It is the beginning of December at a media event in London and Jordan Larmour has been reminded of rugby’s pay to play nature and the cost of injury. He seems too young at 25-years-old yet there is a stoicism about the Leinster winger. Down time is a fact of life.
There is also a longing for momentum and an extended healthy run. If an illicit alliance with the gods could be arranged, he’d take it.
“That’d be nice, it’s tough because teams are getting a lot bigger and more physical,” he said. “It’s the world we live in. Injuries are very common. A run would be ideal.”
That was then. Larmour carried a few niggles at the end of last season and had them assessed, got his body right in pre-season and was feeling good. Going well, he played full games against Benetton and Ulster. Then Sharks arrived and after 21 minutes his game ended. The world he lives in.
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“It is what it is. I missed seven weeks,” he said.
He wouldn’t catch another wave until mid-December. Modest it was too, coming off the bench in the second half of Leinster’s Champions Cup match against Gloucester. But a try put a shine on it.
This is now. It is the first match on the first day of the new year against Connacht. Half an hour into the game and captain Johnny Sexton throws the ball wide right over the heads of two of his Leinster players into the arms of Larmour on the wing.
Larmour catches cleanly and instinctively jack-knifes infield taking fullback Tiernan O’Halloran out of play and in the movement also beating the Connacht openside Shamus Hurley-Langton, who flashes a hand at his legs.
But there is a bundle of his own blue shirts clogging the middle, so Larmour sharply breaks back out towards the right wing again, forcing the running O’Halloran to overshoot his covering tackle. Larmour then breaks downfield with fullback Jimmy O’Brien on his outside shoulder.
Delivering to O’Brien, who streaks down the touchline but is tackled into touch by O’Halloran, and as the ball bounces freely in field via a Jack Carty fumble, it is Larmour on a supporting run to gather and finish what he started.
His second try of the match, where he took a hard, flat pass from Jamison Gibson-Park, stepped inside and dived under the scrambling players, also highlighted agility and footwork that has not been on show for some time.
In the approach work to the first try especially and in other shorter cameos throughout the match, Larmour was prowling and alive, back to being badass, turning and offsetting players and lighting up he RDS.
“It’s unbelievable,” says teammate Jack Conan. “We were reviewing Connacht this morning and Jordan scored that try. I don’t think there is another Irish player in the country that could have made that break Jordan made.
“I just don’t think there’s anyone who can do what he can do when he’s on it. It’s great to have him back. He’s such an energiser. He’s the most positive man in the building.”
Ulster fullback Michael Lowry has the acceleration and elusive running but not the extreme cut back and staccato step of Larmour that strikes alarm. James Lowe is entirely different, physical and Jacob Stockdale, when fit, is a more traditional straight-line runner with immense strength.
Andrew Conway, for all his packed toolbox, does not have Larmour’s gear shift and angles or the radar that in heavy traffic keeps him turning and jinking away from trouble and tackles.
Ulster’s Robert Balocoune has fabulous straight line speed and athleticism but tends to obediently stay wide, while Mack Hansen is more like Lowe, kicks well, doesn’t mind rucks and doing everything else around the pitch including scoring tries.
“Like anybody who watches rugby, especially forwards who aren’t the lightest on their feet, you’re just appreciating what Jordan brings to it,” said Leinster assistant coach Robin McBryde.
“Dancing feet, the ability to beat a man. Good ball skills. I’m just chuffed for him. Anyone who has come back from an injury, to come back and be successful is brilliant. Because it doesn’t always happen like that.
“It’s good to see that there’s still room for players of that ilk in the game of rugby and rightly so. They say there’s not an awful lot of room on the rugby field anymore, because everyone is much fitter.
“Shane Williams jumps to mind straight away. Shane Williams with the side-step, his ability to beat a man. Not the biggest, but very effective. Very skillful and someone who excites the crowd and gets you going. That feeds onto the teammates as well, it obviously does, and it’s great.”
What will excite is that the confidence to single-handedly challenge defending lines has returned, last Sunday a reminder of something Leinster had been missing, Larmour brazenly taking his game to the opposition.
It’s timely and comes after injury and circumstance somewhat dimmed the light. In 2019-20, a World Cup year, Larmour played 11 times for Ireland. The following season it was five times and last season he lined out for only one Test match.
Backing himself, he said at that London media event that a run would be ideal. Five weeks on, three tries and his signature etched on the first game of a World Cup year, the light is faint no more.
