18 MONTHS SEPARATED Marcus Rea’s first and second senior professional appearances.
It wasn’t a case of opening night jitters on debut, far from it. Last April, he was sprung from the bench after just 13 minutes to replace Sean Reidy.
He took his seat in the press room afterwards with a try and a man of the match award to show for his 67 minutes work. The emotion of achieving a dream writ large on the face of the “country boy from Glarryford.”
The timing of that high watermark in form worked against him. The very tail end of the season. Momentum was tough to pick up again in the new campaign. Tough enough without a pandemic and a string of minor niggles that followed a broken jaw suffered in action for Ballynahinch against Trinity.
“(I was pushing for) a speedy recovery, because Christmas dinner was coming up pretty quick and I didn’t want to miss out on that never mind any more games,” jokes the 23-year-old back row.
“That was a big one. Even mentally, coming back and putting my head in places it shouldn’t be sometimes after breaking your jaw.”
“Ice cream was probably my best friend. Had it in a lot of smoothies to make them sweeter.
“Moving forward, there are points that coaches have to see in me. That’s what I’ve been working on. The breakdown area is going to be a big one. If I can be a big threat there then that’s something they can turn to and have faith in me to do a job out there.
“It’s been a long year. I’ve been putting effort into stuff. It’s not that attractive when you’re talking about rugby, but it’ll be the unseen work that’ll get me through this season.”
Rea is fortunate to have an invaluable influence constantly by his side, his elder brother Matty who has ploughed the path ahead of him and experiences the trials and tribulations of the professional environment before him.
“He obviously has the brains so I kind of let him take the lead,” jokes the younger brother.
“I’d say we’re very dissimilar in ways. He’s probably a lot more forward-thinking than me. I’d be a bit more in the moment and I probably make a few more wee mistakes, even round the farm back home.”
Rea’s second appearance for Ulster came earlier this month against the Ospreys. Having impressed on debut against Max Deegan, Caelan Doris and Will Connors – all internationals as of this afternoon. 18 months later he had to go head-to-head with a decorated Welsh international, a Lion, in Justin Tipuric. He didn’t make many mistakes that night, though he concedes the Welsh star was not at the peak of his powers.
“When I first started, kind of nervous, but once I got out there and felt the pace of the game in the first half it was alright. I probably thought he was going to be better than he was.”
With the All-Ireland League called off again and so few match minutes under his belt, Rea was thrilled to be called to play for Ulster in the IRFU’s first inter-provincial Sevens tournament last weekend.
A chance to test the lungs before he runs out against the Dragons on Sunday.
“It was a really good experience. Especially with the group of lads we did have, it was really good fun.
Patience has been a virtue, but he is keenly aware too that it is his responsibility to force head coach Dan McFarland’s hand.
“Hopefully, at the turn of this season, he can rely on us to take on responsibility and shoulder that, have faith in us.
“It’s on us to play well and give him that benefit so he can go into a game week saying ‘he’s carrying a niggle can we rest him?’ We want to be the players holding our hand up saying don’t worry we’ll get the job done.’”
It’s scary to think how war mongering the UK is. For every war in the world the USA and UK always get involved like it’s some sort of videos game. Also the war crimes done in Ireland, Iraq, number of country’s in Africa and Asia by the British Army is something not to be proud off.
Totally agree.
Stick to the football lads. It’s in need of your full attention.
Of course they’re planning to, there’s still plenty of empire nostalgia in England as reflected in recent Brexit vote
@An_Beal_Bocht: Whats commemorating the lives of those who died fighting in WWI & WWII have anything to do with the British empire? Its showing respect for those who gave their lives in an awful conflict.
It’s not just ww1 and ww2. It’s every war and conflict they have ever been in, including Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan, India etc etc etc etc etc.
A leopard never changes its spots. They just can’t help been themselves. They tried their best bless the murdering, Racist B@@@@@@!!!!
So they’re commemorating the inhabitants of Nagasaki and Nazi soldiers as well?!
Way to stick it to the man.
They’re dead right. To hell with fifa.
But we all know there is more to this poppy wearing for the Brits than commemoration of their fallen heroes.
100yrs on its more about nationalism.
I’m also sure there are families of innocents in places like Iraq, Syria and perhaps even Belfast who don’t take so kindly to the liberators tag that the British army like to align with.
I’m also sure there are a few Germans in FIFA who just joy in rubbing it in the noses of the brexiteers
The Scots are also planning on having poppys on their kit that day, why is this being ignored??
And James McLean to get the usually abuse from the stands and online by the brave knuckle daggers.
Its plain to see very few commenters on here haven’t a scooby what the Poppy represents.
The real question is if Fifa prohinits display of symbols on international jerseys which could be interpreted as a political, religious or commercial why was nothing said about the 1916 commemoration on the Ireland jerseys earlier this year?
let them wear the poppy. there’s no harm in it. it’s symbols that blatantly want to stir up trouble fifa should be more concerned with rather than symbols of remembrance and honour.
So what does it represent? I think maybe you are the one who doesn’t have the Scrooby doo.
What it was originally intended to represent, what it has come to represent and what it actually stands for are all different things.
The media poppy pressure in the U.K. is relentless. It’s become a massive propaganda tool for the British Army.
Oh , you mean the one we wore to celebrate 100 years? These fools wear that bloody poppy every year. The pro Britannia vibe is cringe to the point that it makes me want to vomit
If very FEW haven’t a scooby then the vast majority completely understand the stupidity of footballers wearing the poppy. Nice double negative you ignoramus!
The 1916 commemoration was for a friendly game, which is not against FIFA rules.
And to be even more pedantic about it, it did not contain the Lily but merely ‘Éire 1916-2016′. In my opinion it was subtle and classy. There is nothibg subtle about the poppy and its appearance on our screens en masse for the month of November.
Is the FA chairman not Greg Dyke instead of Greg Clarke??
Hi Sean, No it was Greg Dyke but he has since been succeeded by Greg Clarke. Greg Dyke stepped down during the summer.
Hi Sean. No Greg Clarke replaced Greg Dyke earlier this summer.
No
@sean mcgoey: Hi Sean, just getting back to this comment now. Greg Clarke succeeded Greg Dyke as FA Chairman in July of this year.
And we care….Nooooo
Surely the British parliament has more pressing concerns than worrying whether or not their football teams wear a poppy on their shirt. Always happens at this time of year and I find it funny how far they go with it