Iain Henderson has backed Ireland and Ulster team-mate Jacob Stockdale to return to his devastating best as he bids to force his way into Andy Farrell’s World Cup squad.
Stockdale will make his first international appearance in more than two years in Saturday evening’s warm-up clash with Italy following a difficult period in his stalled Test career.
The 27-year-old wing was player of the championship when his seven tries helped Ireland clinch a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2018 and first choice on the left flank under Joe Schmidt at the following year’s World Cup in Japan.
But, in part due to injuries, he has struggled to make an impact during the Farrell era and has work to do to ensure he is on the plane to France having slipped behind James Lowe and Mack Hansen in the pecking order.
Lock Henderson, who will captain his country against the Azzurri, believes Stockdale still possesses the attributes and quality to rediscover top form.
“Jacob’s an incredible athlete, you still see him in training doing phenomenal things,” he said.
“At that time (2018), our team was in a hot run of form and Jacob finished off a lot of very well-created tries from the whole team.
“He still has all of those athletic attributes, he still has the mindset and desire, he still has age on his side.
“For anyone who knows Jacob personally, he’s not one to give up in terms of any sort of argument or fight you get into with him.
“Knowing his personality, knowing what he has, I don’t think there’s any reason why we shouldn’t see another 2018 Jacob Stockdale coming out again. I think that’s exciting for him, exciting for everyone else.
“He knows himself he has to be patient and continue to work away. He won’t throw the head up and I know Jacob will plug away at it.”
Only five men – Brian O’Driscoll, Keith Earls, Tommy Bowe, Denis Hickie and Shane Horgan – have scored more tries for Ireland than Stockdale.
Yet 14 of his 19 Test scores came in the first 17 of his 35 caps and he has become a peripheral figure in recent years, not helped by knee and ankle issues.
Henderson admits Stockdale has been frustrated by his international exile.
“After that ankle injury was the explosion of Mack Hansen, and James Lowe is obviously a phenomenal player too,” said the 31-year-old.
“The two wings are positions that are hotly-contested and there’s incredible depth, thankfully, in our country.
“Jacob fully understood that coming in last autumn, he knew he would have his work cut out, and again through the Six Nations both of those guys were in top form and injury-free.
“I know Jacob found it incredibly frustrating not being able to get an opportunity over the course of those two campaigns but he knew if he kept plugging away that he would eventually get one.
“He has trained incredibly well and he is rightly being rewarded.”
With Johnny Sexton suspended and James Ryan and Peter O’Mahony given the weekend off, Henderson will skipper Ireland for the second time.
The Aviva Stadium was empty due to coronavirus restrictions the last time he led out his country – a 15-13 Six Nations loss to France in 2021 – but around 42,000 fans are expected this weekend.
“Faz (Farrell) said I was going to be captain and I was over the moon,” said Henderson.
“This is going to be incredibly special for me to have my family at this.”
England and Saracens number eight Vunipola fined after arrest in Mallorca
England international Billy Vunipola has confirmed he has been fined after an incident which saw him arrested in Mallorca on Sunday, with his club Saracens set to launch an internal investigation.
On Monday, widespread reports claimed Vunipola had been tasered by Spanish police in the early hours of Sunday morning, with an altercation taking place after he left a club in Palma.
Saracens later confirmed they were aware of an incident and said they would deal with it internally.
The number eight, who was born in Australia but has represented England 75 times, later released a statement of his own via his club, denying that any violence took place and confirming the police investigation was now closed.
"I can confirm I was involved in an unfortunate misunderstanding when I was leaving a club in Mallorca on Sunday, which got out of hand," that statement read.
"Contrary to media reports, there was no violence, no fight and I did not threaten anybody at any stage, with bottles or chairs or anything else.
"I was charged with resisting the law and, following an 'express trial', I have paid a fine of €240. The Spanish police investigation is now closed, and I am flying back to the UK today.
"I will obviously cooperate with the Saracens internal process and unreservedly apologise for any inconvenience to all involved."
