SUDDENLY, THE WIDESPREAD excitement around Ireland has returned and it’s largely down to three men, or four if you include Joe Schmidt for picking Josh van der Flier, Stuart McCloskey and Ultan Dillane in his matchday 23 to face England.
There are few things as thrilling for rugby fans as the prospect of seeing talented youngsters making their Test debuts. We can just about double that feeling when we factor in that this clash takes place at Twickenham in the middle Six Nations.
Injuries have forced Schmidt’s hand of course, but this weekend is truly special for the fact that van der Flier, McCloskey and, presumably, Dillane won’t be making their debuts in a low-key November Test or against Italy.
Tomorrow will be full blooded and brutal. England against Ireland in London is always that way, and a large part of the fascination is in seeing how these three prodigious talents cope.
Certainly the strand that links 22-year-old van der Flier, 23-year-old McCloskey and 22-year-old Dillane is their athletic prowess. All three possess power and durability that are perhaps not common for players of their age.
Schmidt believes they can physically cope, and McCloskey may even do more than that if his performances for Ulster in the Champions Cup are anything to go by.
“Look at the size of Stu, he’s 17 stone,” says Ireland wing Keith Earls. “Josh is the kind of of guy who’ll rip a ball off you all day. I was doing a couple of tackling bags with Ultan there and it was like hitting a bull. The weight of him.
“I said it to John [Sexton], ‘How heavy is that fella?’ Normally you might drive him back a bit but it was just, bang, stop! They’re three physical guys, so hopefully they can do a job on Saturday.”
All three uncapped players have hugely impressive skill sets too, with Dillane arguably the premier passing lock in the country at present. His handling improvement typifies the good work being done in Connacht under Nigel Carolan, Dave Ellis and Andre Bell.
This trio if Irishmen are not robotic specimens; each of them has shown awareness and intelligence in their provincial performances this season.
McCloskey uses his footwork as much as his bulk to bust the line, van der Flier picks superb lines in his support play, while Dillane appreciates where space is on the pitch and can deliver the ball there too.
Naturally enough, none of them are imposing personalities off the pitch at Carton House just yet, but they have impressed with their confidence on the training paddock.
“Three quiet fellas, but three fellas who have been taking it in their stride,” says Earls. “I don’t think there’s any fear there. They’re too young to know what fear or pressure is.
“Chatting to Stu on the field, he’s demanding what he likes. Obviously the boys in the forwards would be working more closely with him, but he’s demanding what he likes. He’s been great, he’s had a phenomenal season. I think all three of them have had a phenomenal season. Hopefully it can keep going.”
That fearlessness is what has struck Schmidt and his more established players most about van der Flier, McCloskey and Dillane.
The Connacht and Leinster men are in just their second seasons of senior rugby, while McCloskey first played for Ulster in the 2013/14 campaign. Yet none of them have shown signs of nerves or being intimidated yet within the Ireland set-up.
“There definitely is a difference,” says Earls of this new crop of young Irish players. “You mightn’t have seen it with me, but I was always tormenting myself in my own head.
“They just come in as cool as a breeze, taking it all in their stride. I would have loved to have been like that at their age. They’re doing a lot of nice touches and great plays in training.”
Training at Carton House and Mullingar are very different things to taking on a large England side at Twickenham of course, but this trio of new Ireland internationals appear to be custom-built for the task at hand.
Tomorrow looks like the beginning of long Ireland careers for caps number 1072, 1073 and 1074.
Can’t wait to see big McCloskey running straight at farrel and Forde. Hopefully VDF and Dillan relish their opportunities too.
If Ross keeps the scrum steady, Sexton plays 80 mins and kicks all his goals, we’re gonna beat England
How rob Kearney is on that team is beyond belief, poor in defence & offers nothing in attack
I think you’ve said the same thing a couple of times over the last few days.
It’s almost as bad as having Ian Madigan on the bench as your back up out half.
I wouldn’t have Kearney in the Leinster team, let alone the Irish one. But he’s there now. He’s playing. Let it to..Aren’t you excited to see 3 potential debutants? A new centre partnership we’ve all been asking for? We’re also slowly getting more players back to fitness. Change the tune Pete. This team has a great chance of beating England
I’m excited to see McCloskey and Henshaw together, I think if it goes well it could be a world cup centre partnership. I personally wouldn’t have started Van der Flier, but would have included him in the 23. I think making your international debut against England in Twickenham is a tough ask, especially when you look at their back row. If Henry had an extra week or two game time under his belt I think he would have slotted in there saying as Joe picks on past experiences and not form.
In an article about 3 young players making their deserved Irish debuts all you can go on about is rob Kearney! Give it a break will ya
What excitement just a return to the same tired old Leinster bias for me. We’ll go and kick the leather off the ball Saturday and then wonder how we lost another tight game.
Jesus wept. Get over yourself ffs!
@ed fox
G’wan, get yourself down to the English Market in Cork City and buy some more lemons to suck on to keep you bitter. While real Irish fans get behind this team regardless of province.
3 players making there Irish debuts one is from Leinster and all you can say is a Leinster bias.
If Joe picked 22 Munster players you’d still say he’s bias as he picked a lad who done his Christmas shopping in Arrnots
This is Ireland v England get over yourself
Is it fair that when I read the sunheading, I knew it must be a Munster player? Earls is listening to Foley a little too much
Mike Ross is the most important player on that pitch tomorrow , here’s to hoping he does not get injured because if he does we are screwed , tight heads have always been so important , we were blessed for 10 years with john Hayes as he never got injured he was worth his weight in gold first man to have played 100 HC games and the first Irish player to reach 100 caps not bad for a T H prop .
……now if Murray can match some of the other scrum halves and do a little more sniping on his own, then with McCloskey outside him maybe Jonny can have a bit of pressure taken off him and maybe not have to ship so much punishment.