The build-up to Ireland’s opening try of this World Cup reflected Brittany Hogan’s growing importance. The score, which was ultimately finished off by Amee-Leigh Costigan out wide, started with a manufactured lineout move, one that sent Ireland’s number eight into a one-on-one matchup with the opposition outhalf.
There was only one winner. Japan could not recover, chasing back phase after phase until they were regrouping under their own posts.
In recent times, Aoife Wafer has been the player Ireland game-planned into these scenarios. With good reason. Put your best carriers in the position where they can inflict maximum damage.
With no Wafer in the side over the past fortnight, Ireland needed other threats. Hogan stepped up. While others have done their part in filling the gap, the Ballynahinch backrow’s stats illustrate how her work-rate has markedly increased.
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In all of Ireland’s Six Nations matches this year in which Wafer played, she led the side for carries. Hogan ran into contact eight times per match, on average, in those same outings.
Against Japan, that number rose to 11. Fifteen against Spain, despite being on the bench for the opening 25 minutes. Add to that 36 total tackles across the two games and you can see a notable effort on both sides of the ball.
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Hogan has noticed the uptick in work. “Spain had so much possession on pick-and-goes, you just rack up tackles, you rack up those metres,” she says. “It was a hard game again, so the stats said on the sheet.”
As for the wider trend – her carrying load increasing in Wafer’s absence – Hogan points to a development which coincided nicely with the need to step up.
“My game has evolved in the last 12 months,” she explains. “I’ve been trying to put myself into more of a ball-carrying role because that’s just the way my game has developed.
“It’s become sort of a strength of mine that the team and the coaches like to utilise. So that comes hand in hand with Wafer, but if I have to latch Wafer, no problem. I’ll do that.
“She’s an incredible athlete and incredible asset to our team. Whenever she’s gone, if I have to have a couple more carries I will but we are spreading that across the team pretty well.”
Ireland’s backrow undoubtedly needs ballast. Edel McMahon is more of a traditional openside, defence and the breakdown the focus. So too Claire Boles. Fiona Tuite is a converted secondrow, so carrying is a feature, but arguably her biggest job is to call the lineout. Of the players to feature so far in this competition, that leaves Hogan and Grace Moore as the main attacking threats in Wafer’s absence.
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“[Improved carrying] was just organic, it just comes with my physical adaptations the past year and my awareness of the game,” says Hogan.”[I’m] trying to just put my hand up and say ‘I’m carrying’ and people come around me.
“That’s just kind of come from myself and the way that I’ve changed as an athlete and the coaching staff saying, ’Oh, well, you’re getting good metres, [you’ve] put your hand up’.
“I love carrying the ball. Give it to me any day. I’ll do it. No problem.”
Speaking of ball-carrying backrows, New Zealand’s Jorja Miller has been one of the players of the tournament so far. These pages have already analysed her impact from a numbers perspective. Hogan has watched the same tape as everyone else. There’s a special talent coming down her channel.
“In a world-class outfit, you’re going to have a class back five and Jorja Miller is a really good example of a hybrid athlete, like the sevens/fifteens [players],” she says. “She’s shone here on the world stage and that’s where she belongs – she was unbelievable.
“I’m just really looking forward to having that challenge and having that personal challenge against her.”
Hogan, of course, was on the Irish sevens panel herself a few years ago. Her debut came against New Zealand, scrumming down against Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, now a wing in 15s. She only played against the Black Ferns a handful of times on that circuit.
Instead, her dominant memory of Kiwi rugby was the 15s win during last year’s WXV tournament. As any victory over a New Zealand side would, the result elevated Ireland’s belief in their own abilities.
“It was just that awe versus belief,” she recalls. “We have to make sure that we respect our opponent, but we don’t disrespect ourselves in that time.
“Things just worked our way that day and we fully deserved the outcome afterwards. Hopefully more to come but we know it’s a major challenge.”
