‘LARMOUR CAPS METEORIC RISE WITH IRELAND SPOT’
That was the headline on Australia’s leading rugby website and it is one similar to those in rugby-loving countries across the world. Jordan Larmour has been playing for Leinster’s senior side for just under five months [13 caps] but he has turned plenty of heads.
On Wednesday, the 20-year-old Dubliner was named in Ireland’s Six Nations squad and could make his Test debut against France or Italy within the next four months. He is still on an academy contract with Leinster but that is expected to chance when the provincial announce their squad plans for 2018/19.
Larmour had a decent start to life at Leinster, this season, but it was not until the festive period of inter-provincial games that he grabbed a fair blast of the spotlight. A 70-metre counter-attack track against Munster has now garnered more than two million video views online while he simply shredded Ulster at The RDS.
We have already noted how the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly has been waxing lyrical about the Leinster star and it seems Larmour fever is spreading fast across England. Brendan Macken, who plays for Wasps, told The Hard Yards [from 13:50 below] how his teammates reacted when they saw some footage of the youngster.
Macken says Larmour has come up in quite a few clubhouse conversations in recent months. “Especially after the try he scored against Munster,” he added.
“I watched it with a few of the [Wasps] lads and after that everyone was thinking, ‘Who the hell is this guy?’
“He reminds me of Rob [Kearney] a small bit, in the way he runs – that explosiveness he’s got and his back being hunched. He is absolutely on fire at the moment and it is great to see him included. For such a young guy, it looks like any big occasion doesn’t faze him and he takes it all in his stride.”
Macken believes the arrival of former Leeds and England boss Stuart Lancaster has really benefited the likes of Larmour, James Ryan, Andrew Porter and more.
“I’ve heard from a few of the fellas over here that Stuart Lancaster is supposed to be excellent with the young lads. There are a couple of lads in our squad that were up with him at the Leeds Academy. He was supposed to be great with the young lads and for bringing guys into the first team that were 19, 20, 21. Making sure they were mentally right, as well as physically.”
Macken does note, however, that Larmour will no longer be an unknown quantity. With each and every match he plays, there is more footage available of the versatile back and more video analysis.
“He’s going to be up on the analysis board, every week now, as one of Leinster’s main threats.”
The real work is only beginning.
