Jordan Larmour picks up the ball approaching the halfway line and the collective sense of anticipation is palpable.
The ooh’s are inevitably followed by the aah’s at the RDS as Larmour dances his way around Darren Cave, sending him one way before bringing him back the next.
Larmour scored the opening try of the 38-7 win, a brilliant score after a nice break from Fergus McFadden, but he could of easily have scored a hat-trick if it had not of been for a great last-ditch tackle from Iain Henderson and some over eagerness from Jamison Gibson-Park.
His footwork is outstanding, he runs great support lines and he has great vision, exploiting space in behind the opposition defence with expertly timed grubber kicks.
He also has this x-factor to him that you see from very few players. A level of unpredictability that you’d typically associate with Brian O’Driscoll, Jason Robinson, Israel Dagg, Charles Piutau, Quade Cooper etc.
Jordan Larmour simply can't be stopped right now 😵
Five minutes in and he opens the scoring for @leinsterrugby with a delightful sidestep before going over 👏
Catch the action LIVE on @SkySportsRugby, @TG4TV and @BBCSPORTNI#LEIvULS #GUINNESSPRO14 pic.twitter.com/QsZnxYWsTu
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) January 6, 2018
There is an excitement when you watch Larmour. An uncertainty about what he’s going to do next, which way he’s going to go and who he may embarrass.
But as much as he excites and electrifies in attack, he also does not shirk the physical side of the game in defence, throwing himself over the top of the ball in the first-half to win Leinster a penalty at the breakdown.
The conversations surrounding him are changing dramatically with every game that passes.
In the last two months Larmour has catapulted from an outside shot of making Ireland’s Six Nations squad to a player you are now looking at as quite possibly the best full-back in the country.
However, on the other side of the ball, another bright prospect Jacob Stockdale had one of the worst games of his professional career.
He was left flat-footed on Larmour’s opening score. Fergus McFadden dropped him into the turf with a right foot step on his first try, and on his second score minutes later, he was brushed off by Andrew Porter with ease after a feeble attempt at a tackle.
🚇 Andrew Porter is like a freight train and @ulsterrugby can't stop him 💪
The replacement breaks through and lays it off for @fergmcfadden's second try ✌️
It's all live on @BBCSPORTNI, @SkySportsRugby and @TG4TV 📺#LEIvULS #GUINNESSPRO14 pic.twitter.com/yzCA2jL5yP
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) January 6, 2018
Stockdale looked like a nailed on starter for Ireland’s Six Nations opener against France following the November internationals, but Joe Schmidt will have some serious concerns over his defence heading to Paris at the beginning of next month.
The former Ireland U20’s star provided some late compensation with a try to ensure that Ulster would not leave the RDS with a donut on the scoreboard, but in reality, Stockdale will have to redeem himself over the next two weeks if he wants to guarantee himself a spot on Ireland’s right wing for the Six Nations.
The big question mark will be will Jordan Larmour be standing alongside him or will Schmidt revert to Rob Kearney at full-back?
That question has generally been as clear as night and day during the New Zealander’s reign, but maybe a shooting star like Larmour forces him to reassess his options. Maybe, just maybe.
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