigniting the competition for Ireland’s number 10 jersey. Farrell, for the past four years, has been fortunate to be on the receiving end of Leo Cullen’s remarkable talent as a selector. Over the course of many seasons, Cullen’s knack for gauging his players’ mental and physical condition has been nothing less than impressive. Byrne wasn’t his only astutely accurate choice.
The decision to give Will Connors the number seven jersey instead of Josh van der Flier raised a lot of eyebrows. However, after his match performance, Connors has justified his coach’s faith, earning him the nickname “The Axe” with his ruthless defensive execution against the towering players of La Rochelle.
A coach’s greatest impact can be seen in their selection of players. As has been the case in a multitude of matches across countless seasons, Cullen’s selections played a pivotal role in the downfall of La Rochelle.
If Ireland hopes for a victory on the high veld this summer, Farrell needs a player with a 90 and above per cent goal-kicking accuracy and possibly an “Axe”.