Leinster got their URC league campaign off to a hard-fought and rewarding start with a high-scoring thriller against an experienced Edinburgh side.
Despite ex-Munster out-half Ben Healy's best efforts, Leinster hung on for a well-deserved victory in the end.
With a blend of youthful exuberance and the return of some of their internationals that didn’t feature during the summer, Leinster’s challenge was to blend the different experience levels together, in a tough away environment.
One player that rose to the challenge was former Kilkenny College man, Charlie Tector.
I’ve come across Tector in the AIL and he’s always been an addition to the Lansdowne team. He’s composed and does the basics well, but has struggled to make his breakthrough in the senior Leinster ranks.
Tector has been involved with Leinster during the twilight years of the Sexton era, being kept out by both of the Byrne brothers. When a space finally freed up in the post-Sexton season, Ciarán Frawley even struggled to get game time at out-half, and Sam Prendergast has spring-boarded himself beyond Tector.
I wondered if Tector’s time in Leinster was up considering the depth of talent at out-half, but Saturday’s URC opener was a good reminder of what he can do. He’s still just 22, and in his third year in the Leinster academy. Sometimes when you’ve come across a player at such a young age, it’s easy to forget how young they still are when playing on the main stage.
This is clearly a crucial year for Tector, with a big decision around his future in Leinster and whether they can make space for another senior contract. With Harry and Ross Byrne, and Frawley, in the senior ranks, along with Prendergast’s inclusion as a senior contract, Tector will need a strong year to force his way in.
Tector’s Lansdowne clubmate Prendergast started in the number 10 jersey, and he did himself no harm on Friday evening with a standout performance at first-centre. While his primary position is out-half, he couldn’t have asked for a better outcome from his performance last weekend. Showing that he can perform in a number of positions will help his case when knocking on Leo Cullen and Shane Nolan’s doors at some point this year.
Tector started the game quite physically, which would have been the first question asked of him when playing with Prendergast and Ringrose either side of him. They didn’t have a rampaging inside back that was going to get them across the gain line, which can often be the sticking point when playing with a distributor in the 12 jersey.
Ringrose is physical, but he punches far beyond his weight as opposed to being a big physical presence. If Leinster were going to regret their decision, it might have come in the form of sheer physicality, but Tector made it clear from the outset that it wasn’t going to be an issue.
His variety was on show for the opening try by Tommy O’Brien. He stood in as first receiver, feeding Ringrose who passed to Prendergast, before James Ryan gave the final and incisive pass for O'Brien to cross the try line. It might have been an unexpected try assist for Ryan, but the try was created on the inside with slick handling from the three inside backs.
It was Tector himself that got on the scoreboard for Leinster next. He claimed a high ball, ran out of traffic too easily and dummied the two-on-one to coast in for their second try.
'He had other subtle moments that could have been missed'
You’d have to question the Edinburgh defence, allowing the catcher to run away and score without being touched. That’s none of Tector’s concern, showing his aerial ability and the presence of mind to back himself.
He had other subtle moments that could have been missed. Edinburgh got a handle on the game before Jack Conan pinched a ball in the lineout and Leinster moved the ball in the 22 for Larmour to score. It was Tector that ran a short centre-like line in the 22 to tie in the defence, before passing back to Prendergast who fed Larmour from short range.
It might seem like a casual skill because of the execution, but to run at the tackle line, be aware of the physicality coming towards you, and distribute an accurate pass like that is a quality that Cullen will be interested in going forward.
His ability to distribute from a centre position was useful in the renowned Leinster wraparound plays too.
All in all, Tector showed a variety of skills in one outing that could see him getting more game time this season. That game time will help him to put his hand up for his next contract, which would mostly be decided before the end of the calendar year.
Tector’s performance also shows us that players are becoming more and more versatile. Andy Farrell has an eye for playing guys in different positions. He also brought Jamie Osborne back to his full-back slot during the summer, when questions would have been asked around the decision.
When players are well coached and given the right level of detail, there are many of them that can perform in a second or tertiary position.
Because of the physicality and demands of the current game, it’s very attritional. You could lose a number of players in an unlucky period in any contest, and having players that can step up at that level in various positions can get you out of trouble.
It’ll be interesting to see how Cullen uses Tector going forward. With pressure firmly on his out-half competition, and his centres regularly being called away on international duty, Charlie Tector may have solved a small problem for Leo Cullen throughout this season.
Watch Zebre v Munster in the URC on Saturday from 2.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
