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Former Munster man, Bill Johnston. Alex Davidson/INPHO

'It was tough to leave my childhood club, but an opportunity like this doesn't fall in your lap for no reason'

After falling down the pecking order at Munster, Bill Johnston is taking the chance to reinvent himself up North.

WHEN HE NEEDS to draw inspiration in his life, Bill Johnston harks back to three years ago to his Ireland U20s days.

Back then he was a fresh-faced prospect in the Munster Academy, the Tipperary man seen as the next man off the conveyor belt following the retirement of Ronan O’Gara and expected to live up to the potential that the now departed JJ Hanrahan hadn’t.

Like all best plans, however, fate seems to have a way of intervening when you least expect it to. Just when Johnston was hoping he would be a key member of the side that would eventually go on to reach the final of the Junior World Championships in 2016, he dislocated his shoulder in the infamous win over the Baby Blacks that would rule him out of the rest of the tournament.

That began a frustrating run of bad injury luck for the Garryowen club man, who would return from injury to play for the U20s, only to fracture his fibula on British and Irish Cup duty, which put him back in the medical room again when he was hoping his next step would be into the senior squad.

In his absence, others emerged. Tyler Bleyendaal battled back from his own injury demons to stake a claim, while Ian Keatley was an ever-present in the Munster half-back rotation.

JJ Hanrahan returned from his sojourn in Northampton, and when Joey Carbery arrived from Leinster, with the promise of regular game time in the big matches, the writing was on the wall for Johnston, now languishing fourth on the depth chart in the Thomond Park dressing room.

One thing Johnston never lost, however, was confidence in his own ability.

“That was amazing, that was a bit of a whirlwind really because I had just come back from an injury leading up to that World Cup and it was doubtful I’d make it back in time,” he says of his experience at the 2016 Junior Worlds.

I had almost been put into a corner and really had to back myself, it was strange. I’ve looked at that point for inspiration a lot of times in that I maybe wasn’t the best prepared since I was coming back from injury, but I was put front and centre and expected to perform, and I expected myself to perform.

“It’s definitely something I look back on with pride, especially since the year after were the two years I had my main injury struggles. I was coming back from injury, had a few AIL games and then suddenly I was starting against France down at Donnybrook, and I’d only known the guys I was playing with for 10 days at the most and I was thrown in the deep end – but we won the game and that was great.

Those two games in particular I look back on and use as inspiration because I know I can be front and centre and take the bull by the horns.”

While he’s not lacking in confidence, Johnston was lacking in opportunities. With the three fly-halves ahead of him in the pecking order, the chances he would get the game time he needed to fully develop as a young fly-half with designs on more than just warming the bench were low indeed.

As he sat and watched former U20s teammates – the likes of Jacob Stockdale, Adam McBurney, Greg Jones and Rob Lyttle – getting regular minutes up in Ulster, he was left sitting in the stands marooned on 12 caps for Munster and with very little prospects of improving drastically on that total.

“Those weeks when you were not involved in a PRO14 or Champions Cup game, teamsheets would come out on Thursday and Friday and you see the names of guys you have played against,” he recalls.

“It gets put in black and white very quickly in your head that if these guys can do it I want to be able to do it. You want to play in those games and make a career for yourself. You do feel it is not entirely in your own hands when you do not get the chance to do it on the field, but you cannot make excuses. It is something you can take control of yourself.”

With that in mind, a change was needed. It wasn’t an easy decision, not by any stretch of the imagination, but whenever the 22-year-old weighed up his love for his home province against the need to become the best player he knew he could be, it was the latter that won out.

Using the likes of Eric O’Sullivan, Alan O’Connor, Nick Timoney and John Cooney before him as examples, when the interest from Ulster first materialised it turned his head. The chance for a new beginning, still within Ireland, was crucial, while the opportunity to develop alongside a pair of young, promising fly-halves in Billy Burns and Michael Lowry was another pull factor.

Bill Johnston Johnston found himself down the pecking order at Munster. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

“It was tough (to leave Munster), since it was my childhood club,” continues Johnston.

“It is cliched, but you went to all the games and (Ronan) O’Gara and (Peter) Stringer were my heroes growing up and you always want to fulfil that kind of dream. And I did to a degree. I represented the senior team a few times which was such an honour for me, my family, my friends, my club, my school to do that.

