Hugo Keenan’s metronomic excellence at fullback casts a long shadow for anyone challenged to deputise
There were other unforeseen complications too on the night. Ireland’s general performance was knocked out of kilter by the physically aggressive Samoans, who ran hard, and in defence boasted a bristling aggression and speed underpinned by an unquenchable thirst for collisions; they won the gain-line battle on both sides of the ball for large tranches of the contest.
Mack Hansen’s blocked down kick and Jack Crowley’s one-handed flick left O’Brien having to reach to rescue the ball over his head and he knocked on as a posse of Samoans converged. On six minutes the Irish fullback had reason to be grateful to Conor Murray and Stu McCloskey who bundled Samoa’s right wing, Ed Fidow, into touch a couple of metres from the line.
It wasn’t just a case of fielding the ball but protecting it in the subsequent contact; twice O’Brien came down with the ball and on both occasions he had it knocked from his grasp in the ensuing tackle. On the flip side, he pulled off one or two good catches, well positioned and composed while also offering a fine left-footed kicking option on a couple of occasions.
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