WITH BOTH ROB Herring and Tom Stewart yet to feature this season due to injuries, an opportunity has arisen for James McCormick to put himself in the spotlight and the 22-year-old has not wasted a moment.
The Ireland U20s Grand Slam winner from 2022 goes again tomorrow at Cardiff and will have featured in all Ulster’s URC games prior to the break for the Autumn Tests.
Thrown the No 2 jersey for the second week running – and only the third time in his six games since debuting from the bench against Glasgow on opening day – McCormick will be hoping to follow up last weekend’s strong showing at home to the Ospreys when he bagged two tries though it was Jacob Stockdale’s brace that grabbed all the headlines.
McCormick’s second from last week demonstrated his growing confidence as he tapped a penalty to himself and surged over the line, which, as he explained, was something Ulster coach Richie Murphy has encouraged him to do.
“Riche was just like, ‘you have a go,’ and I’m glad it came off,” said the farmer’s son who hails from just outside Ballycastle in Co Antrim.
“It’s the culture he’s (Murphy) trying to build that he’s got enough trust in you, and he knows that you’re going to do well.
“There’s not anybody who’s got their chance and hasn’t taken it,” added McCormick of working with Murphy after also being coached by him at Ireland U20s, a situation a sizeable group of young Ulster players are familiar with.
“Richie and Jimmy (Duffy, former Ireland U20s forwards coach and now with Ulster) are class.
“Jimmy at the 20s really worked with me a lot and I really like him as a coach as he tells you how it is, and Richie is the same.”
McCormick’s journey has been challenging, shoulder injuries keeping him out for nearly a year and a half following Ireland U20s, never easy for any squad member but a particularly hard situation for a young player.
“I had plenty of dark days, but I think that’s what has made me,” says McCormick who went straight from school (Dalriada in Ballymoney, Co Antrim) to the Ulster Academy and is now on a development deal.
That and an earlier switch of position when former Ulster and Ireland prop Bryan Young – then a coach at the Ulster Academy and now at Dalriada – suggested the teenage McCormick shifted from the back row to hooker.
“’Bear’ (Young) was massive for me,” says McCormick.
“He was the one who changed me from No 8 to hooker back in school.
“He gave me advice, technical stuff and personal stuff, and I definitely couldn’t have been here without him.”
