Given he occupies the key defensive position of outside centre, perhaps no one is more compelled to buy into Leinster’s high-risk, high-reward defensive system than Garry Ringrose. In any case, he certainly seems to have embraced the Jacques Nienaber methodology more enthusiastically than anyone else.
But the 69-times capped Irish centre has played down the challenge involved when he, especially, and others are required to adjust when exchanging blue for green jerseys.
“No. I think to be a top player, it can’t be an excuse. There’s coaches that have varying perspectives on how things are to be done, and it’s our job as a player to deliver on what we’re asked for. And it’s our job as a team-mate for the team to deliver on what we’re being asked of. You’ve got to make a conscious decision to flip the switch. And it’s as simple as that, I guess.”
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“It’s tricky,” admits Ringrose with an all-knowing smile. “It’s tricky because of the sheer pace they have, their offloading ability, their kicking game, so they can create something from nothing.
“They can also just create something from doing what they do well. So you kind of need to be all-court defensively, and alert for absolutely everything if you want to stop them.”
Ringrose has regularly been partnered by Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw in the Irish midfield, less so Stuart McCloskey. Since their first outing together in the win over the USA in November 2018, McCloskey and Ringrose have started only six matches in tandem.
There were also wins over South Africa and Australia in November 2022 and the 2023 Six Nations victories away to Wales and, encouragingly, the memorable title decider at home to France, when Ringrose finished brilliantly. Their winning run together ended last November in Chicago against the All Blacks.
“We have a good relationship off the pitch, get on well and then that transfers on to the pitch,” says Ringrose. “He’s pretty easy to get along with. I think all the centres, any combination it’s been over the last couple of years, there’s a certain standard that we’re challenged to uphold and play to and that’s the same for myself, Stu, whoever it is.
Injuries have meant the midfielders must be adaptable to new partners to maintain standards, none more so than Ringrose, who adds of McCloskey: “He’s brilliant with the ball in hand for such a big man with the ball carrying capabilities that he has. He’s an unbelievably good footballer at the line. He’s a good footballer through contact as well. I’ve got to try and react to be as connected to the ball as possible because he has the ability to pull things off that I certainly can’t.”
