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Jacob Stockdale has insisted Ireland have never considered themselves the world\u2019s best Test team.<\/p>\nJacob Stockdale has insisted Ireland have never considered themselves the world\u2019s best Test team.<\/p>\n
The Ulster wing has admitted he never wants to be on the receiving end of another hiding like England dished out to Joe Schmidt\u2019s men in Dublin last weekend.<\/p>\n
Stockdale had enjoyed a near-fairytale Test career until Saturday\u2019s 32-20 Guinness Six Nations loss to England, where the stunning form that carried Ireland to last year\u2019s Grand Slam and a victory over New Zealand came to an abrupt halt.<\/p>\n
Now the 22-year-old wing has been at pains to point out the All Blacks installed Ireland as the world\u2019s best team following the 16-9 November victory \u2013 and not anyone in head coach Schmidt\u2019s camp.<\/p>\n
Asked if there would be merit in reiterating that Ireland never branded themselves the world\u2019s best, Stockdale replied: \u201cYes exactly; look we know we\u2019re a good side and we want to make sure we don\u2019t let ourselves down on the pitch.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we know we\u2019re not the finished product, and I don\u2019t think anybody here has ever claimed us to be.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we\u2019re still trying to work and still trying to improve.<\/p>\n
We know we\u2019re not the finished product, and I don\u2019t think anybody here has ever claimed us to be<\/p>\n
\u201cYou learn probably more from losing than you do winning.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me personally that\u2019s a massive point \u2013 I don\u2019t want that to ever happen again.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I\u2019m going to work twice as hard to make sure it doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo there\u2019s a lot to learn from last week and a lot to be excited about going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wily New Zealand coach Steve Hansen hailed Ireland as the world\u2019s best team after Schmidt\u2019s men toppled the back-to-back world champion All Blacks in Dublin in the autumn.<\/p>\n
Schmidt quickly batted aside that assertion, with his side still sat second in World Rugby\u2019s official rankings \u2013 well aware Hansen was simply trying to shift some pressure in Ireland\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n
Stockdale assumed responsibility for Elliot Daly\u2019s try in the England loss, where he fumbled a kick in behind to allow the Wasps flier to dot down.<\/p>\n
The Lisburn native admitted to being stung by the defeat, but pledged that Ireland will refocus quickly \u2013 starting with Saturday\u2019s trip to Murrayfield to face Scotland.<\/p>\n
Stockdale has made a habit of picking off wide passes for interception tries, but admitted he can ill afford to take any risks given Scotland fly-half Finn Russell\u2019s playmaking talents.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a tough one to analyse yourself when you\u2019ve lost and you feel like nothing you did was good enough,\u201d said Stockdale.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaly\u2019s try where I tried to collect it and it bounced out of my hands, I was really disappointed with that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt like I could have collected it and obviously stopped that try.<\/p>\n
\u201cOutside of that I wouldn\u2019t say I was happy with my performance but I thought there was a lot of good with what I did.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think once you start going looking for intercepts it can be a pretty dangerous game, because Finn Russell is a very smart player, he\u2019s very intuitive.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s definitely the kind of player that if he sees you going for it, he\u2019ll let you think you\u2019re going to have it, and then he\u2019ll put the ball past you, or in behind you.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just can\u2019t go chasing intercepts, and you just have to, hopefully, grab the one that becomes available throughout the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me it\u2019s just about making sure that I defend well, connect with the backline and the forwards around me.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then if the opportunity arises then I definitely plan on taking it.\u201d<\/p>\n