Brian O’Driscoll Breaks Down The Genius Behind Jacob Stockdale’s Try

Power play.

Jacob Stockdale has already scored an incredible 12 tries for Ireland in just 14 Test outings, but the Ulster winger won’t score too many better than his effort against New Zealand on Saturday.

His courage in going for the kick after being charged down just minutes previous also deserves serious credit. A lot of players would have been nervous to go a second time so soon, but not Jacob Stockdale.

Looking at the try itself and the build-up too it, Brian O’Driscoll has pointed out on Off The Ball what made it work so well on the day. The former Ireland captain noted Stockdale’s apparent “disinterest”, thrown the All Blacks completely off the scent before the ball was switched back in his direction.

“Stockdale looked a bit disinterested which is exactly what he needed to do a bit like what Bundee Aki had done in the Six Nations, he was being wasteful, almost a bit lazy, he wasn’t showing any intent to do anything.”

“Everyone else who was showing deception, weren’t getting the ball. The guy that is getting the ball is disinterested, gets the ball from Aki, and then he has multiple options depending on what happens, Ben Smith doesn’t close that space, he tries to get to the last defender and pop it to Rory Best and Ben Smith will look back and realise that Rory Best, not the fastest player on the pitch but he really needed to close that space… but this is all happening in hundredths of a second.”

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