In a midfield channel filled with battering rams, can the jinking, spry centre survive?
Yes, but they have to be damn good.
Garry Ringrose is not there yet. Right now, he’s simply good.
2016/17 is only Ringrose’s second season as a rugby professional. He enjoyed a fine debut season and often impressed more in defence than he did in attack. Leinster’s coaches were extremely happy with him, and his partnership with Ben Te’o.
VIDEO: Garry Ringrose announces himself to the Munster crowd with blistering mazy run https://t.co/RXLdL6n7Z1 pic.twitter.com/ZKHRIiZ1Lx
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) December 27, 2015
It is early days yet but he is forming an exciting partnership with Robbie Henshaw.
In November, Joe Schmidt handed him his Ireland debut against Canada at outside centre. One week later, with Henshaw concussed, he played 70 minutes at inside centre against the All Blacks and acquitted himself well. He did even better a week later against Australia and helped himself to an excellent try.
It is noticeable about Ringrose, when you are in his company, how bigger he is since he was playing Ulster Bank League for UCD and tearing it up at the 2014 Junior World Championships. It is a mix of filling out with age and building the muscle mass at Leinster. He tells us:
“For me, it’s just a slow process. I’m not trying to put on any huge amount of weight over a week or two because that would have a negative effect on me elsewhere. I’d say I’ve put on a couple of kilos, whether it’s two or three or four, since this time last year.
“It fluctuates a little bit in and around games, or high-intensity periods. It’s just a gradual progression without compromising any other attributes I might have.”
Ringrose weighed in at 89 kilos last summer and currently fluctuates between 92 and 93 kilos. At 6-foot-2, he can handle the extra timber on his frame. He is not too concerned about adding too much to that for this season.
“I know in my head where I want to get to,” he adds, “without compromising how I enjoy playing rugby. It’s a slow process but I’m not in any hurry.”
With more mighty challenges in store, Ringrose is not forgetting what has gotten him so far already:
“I’ve certainly never been picked for being a battering ram or having a huge big physical element, but I suppose I’d like to try and be an intelligent centre.
“That’s worked for other centres around the world, so I wouldn’t be too focused on trying to become a huge, big centre. I wouldn’t want it to compromise some of the reasons I’ve got to the position I’m in.
“It’s kind of a balancing act in trying to grow all aspects of my game, as well as not losing sight of what some of my strengths are.”
With that attitude, and his obvious talents, Ringrose should be right.
