Ulster's Jacob Stockdale grateful for full-back chance in wake of Michael Lowry's injury setback
Prior to this season Jacob Stockdale had only started for Ulster once at full-back in the previous five campaigns.
Capped 40 times by Ireland, Stockdale is more used to being on the wing but with Michael Lowry’s injury he has been deployed at full-back in Ulster’s last two games.
Stockdale leads the province in defenders beaten and metres made, bagging two tries in his last outing against Racing 92 in the Challenge Cup, and is in the No.15 shirt on Friday night as Ulster travel to the Aviva Stadium to face Leinster (7:45pm).
“I'm really enjoying playing full-back, I think I'm playing a lot better than I did the last time I had a crack at it,” said Stockdale. “I'm very appreciative to Richie (Murphy) for giving me the opportunity to do that again.
“I think I enjoy just getting my hands on the ball a bit more and being more in the thick of things than you are on the wing; I don't know whether I'm moving to full-back or whether I'm just playing full-back because Mikey's injured – I guess we'll see.
“I think I am seeing more of the ball at full-back. In fairness, I'm also seeing more of the ball because of the way we're attacking this year – you can see everybody in the back three is touching the ball a lot more than we did last season.
“That's not necessarily down to me playing 15, I think it's more down to how well we're attacking underneath Mark (Sexton).”
Ulster have secured a try bonus point in all seven games this season and Stockdale has praised the attack intent within the squad.
“I think that's a big part of it, we're moving the ball really well,” he added.
“To move the ball well, you have to be in the position to be able to do that, if that makes sense. Our forwards have been brilliant in terms of getting their pods set really quickly. They're able to take it to the line, draw defenders and then pull it back to us.
“Equally, I think us as back three players and outside backs, we've been really good at getting connected together in threes and fours and attacking as threes and fours rather than individually. You see that kind of short passing game, I think it's quite a difficult attack to try and defend.”
Stockdale believes there isn’t much difference defending at full back or on the wing.
“Not particularly, even when I was playing full-back previously,” he said. “I understood it theoretically back then, but maybe not quite in practice. I think just a wee bit more experience and a bit more understanding of how the game ebbs and flows has meant that I'm able to positionally find my feet a lot quicker at full-back this time around.”
With Hugo Keenan and Jimmy O’Brien both ruled out for Leinster, Stockdale will number up against Ciaran Frawley but admits he doesn’t spend much time worrying about opposition full-backs.
“As a full-back, you never really look at your opposite man because most of the game you're about 60 metres away from each other,” he said.
“For me, I'm more looking at what nine they're picking; what ten they're picking; how that affects their kicking game; how I'm going to have to cover the backfield or support the front line as best I can.
“I don't really know what team they're going to go with, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't strong.”
Stockdale started Ireland’s win over Japan in the autumn but doesn’t see tonight’s clash as a trial for Six Nations selection.
“I'm trying not to look at it in that way,” he continued. “I think once you start worrying about selection of a team in eight weeks’ time, I think you start getting ahead of yourself and worrying about it a bit too much.
“So, I think for me, as boring as it maybe is and as cliched as the answer is, I’m just trying to look at the game in front of my face and play as best as I possibly can. Whatever comes off the back of that, I'll deal with.”
Ulster: Jacob Stockdale, Rob Baloucoune, Jude Postlethwaite, Stuart McCloskey, Werner Kok, Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak, Angus Bell, Tom Stewart ,Tom O’Toole, Harry Sheridan, Charlie Irvine, David McCann, Nick Timoney (CAPT), Juarno Augustus
Replacements: John Andrew, Sam Crean, Scott Wilson, Joe Hopes, Bryn Ward, Conor McKee, Jake Flannery, Ethan McIlroy