THIS TIME LAST year, Jack O’Sullivan was preparing to lead his school into quarter-final action in the Munster Senior Schools Cup, a competition they would go onto win, but in the intervening 12 months, his career has been on a steep upward trajectory.
Having captained Presentation Brothers College to their first senior title in seven years with victory over Glenstal, O’Sullivan’s imposing performances from the back of the scrum were recognised when he was selected for Ireland U19s’ two-game trip to France in April.
“We lost both games, it was a step up,” he recalls.
But since then the number eight — a first cousin of Rory and Niall Scannell, both of whom also came through PBC to play for Ireland U20s — has earned a place in the Munster academy, featured in two British and Irish Cup games for the province and, last Friday, started Ireland’s opening U20 Six Nations game against France in Bordeaux.
“It is a big step, a massive step,” the Douglas native admits. “We played two English teams in the B&I Cup, and they’re always huge at that level.
“But I’d say France was probably a step up again. Even the pace of the game, it was quicker than B&I. It took a bit of getting used to.”
Ireland’s first-half performance was error-strewn and it took Noel McNamara’s side time to settle into the contest, although a second-half fightback proved too little, too late as they were unable to overturn the deficit to slip to a 10-point defeat.
However, O’Sullivan who has had to step in and fill the considerable void left by the injured, and highly-rated, Leinster forward Caelan Doris, says the players, under the instruction of coaches McNamara, Paul O’Connell and Tom Tierney, just started to believe in themselves.
“We just kinda started to believe in ourselves,” he continues. “For a lot of us, that was our first time playing at 20s level so it just took a bit of getting used to.
“The coaches said ‘believe’ at half time, which we did. We trusted our shapes. Once we got into our shape, we did fine. I suppose we just have to take that into the Italy game now. We’re confident going into it, looking back on our second half.”
Having suffered defeat on the opening week, the visit of Italy to Donnybrook on Friday evening takes on another layer of significance for McNamara’s young side and O’Sullivan is desperate to seize his chance in a green shirt again.
While he can also play blindside, the 19-year-old prefers to operate in the number eight position and is a tireless worker around the pitch while also offering a strong ball-carrying option.
He adds: “I love to get on the ball and get in the game. I suppose that’s my job. That’s what I’m there for.”
The 42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
I trust Joe. He is at the centre of everything. He is also the best and really knows best.
One of the beauties of having Joe Schmidt as head coach – the first world class head coach, with the exception of Warren Gatland, that Ireland has ever had – is that he has created a system in which every player in the squad can slot into seamlessly. Everybody knows their role and what is expected. Unlike previous Irish head coaches, such as embittered ones currently employed by RTE, Joe Schmidt can see the bigger picture in the World Cup: he doesn’t panic and send out old reliables, who are not fully fit, in the first match. Joe Schmidt’s dispassionate and beautifully professional approach is what has seen Ireland enter the Rugby World Cup as the Number One ranked team in the world, an incredible achievement which shows Joe Schmidt’s ability, unique among Irish head coaches, of getting Ireland ready to peak at the right time.
Joe Schmidt’s Ireland’s confident, back-to-back defeats of Wales in the RWC warm-ups were not only important for proving which team had the greater strength in depth, but were timely in the event of a potential meeting with Wales in the World Cup semi-finals. Those results proved, yet again, lest any of the doubters and begrudgers had any doubts, Joe Schmidt’s permanent class. Schmidt and his team have given Irish supporters a sweet gift in the run-in to the RWC: the great pleasure of clicking on the World Rugby website and seeing Ireland ranked on top of the world, even before we go on to lift the Webb Ellis trophy!
@J. Reid:
We are not number 1 in the world :: NZ ::: S A :: England ::Ireland/Wales
But it will be nice to look back at the numbers in 5 years’ time to see we were No. 1 in the world in September 2019 (the number will still be there and the memory will have slipped )
@J. Reid: Stan
@Martin Quinn: Why do you constantly use colons in your posts? It’s really odd.
Our pack is superior, but the backrow battle will be immense, need to nullify Barclay & Watson.
Fingers crossed our lineout functions properly.
Looking forward to seeing Conway & Larmour, hope their eagerness to impress doesn’t lead to any brain farts though. Conway is fearless contesting the high ball, but sometimes mistimes & takes the jumper out in the air. We can’t afford to be down to 14 men.
Seems pretty silly to have Carty come off the bench with McGrath, when Marmion, Carty and Aki have a telepathy between them and would be playing at the same time. Anyhow, hope McGrath has a stormer and makes me eat my words with regards him being picked ahead of Marms.
@Joe Vlogs: Well he couldn’t come off the bench with Marmion as he’s not in the squad. If Joe sees McGrath as the better option for whatever reason, be it he thinks he’s a better player or Marmion hasn’t been fully fit, it would have made little sense to bring a scrum half to the world cup that he didn’t fancy just because he’s bringing his club mate as what will most likely be 3rd choice fly half as the tournament progresses.
@Joe Vlogs: or maybe McGrath has the same with sexton Ross Byrne , henshaw, larmour Kearney etc. it’s Ireland playing not a bunch of mates who play down the road
I trust Joe. He is at the centre of everything and, with his intimate knowledge of everything rugby and his excellant judgement, seldom if ever lets us down.
Looks like he throwing the first match
@Colm: how do you figure that
Conway should be playing full back.
front row will put pressure on Scots.
overall pack will dominate Scotland.
must stop Hogg on gain line.
Hopefully Stockdale won’t jump out of the line
@john fleming: I disagree, he’s great in the air but runs the ball back which is great but too frequently gets turned over…unlike Kearney and to a lesser extent unlike Larmour. Ball presentation is key in that position with little room for error. He had a great game against Wales but did see him turnover ball twice against Wales
Realistically I think we all expected this starting 15. Some might have put Conway at 15 and Larmour on the wing, I would have too, but it’s obvious that Joe sees Larmour as a better option there than Conway. Because of injuries the backs pretty much picked themselves. He’s also gone with the tried and tested in the backrow. In the absence of Toner I think it’s fair to say that POM will start all the big games when fit for his lineout prowess. Leaving Stander and Conan to fight it out for number 8. Only real surprise might be Scannel on the bench instead of Cronin but Scannel is a good player and is my bet for the starting hooker come the 6 nations. Looking at both teams and not permitting for weird weather I think Ireland will have too much for Scotland. Ireland by 10
I probably would of preferred Conway at fullback but to be fair, larmour has been our back up fullback to Kearney and it would of been a slap in the face to larmour if he didn’t start him there. It’s a very potent back 3 but I just have a small fear of that 3 defensively but coybig!!!!
Wales/England would look to exploit recent aerial form and set piece worries, but don’t think the Scots like playing tactics, they wont switch up their formula and will just hope Russell doesn’t have a howler. Cracker of a game hopefully.
With Kearney fully fit I would expect a 7-12 point win but without him it will be a nailbiter. Can see Laidlaw and Russell sending deep box kicks and garryowens for Hogg, Maitland and Seymour to test Larmour all day.