EOIN REDDAN INTERVIEW: GAVIN CUMMISKEYtalks to the Leinster scrumhalf about the threat from the Clermont half-backs in the Heineken Cup on Friday night at the RDS (8.0) and of his high regard for Jonathan Sexton
A WAVE of positivity radiated from Leinster, and Ireland reserve, scrumhalf Eoin Reddan when queried about his lack of pitch time during the Six Nations, basically explaining how little it has to do with Friday night’s Heineken Cup quarter-final opportunity to outshine that tournament’s star number nine, Morgan Parra.
The Clermont scrumhalf was favourite to be voted player of the Six Nations only for a strong show of public support for Monaghan’s Tommy Bowe.
Tomás O’Leary’s game malfunctioned in Paris while Parra’s excelled, but he was given another chance and took it with, among other things, a crucial hand in the match-winning try against England. The 29-year-old Reddan warmed the bench.
“No, my job is to not be frustrated in that position, I think at this stage I’m quite good at that and staying positive and if the chance comes along then you are in a position to capitalise but if it comes along and you’re frustrated you could blow it. Apart from the results against Scotland and France I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
The focus easily switches back to his first season in Leinster colours and Parra – a modern French halfback who can place-kick to international standard and switch to outhalf if required. Just like Jean Baptiste Elissalde and Frederic Michalak before him. Only South Africa produce players of similar mobility – Ruan Pienaar.
The chips have fallen kindly for the 21-year-old this season. ASM Clermont Auvergne’s previous scrumhalf had been 33-year-old Pierre Mignoni and his return to the Chelsea-like empire building at Toulon, his home-town club, provided a clear opening after Parra’s switch from Bourgoin.
Then Julien Dupuy eye-gouged Stephen Ferris in a Heineken Cup pool match with the resultant 23-week ban leaving Marc Lievremont in need of a replica goal-kicking nine to slip into the French XV. Cue Parra’s arrival as a steely, world-class operator. The Grand Slam followed.
Irish supporters on that freezing afternoon in Paris will remember Brian O’Driscoll attempting to force matters by switching the attack to the blindside only for a superb tackle by the lightweight Parra to stall matters.
“He’s a good player, he’s a good scrumhalf. You know there’s probably been a good standard of rugby played by scrumhalves in the Six Nations and he’s done well, so it should be interesting this weekend.”
A more general approach is taken by Reddan regarding the Clermont halfback combination – Australian Brock James being the outhalf.
“I think every team in the world is run by half backs really, our job is to give players decent ball and let the players do what they do best, they’re no different. They (Parra and James) are players who can both kick and pass, they have their strengths and weaknesses and it’s up to us to limit their strengths and maximise any returns we can get out of their weaknesses.
“That’ll be key, you always need to look at the opposition half-backs but I don’t think we’ll be paying any special attention to one part of the pitch more than the other. I think if you took your eye off anyone they’d be the guy who pulls it out for them on Friday.”
Next to Jonathan Sexton. The St Mary’s outhalf has given a new dimension to the Irish backline these past few months despite an inconsistent place-kicking game.
“I think he’s brilliant, a great player. I wouldn’t have any worries about him. I really enjoy playing with him, he’s not afraid to have a say which is very important for an outhalf to be able to have a cut off people if things aren’t going well . . . I just think overall he’s going well and it’s great.”
Of course it is not great when Sexton’s kicking statistics are analysed but the easy comeback to that is the pressure penalty he nailed against Scotland before being replaced, his match-winning drop goal against Connacht and last weekend’s kick that put Munster to the sword for Leinster’s first win in Thomond Park since 1995.
Danny Cipriani, Reddan’s former halfback partner at London Wasps, is mentioned. Cipriani’s reaction to the pressure now heaped upon Sexton’s, albeit older, shoulders was a massive dip in form supplemented by injury. “I’d say in that regard Jonny’s doing really well.”
