Sawt Falasteen - Scrum-half Gibson-Park: Ireland's 'petit general'

New Zealand-born Gibson-Park, perhaps stung by being on the replacements bench for the Six Nations match against Italy, turned in a man of the match performance in the 42-21 hammering of England last month.

The 34-year-old's assured display had a positive knock-on impact on fly-half Jack Crowley, who had come in for Sam Prendergast.

"Any out-half benefits from service and decision making," Ross told AFP by phone on Monday.

"It takes a load off your own decision making.

"The French have had at nine a 'petit general' for a long time."

Former prop Ross, who was capped 61 times and was a member of two Six Nations title-winning sides, said Gibson-Park has few peers at the moment.

"I would put only (Antoine) Dupont ahead of him," said Ross.

"His clarity and decisions makes playing for the other players easy to do.

"What I want as a forward is to be bullied by my scrum-half.

"I would say to them 'I'll let you do my thinking for me if I get you the ball'."

Ross does not know whether being put on the bench against Italy, after starting in the 36-14 humbling by France the week before, was coach Andy Farrell wanting to "rest Gibson-Park" or give him a "kick in the ass".

However, Ross, who won two European Cups with Leinster before hanging up his boots in 2017, said Gibson-Park like any professional player would have been bristling watching Craig Casey start the match.

"No player wants to give his opponent a chance in the jersey," said 46-year-old Ross.

"I think watching someone in your jersey, as you see it, you do not want to give him another chance in the jersey."

- 'Like a surfer' -

Gibson-Park, who should win his 50th cap against Wales in Dublin on Friday, qualified to play for Ireland in 2019 but was first selected by Andy Farrell in October 2020 for the remaining Six Nations matches.

They had been held over due to the Covid outbreak -- and thus began his battle with the iconic Conor Murray to become the first choice scrum-half.

Come 2024, Gibson-Park had broken up the legendary half-back pairing of Murray and fly-half Johnny Sexton.

"He is a different style of player to Murray," said Ross.

"Conor was a very physical scrum-half, almost like an auxiliary back row at times and one of the best in the world in 2016.

"Jamison is best at moving the ball quickly, choosing the right options, deadly round the side of the ruck.

"Jamison is more of a scamperer, but it's good to have the two styles."

Gibson-Park, whose wife Patti was an Oceania judoka champion, is a far cry from the man who Ross first met in 2016 when he arrived at Leinster.

"He was very laid back, he would walk round in long baggy clothes," said Ross.

"If you look at his background he grew up on the Great Barrier Island and he was a decent surfer by all accounts. He walked around like a surfer.

"Although it took him a while to come out of his shell he was very comfortable in his own skin."

His laid-back attitude blends well with his humility.

The first thing he did on being interviewed as man of the match after the England game match was not comment on his own display but instead congratulate English captain Maro Itoje on his 100th cap.

"It's a pretty phenomenal feat. He's a great bloke and a great player," said Gibson-Park.

All of Gibson-Park's teammates would probably echo those sentiments about their 'petit general'.

S.Barghouti--SF-PST