Jamie Osborne has been living one of rugby’s oldest adages: that injury to one player is an opportunity for another. Since Hugo Keenan hurt his hip and then his thumb and has not yet played in Ireland’s Six Nations campaign, Osborne’s claims to fullback have been growing louder.
Mack Hansen is also out injured, with Jimmy O’Brien just back from an injury lay-off. Jacob Stockdale is available and Ciarán Frawley has also played at 15, so there is competition, albeit Osborne has looked more comfortable in the jersey as the weeks progress.
His performance against England was one of Osborne’s more impressive days in an Irish shirt.
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“Jacob obviously has been training with us. He played against France on the wing, but he can definitely play 15. Frawls [Frawley] came on at 15 in Twickenham and did well,” said Osborne.
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“There’s still a lot of competition that I wouldn’t get too comfortable.”
must-have.
Securing possession, or competing in the air and tapping back the ball so that other players can contest for the scraps, is a must-have for the modern fullback’s armoury. It’s a challenge that Osborne enjoys.
“I think the aerial and kicking game, it’s a big part of the game at the moment and there’s a lot of contests,” said Osborne.
“I think we, as a back three, have been really going after that in the Six Nations. I think the progress from the first week in Paris to Twickenham has been good in that area.
“That kind of suits my game. And I think just being able to have a bit of freedom to work in the attack, just work around and offer an extra set of hands as well.”
In February last year, former Dublin midfielder Brian Fenton brought the experience of seven All-Ireland titles and six All-Star awards along to an Irish rugby camp.
While several of the Irish players, including Keenan, Ryan Baird, Jack Crowley, Jack Conan, and ex-Westmeath minor Robbie Henshaw, played Gaelic games, Fenton imparted some crossover skills to the Irish panel that hit home.
“Yeah, definitely,” said Osborne. “Having Brian in last year ... I actually wasn’t in that week when he was in, but a few of the lads loved working with him those couple of days.
“They got a lot out of it ... and a lot of the coaching points from that we still take to this day.
“But yeah, I think it’s important to look at other players in different sports that are obviously good. It’s not just GAA. If you look at Aussie Rules, there’s been Aussie Rules coaches in and around before.”
Osborne admits that stacking games on games has helped his confidence and his on-field relationship with other players. His arrival to a kneeling Stuart McCloskey for his try against England was a case in point.
And Osborne knows McCloskey’s ability to offload the ball even when he appears to be wrapped up in the tackle can offer him more opportunities.
“It’s great, he obviously gets his hands free,” said Osborne. “So, if I can run off him and get a few more tries off him, it would be nice.”
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