DUBLIN (AP) — Antoine Dupont deserves to be hailed far and wide in Andy Farrell's opinion.
As for his own scrumhalf? The Ireland coach couldn't be happier with Jamison Gibson-Park, to whom he gave his first test in 2020 and is giving his 50th test for the Irish on Friday night when Wales visits in the Six Nations.
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“I think Dupont is a generational player,” Farrell said. "It's certainly right to speak of him in terms like: Is he the best player that has ever been?
“But the way that we want to play the game, Jamison suits us down to the ground.”
Gibson-Park has mirrored Ireland's progress in the ongoing championship.
On opening night in Paris, he was smashed behind a beaten pack, missed four tackles, and finished on the wing as Ireland lost to France 36-14.
Back home against Italy, Gibson-Park was dropped to the bench for only the second time since the 2023 Rugby World Cup. But when he was injected at 10-10 with 30 minutes to go, he and Jack Crowley gave a noticeable lift in assurance and energy. Ireland prevailed 20-13.
In the last round at Twickenham, two days after his 34th birthday, Gibson-Park was the player of the match with a heads-up try, the spark behind a dominant pack that beat up England by a record 42-14. In a classy touch, his first comments were to congratulate Maro Itoje for his 100th England test.
“I know everyone talks about Dupont but we're pretty lucky to have Jamison in our squad,” Farrell said. "And it's his fight, his determination. He's hard as nails, like. You wouldn't like to compete against him.
"Somebody asked the question the other day: ‘If someone broke into your house, who would you want protecting your house?’ And I thought straight away: Jamison.
“He’d probably bite their ankles off first and then do whatever he wanted. He's that type of competitor. He's the full box of tricks.”
Replaced Conor Murray
Gibson-Park came through the New Zealand system: New Zealand Schoolboys, Taranaki NPC, New Zealand Maori, Blues and Hurricanes in Super Rugby. Low in the New Zealand pecking order, he moved to Ireland in 2016, became Ireland-qualified in 2019, and a dual citizen in 2023.
While supplanting Conor Murray, he's been at the heart of Ireland's greatest triumphs under Farrell: Series win over the All Blacks in New Zealand, Six Nations Grand Slam in 2023 and title in 2024, drawn series in South Africa, and 17 consecutive victories. Farrell made him the British and Irish Lions starting scrumhalf in Australia last year.
“What you see in him all those years ago is exactly what you see now,” Farrell said.
"He plays quick because he's unbelievably fit, but because of that speed and that fitness he's able to play nice and calm within his head and see things that others don't. That's the definition of fitness, really. The game becomes easy for you when everyone else is struggling and he seems to be a step apart as far as that's concerned.
“On top of that, the more you play international rugby the more your confidence grows to show everyone that you're able to be not just a top international player, but I would think that he's trying to prove to himself and to his teammates that he's right up there with the best in the world. I think that's how he's playing now.”
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