It’s nearly time. Jared Payne and his amazing, mind-boggling defence will be on show at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow.
It’s a sell-out affair but wedge into a bar, get comfy on the couch or visit Dixons and pretend you want to buy a new flat-screen.
Jared Payne has missed one Ireland game since he bravely played through a torn hamstring and quad against France.
During that three-week gap, his legend has grown.
Now he’s back and the world will get to behold a defensive whip-cracker like no order. Payne’s prowess for stifling the opposition has ramped to a near-mythical level.
Thursday at Carton House and the sense of relief was palpable. J.P is wearing 13 again. Robbie Henshaw can concentrate on bulling straight into the nearest opposition player rather than crude midfield obstructions.
Joe Schmidt was elated. His first lieutenant would be patrolling midfield and doing the hard work so others could shine all around him.
“What we lack with Jared in midfield has been evident to us, especially on the edge, defensively,” said Schmidt.
That was just the beginning. Keith Earls and Josh van der Flier positively gushed when Payne’s name was mentioned.
Van der Flier has yet to play with the Kiwi but his mind has been blown by the defensive masterstrokes in training. The openside told TV3:
“His understanding of the defensive system and his talk, and everything, makes him an invaluable player to have in the defence.
“I’m really looking forward to it. He’s one of those players – watching him playing for Ulster and Ireland – he’s someone you really want to play with. He’s someone you want in your side.”
In our huddle with Keith Earls, Payne was a hot topic of discussion.
His attacking nous, smart running lines, line breaks and offloads always stand out when he is in the white and red of Ulster. For Ireland, his defence is lauded. Earls told us:
“JP’s been brilliant since he has come in. He has probably taken a small bit of flack the last couple of months, and during the World Cup, but he is very important to our backline.
“Typical Kiwi, he’s very calm under pressure. He performs under pressure and makes the players around him look good.”
Italy are in town this weekend and they have two genuine threats in back field – the bruising Michele Campagnaro and dashing Leonardo Sarto.
Other than that, they are bereft of class and potency.
This should be a game where Payne gets to showcase that daring attacking streak we know he has.
However, will he continue to sit back, do the donkey work and refuse his offloading, space-seeking, soft-shoulder-targeting instincts?
Line up, take a seat and find out.
