The National Times - Gibson-Park the man who makes Six Nations title-chasers Ireland tick

Gibson-Park, New Zealand-born but now an Irish citizen, has been Ireland's outstanding performer in a campaign in which the Irish have been more clinical and resilient than flamboyant in securing the Triple Crown.

Emblematic of the effort put in by Gibson-Park was his scampering back three-quarters of the length of the pitch to put in a try-saving tackle against Scotland last month.

"It's just being part of this squad; you scramble to even lost causes," he explained afterwards.

Gibson-Park has been man of the match in two of the three games so far and his performance at Lansdowne Road will have a huge bearing on whether an unprecedented third successive Six Nations title remains realistic for the Irish.

"He is as important to this Irish team as Dupont is to the French team," former Ireland and British and Irish Lions fullback Hugo MacNeill told AFP on Wednesday.

"Dupont may be on a higher level as an all-round player but Jamison is that important to Ireland.

"If we've got ambitions to win another Grand Slam, if we've got ambitions at the next World Cup, he's going to be very key or somebody really exceptional has got to come along to dislodge him from the position.

"God forbid he should pick up an injury. He'd be very hard to replace."

Gibson-Park has fully repaid the confidence shown in him when Andy Farrell blooded the Leinster scrum-half in the Six Nations match against Italy in 2020.

The former Maori All Black, who moved to Ireland in 2016, made his first Test start in 2021 and a year later had broken up the world-class halfback partnership of Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray.

- 'Turns to gold' -

MacNeill, a key member of two Triple Crown-winning sides in 1982 and 1985, said Gibson-Park brought to the table something that Murray -- for all his qualities -- was unable to.

"Like all New Zealand scrum-halves of a certain age they learned to pass the ball in one movement, not pick it up and stop and then pass away in one movement," said MacNeill.

"That helps create space outside. Allied to that, he's a very intelligent player.

"His decision-making, his reading of the game is superb. And he gives great confidence to those in front of him and those behind him.

"Jamison has even stepped up further in his leadership and his encouragement of the people around him which is really impressive but it was really badly needed."

The 33-year-old, who has Northern Irish heritage on his mother's side of the family, has not always been a big talker on the pitch.

However, like with his kicking game -- he bashfully admitted he could not "kick snow off a rope" before coming to Ireland -- his on-field presence as a leader has progressed in leaps and bounds.

It is a far cry from when the player from the Great Barrier Island -- population then of 800 -- started out his career with Taranaki, as his coach there, Colin Cooper, told The Irish Times in 2022.

"He had to work on his voice, because he's quiet and shy," said Cooper.

"From his background, he's respectful, very courteous but under all that he's got a bit of a larrikin in him."

Cooper believes Gibson-Park made the right call to move away as he thinks he would not have dislodged TJ Perenara as first-choice scrum-half at Super Rugby franchise The Hurricanes.

Five years later the wisdom of his choice to move halfway across the world paid off as he faced Perenara when the Irish hosted the All Blacks and came out on top 29-20.

Perenara said Gibson-Park is not only a "super dude" but a winner too.

"He was one of the most gifted players I ever played with –- everything that guy touches often turns to gold."

The Irish will hope Saturday is just such an occasion.

P.Sinclair--TNT