Fraser Brown ‘hugely proud’ of Scotland career as he announces rugby retirement
Fraser Brown declared himself “hugely proud” of his Scotland career as he announced his retirement from professional rugby.
The 34-year-old Glasgow hooker has not played since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament while playing for the World XV against the Barbarians at Twickenham last May and he has now conceded defeat in his bid to return to action.
Brown won 61 Scotland caps, with the first of them coming against Italy in 2013 and the last in the Six Nations match at home to Ireland in 2023, the same game incidentally in which Stuart Hogg won his final cap. The front-rower went to both the 2015 and 2019 World Cups.
“When you have a serious injury like I did with an ACL at the end of your career, it is always going to be hard to come back from,” Brown told Scottish Rugby.
“That probably made it a little easier to announce my retirement but it’s still a surreal and strange feeling.
“I’m hugely proud to have played so many times for Scotland during my career. To get one cap was great, but then my second one came against the All Blacks at Murrayfield which was such a special occasion.
“To reach 50 caps was a big moment as I had to deal with a lot of injuries throughout my career and to be part of the growth process of the team which has resulted in where they are now has been cool.”
At club level, Brown made 141 appearances for Glasgow after joining from Edinburgh in 2011.
The hooker helped them win the Guinness Pro12 in 2015 with victory over Munster in the final in Belfast, while his last appearance for Warriors proved to be last season’s Challenge Cup final defeat by Toulon in Dublin.
Glasgow head coach Franco Smith paid tribute to Brown, saying: “Fraser is the epitome of a modern professional and someone who should serve as a role model to any young player starting their journey.
“The respect with which he is held, not only within the Glasgow Warriors community but within the wider rugby family, should serve to underline the achievements he has earned throughout his career and the manner in which he has achieved them.
“His work ethic and determination to bring the best out of the people and players around him has been clear to all throughout his career.
“I wish him the very best for whatever comes next and I know he will apply that same work ethic and determination that made him one of this club’s most distinguished Warriors.”
Brown becomes the second experienced Scotland front-rower to announce his retirement in the space of a month after Edinburgh prop WP Nel recently revealed he would be hanging his boots up at the end of this season.
England tap into knowledge of Brian Ashton to play entertaining brand of rugby
England have been tapping into the knowledge of veteran attack guru Brian Ashton to achieve their aim of filling Twickenham.
The Red Roses ran in 14 tries in an 88-10 victory over Ireland that places them on the brink of claiming a sixth consecutive Guinness Women’s Six Nations title when they face France on Saturday.
A thrilling attacking performance before a 48,778 crowd was born out of the belief that in order to play in front of a full house of Twickenham at next year’s home World Cup, they must play appealing rugby.
And helping them achieve that aim is Ashton, a former England men’s head coach regarded as a visionary in the game whose expertise has been enlisted by Red Roses boss John Mitchell.
“Brian makes us ask questions. ‘If this is the picture, what is the easiest way that you can take the wins?’” said Dow, who ran in a hat-trick against Ireland.
“I do think it is about asking those questions and having Brian Ashton available throughout the week…I absolutely adore the man.
“The way he phrases things almost makes you re-think the philosophy of rugby. I think in the English brand the philosophy is ‘let’s kick to the corner, let’s take the territory’. But is that the philosophy of all rugby? Can we expand that?
“At the end of the day, professional rugby is a business in its own way. We need to be proving to the whole of England that we can play an exciting brand of rugby.”
While England march on by overwhelming the opposition in front of them, Ireland’s blowout highlights the gulf in class in the women’s game and affects the credibility of the Six Nations.
The Red Roses have accumulated 228 points after four rounds and France are the only European team capable of taking the wind out of their sails when the rivals clash in Bordeaux.
“I 100 per cent think teams will catch up and as much as we may be on top now, it is on us to try and work to keep that place and demand more from ourselves,” Dow said.
“Because as much as we’d love the game to grow, we want to keep the gap ourselves and continue to prove that we can be the best.”
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