Whoever starts on Friday for the Wolfhounds should retain the 10 jersey for Ireland’s Six Nations opener
The Ireland Wolfhounds XV to take on England Saxons will be named on Thursday but kicking coach Richie Murphy has indicated Ian Madigan should start at out-half. Murphy, who works closely with Madigan at Leinster, believes the 25-year-old would benefit from the start t Musgrave Park on Friday.
Murphy broadly agreed with the suggestion this week’s training drills were a straight shoot-out for the starting out-half role. He told us, ‘Well it would be pretty close to that. They are to two 10s that in amp with Noel Reid backing them up. It would like the two Ians will be in competition for that place. ‘
Murphy added, ‘[Saxons] might be an opportunity for Ian Madigan to get a little bit of game-time at 10. If that comes to pass he is in a little bit better position going forward. Ian Keatley has played loads of rugby at 10; we kind of know where he is.’
Murphy, who also stated that Johnny Sexton should be fit to face France, accepted that Madigan’s to-ing and fro-ing, from out-half to inside centre, was not ideal. He said, ‘It’s definitely an issue. But when he has played there this year he has been pretty good. Joe (Schmidt) will have to make a decision on that later in the week.’
Madigan was up at 85% kicking accuracy all season until he got the jitters in Leinster’s 20-20 draw with Wasps at the weekend. The Dubliner landed just three kicks from seven but Murphy hopes it was an anomaly.
He said, ‘It was a real surprise; he was very disappointed in himself. I can’t remember the last time that he missed four kicks in a game. The thing is not to make a massive big deal of it and just move on. The next time he’s out kicking I don’t think he’ll have the same problem… having missed four at the weekend it brings (his kicking stats) down to 82%; so he is still a high quality goal-kicker. He just happen to pile up a few misses at one time.’
Murphy attempted to break-down Madigan’s kicking yips: ‘It was a little difficult in a stadium that we have never been in before. There was a little bit of breeze blowing across the pitch. He missed two kicks which we little pulls; that would be something that he would fight against from time to time and he over corrected on the other two.
‘The last two kicks were pretty good in relation to the strike and the ball flight. He pushed the out on the other side. It was disappointing for Ian but he will move on and recover well for it.’
