‘Can ye please take the work experience lad off the ratings?!’
Ronan O’Gara is firmly of the belief that player ratings, if they are to be done at all, should only be compiled after a second or third viewing of a match. There is often so much going on that it is a mighty task to track so many players and to affix a rating to their performance.
We watched a fraught Champions Cup final unfold from the stands at the San Mames stadium and kept track of the 15 Leinster players out on the pitch, trying to get over the line and claim the province’s fourth title.
Men like James Ryan, Scott Fardy and Cian Healy all had fine games while Leinster went to the bench to bring on five players in the second half. All played their part in helping Leinster to get the job done.
While many fans agreed with our high ratings for Ryan and Fardy, some were aggrieved the likes of Rob Kearney and Dan Leavy did not score higher. Jamison Gibson-Park’s 5/10, though, that did not go down well at all.
James Downey and Eoin O’Malley joined The Hard Yards to review Leinster’s 15-12 victory and were equally unimpressed with how we rated the Kiwi scrum-half.
Looking back on the game, Gibson Park was on hand to take a great Fardy offload to keep an attack, sparked by Garry Ringrose, going up the right flank.
He brought a nice injection of urgency and attacking purpose to Leinster. He only flaws were two kicks straight up the pitch that relieved pressure but gave the ball right back to Racing and did not give his teammates a chance to get up and get the line pushed up. He also opted to take the ball into contact at one stage when there was a pass on to Kearney on his left. Saying that, 5/10 may have been a bit harsh.
‘5 for Gibson Park?’ one reader exclaimed. ‘You having a laugh? He spotted the danger and got back that could’ve changed the game. Not saying he gave any more than any of the other subs but a 5 is a joke!’
On The Hard Yards, former Munster centre Downey declared, “5? 5?! That’s a bit harsh.”
Criticism noted. We are going back in now to retrospectively award Gibson Park a fully deserved 6/10.
The rest of the show features Donnacha Ryan at his honest best, a lovely story by Eoin O’Malley about Isa Nacewa, due praise for James Ryan and preview of this weekend’s PRO14 games.
THE HARD YARDS: EPISODE 63
3.00 – Leinster victorious
7.00 – Isa Nacewa and Johnny Sexton
11.00 – Pat chats with Donnacha Ryan
15.30 – The performance of Wayne Barnes
23.00 – A lovely gesture to Jordi Murphy
25.00 – James Ryan
29.00 – Munster/Leinster preview
36.00 – Ulster/Ospreys preview
40.00 – Fan questions