But it got to a stage there was a lot of talented experienced guys in the same position as me and it just came to a point to stay on this road or not. An opportunity came up and one like this does not fall in your lap for no reason.

“I have really enjoyed it so far here, I have been developing loads and definitely in terms of my skills, the change of environment has been great given me a new lease of life if you like. It has helped me both personally and on the rugby side.”

Sometimes a change of scenery is all that’s needed for a player. You don’t see it quite so much in rugby circles, but over in America it’s a common occurrence where two teams will swap under-performing players in the hope that joining a new team and entering a new system will revitalise their careers.

“You see these things in movies or TVs or you hear of other people talking about a fresh start, no one really knows you, you do not have a label put on yourself by others in a particular environment,” says Johnston.

To be able to go somewhere where no one knows you, apart from what you do on a daily basis, you can really be who you want to be and behave as you want to behave. Just pick up on any traits you want to change yourself.”

With that fresh start in mind, now Johnston has the chance to make his mark on an Ulster side that are on the way up. Having made the knockouts of both the league and Europe last season, and with a generally more positive mood around the camp than what it was 12 months prior, there is a genuine belief that Ulster have turned a corner and are on the right path.

While his path to more game time isn’t guaranteed, with Burns the incumbent in the 10 jersey and Lowry seen as one of Ireland’s most exciting prospects – albeit having played most of his rugby at full-back, not fly-half – he’s now in a genuine battle for minutes to start the season rather than having to bide his time down in Munster.

He’ll never doubt himself though. 2016 taught him that he’s better than that. And with that positive mentality always propelling him forward, Ulster may have just pulled off a real coup.

- Originally published at 09.00 

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Aug 14th 2019, 9:32 AM

    Nice article, best of luck to the lad. I always thought that he had the ability to become a full international, he just got restricted by a number of injuries and with a lot of talent ahead of him the opportunities to play dried up. If he can force his way ahead of burns, which I don’t doubt for a second that he can then he’ll be well on the way to getting an Irish jersey in a year or two.

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    Mute Ian Verdon
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    Aug 14th 2019, 9:41 AM

    @Jim Demps: I still think he has a higher ceiling than Tyler and JJ but like you said the injuries derailed his early career. If he can get a stretch of games under his belt and remain healthy I can see him being a massive success at Ulster. Wish him the best. Ulster will be better again next year with their additions, encouraging to see.

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    Mute Patrick O Connell
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    Aug 14th 2019, 10:54 AM

    @Jim Demps: I was in Musgrave Park for the 2 friendlys he played the summer after his leaving cert, Anthony Foley put him in at the deep end at just 18. Injuries robbed him at a crucial time with JJ away, Tyler injured and Joey hadn’t arrived. I know he got limited game time but it was always nearly away from home and mostly without the internationals. It would have been interesting to see him play with a full strength team. Hopefully he goes from strength to strength up in Ulster

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Aug 14th 2019, 11:54 AM

    @Patrick O Connell: yeah I think he was starting to build into it but the injuries were a real set back. With Healy, who I really rate, coming up and his closeness in age to carbery a move was the best thing for him. I’m looking forward to cheering him on this year.

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    Mute Chris Tobin
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    Aug 14th 2019, 1:13 PM

    @Jim Demps: potentially hes very very talented but a horrible run of serious injuries stopped him. Hopefully he comes good. Excellent article

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    Mute JoeO
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    Aug 14th 2019, 10:42 AM

    He has done exactly the right thing by moving. Yep, there were injuries. Yep, there were a few ahead of him in the queue. But I can’t help but feel that another province would have used a talent such as his more often and thus persuaded him to stay. When you look at Carty, McPhillips, Carbery, Ross Byrne, Frawley; these lads have been given the chance to prove they can sink or swim at a professional level, even if it meant benching more established players or playing someone out of position; and even if it meant losing games to ostensibly weaker opposition, and even if it meant playing them again after a poor performance. Munster persisted with Bleyendaal (when fit), Hanrahan and Keatley. I’m not trying to take a swipe at Munster but they seem a lot more reluctant to give youth its chance.

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    Mute JoeO
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    Aug 14th 2019, 10:46 AM

    @JoeO: This is the province that put in Stringer, O’Gara, O’Callaghan, O’Connell, O’Mahony and others ahead of more established pros and reaped the rewards long-term but of late they seem to have abandoned this policy.
    A current example is Craig Casey. He is awesome and has a ceiling higher than Murray’s in my opinion, yet Munster signed Mathewson (then extended his contract, then extended it again) and signed McCarthy. He was given 1 sub appearance in the last regular season game of last season, and then only when Murray withdrew late on and Cronin was promoted from the bench. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is next to get itchy feet.

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    Mute Ian Verdon
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    Aug 14th 2019, 11:06 AM

    @JoeO: In fairness Casey was only 19 for the majority of last season. He only started in the academy after finishing school in 2017 and is already capped at provincial level. They’ve promoted him through the academy to a developmental contract, to become a professional one at the end of the season. Having Mathewson’s experience could be vital during the wc and in the downturn from it. I feel Casey will get further caps this year and if he’s good enough he’ll get picked ahead of the likes of Cronin and McCarthy. Sexton was 21 when he made his debut for Leinster to put things into perspective.

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    Mute Jim Demps
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    Aug 14th 2019, 11:06 AM

    @JoeO: it’s a very juvenile thing to do to take single examples and use it to paint a picture about the whole situation. It’d be like me looking at Tommy o brien and Michael Silvester, 2 of the main players in the 2017 u20 side and concluding that the Leinster academy is muck because both are yet to make a senior debut. We both know you need to look at the full picture, guys like gavin Coombes, Shane Daly, Dan Goggin, Calvin Nash, Liam o Connor, Fineen wycherly etc etc who’ve been given their chance and taken it.

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    Mute JoeO
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    Aug 14th 2019, 12:51 PM

    @Jim Demps: nobody ever said the Munster academy is muck. Quite opposite, actually; it’s producing the players but their progress is blocked, particularly at 10 and 9.

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    Aug 14th 2019, 12:55 PM

    @JoeO: I clearly didn’t say you did. What you did say was that munster were reluctant to give youth a chance, something that clearly isn’t true if you look at the full picture. Again if You look at two isolated examples in o brien and silvester at Leinster you could draw the same conclusion couldn’t you?

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    Mute Glenbower
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    Aug 14th 2019, 4:36 PM

    @JoeO: I wouldn’t argue against you 100% but remember that Casey was injured for bits of last season eg during the 6 Nations and also would have been busy and managed with the U20 World Cup in mind.

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    Mute Martin Quinn
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    Aug 15th 2019, 4:06 PM

    Who has the power to think JoeOs post is “a very juvenile thing to do” that is the senior poster talking down to a juvenile poster:: We all know who does that.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 14th 2019, 9:47 AM

    TB and JJ have had years to prove themselves capable. He was decent when he got a look but never given a proper chance, would love to have seen him kept on for another season, especially as it’s WC. Before you know it TB will be retired from injury and JJ will be juggling on his own 5 metre line again. Hope he kills it for Ulster.

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    Mute Rochelle
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    Aug 14th 2019, 1:20 PM

    @thesaltyurchin: Bleyendaal was voted player of the year in 2017, was that not capable enough?

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    Aug 15th 2019, 12:54 PM

    @Rochelle: That’s the best he’ll do, at 29 Munster should be looking to offer chances to people at the beginning of their career not the beginning of the end, that and one more neck injury and it’s curtains for the lad.

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    Mute Mark Smith
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    Aug 14th 2019, 12:01 PM

    Really looking forward to seeing him turn out for Ulster .
    There is a good opportunity for him here to cement a place and he will get a chance to lead the line with an exciting set of backs outside of him, who want to play rugby, maybe more so than from where he came.

    I personally don’t think Lowry is a starter in the team due to his size which leaves him as a liability to be bulldozed over and a high ball bombardment .
    As such he will only be an impact sub against tired defences, which leaves the 10 position as a straight shootout between burns and Johnston

    Fantastic deal for both player and club here and could vastly Improve both.

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    Mute Johnny 5
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    Aug 14th 2019, 11:50 AM

    Best of luck to him. Right decision for the player and for Ireland. Think he has the potential to be an international.
    From Munster, I think this is a mistake. I realise he had his injury setbacks but he has been fit for nearly 18 months and barely got a luck in. Joey is obviously number 1, but they should have backed Johnston as his backup. Tyler can’t stay fit for long enough to establish himself and JJ at 27 still only shows his ability in flashes.
    I guess Munster are hoping that either Healy or Flannery can kick on, develope and establish themselves as genuine threats to Joey.

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