IT WASN’T JUST fitting that it was John Cooney who came up with game-changing moments to tilt Sunday’s Champions Cup play-off Ulster’s way.
Inevitable is more like it.
All season long, Ruan Pienaar’s replacement has proven adept at filling the great Springbok’s shoes, and fashioning his own groove for good measure. He has been at the heart of the vast majority of good moments with the northern province, a touch of genius to raise them out of the mire.
Morale can easily drag a group down, but Cooney has served too long as an apprentice to let his chance as a first-choice nine slip through his fingers. The hat-trick of Player of the Season awards on his mantelpiece are proof of a promise he made in Galway last year, now fulfilled.
“I’ve reflected on (the awards) a few times and you have certain coaches doubting you over the times and I think that really drove me,” said Cooney as Ulster celebrated a positive end to the season.
“Some people have seen me at my lowest and it is nice to get those awards at the end of the season.
In my speech I (mentioned) that last season at the Connacht awards I was sick of being a spectator and just sick of just appreciating other people’s efforts. So I said: ‘this season was going to be different’.
“You can say ‘whatever’, but it did mean a lot to me, and it was one of my goals at the start of the season and it’s nice to have a goal and tick it off.”
Against Ospreys, Cooney’s 15 points (from six successful kicks out of seven) were the most tangible element of his influence on this team, but his continued control behind the ruck helped guide his new province through the difficult early stages.
And when it came time to turn the screw it was his intercept, on the back of ferocious line-speed, that created Craig Gilroy’s second try.
“I think that kind of epitomises our season,” Cooney says of the tumultuous build-up with Charles Piutau and Ross Kane dropping out of the warm-up, and then followed to the infirmary by Callum Black and Louis Ludik.
The scrum-half is too modest to note that his excellent man-of-the-match display amid a fractured contest also epitomised much of the campaign.
After playing back-up in Leinster and then Connacht, Cooney has thrived with the greater workload hoisted onto his shoulders. Rather than wilt with pressure, he grows to meet occasions. So the high stakes match in Kingspan Stadium on Sunday brought the best out of him.
Yet you still sense an injury or an elective rest period is required for either Conor Murray, Luke McGrath or Kieran Marmion if Cooney is to go to Australia this summer and add to his single Test cap.
“I’m hopeful,” says Cooney, with a philosophical cushion already placed in case those hopes are unfounded.
But I’ve been up and down and in a lot worse situations. I’m either off to Thailand next week or I’ll be on that tour. Whatever happens, happens and reflecting and getting annoyed is not really going to do anything.”
The ups and downs Cooney touches on are his elongated stint as an understudy and also the worst-possible-timed dislocated shoulder he sustained two minutes after taking the field in Connacht’s Pro12 final victory over Leinster. Coming back from moments such as that are what fill him with pride.
“I’m very happy with how the season has gone but I’ve said it before, to be honest, I’ll be happier about the times when it wasn’t going well but I stuck with it and made a tough decision throughout my last three seasons…
“I’m proudest at not giving up when times are tough so I’m happy with how the season has gone but next season is another game.
“Sport is fickle. And in the words of Kobe Bryant ‘there’s always another level’ so I better come back next season.”
Dan McFarland will hope to be the hand on the tiller if and when Ulster do reach that next level. Cooney, of course, worked alongside the current Scotland forwards coach in the title-winning Connacht team, and he’s braced for tough love and high standards when McFarland dons the Ulster tracksuit.
“He must have presented well because it was Joe that selected him, he did some seriously good work at Connacht and I’d say he was really disappointed to leave after we won,
“He’s a quality coach and if you do something wrong he’ll go through you.
“And that is what Ulster needs.”
Should be a definite for the tour. He’s been a class act this year.
@Bob Cummings: he deserves to tour, but so do Marmion and McGrath. There’s not a whole lot between the three of them, and Marmion and McGrath are the two who have most recently been in Irish camp without putting a foot wrong for Joe. It’ll likely be an injury and a good run in green that dictates which of the three comes through as Murray’s understudy. But whichever it is, the future is bright.
@Conor Paddington: realistically he could bring all three like he did last year
@Sam Harms: it’s four, though. I very much doubt Murray will be rested. Schmidt now wants yo go down yo Australia and win a test tour on Southern Hemisphere soil to really show we mean business in Japan. To do that, yiu need Murray.
There seams to be a bit of negativity about Cooney as he may force his way to 2nd choice SH and McGrath miss out. Anyone who doesn’t think he deserves to be in the mix and is still 4th choice haven’t been following him and are thinking of Cooney 2017. It really shows what gametime can do. He deserves to be on the summer tour and to get decent gametime to show what he can do, he will get to play behind the same pack as McGrath and Maramion and would not surprise me to see him outshine them and nail down 2nd spot. He’s worked hard to get this chance.
@Kingshu: I haven’t seen one bit of negativity about him. Everyone seems delighted with his form, and so they should be as Ireland fans… but to say he’s on a par with the best scrumhalf in the world is beyond ridiculous.
@Kingshu: yeah, zero negativity. Just the observation that he, McGrath and Marmion are probably all neck and neck, whomever doesn’t travel will be justifiably quite upset, they all deserve it. And whoever travels but gets little or no game time can feel hard done by, too. But show me the negativity..? I think everyone is delighted to have another viable back up at SH.
@Kingshu: The only thing that annoys me is that it seems that people think he has only picked up form this year. Anyone who watched him at Connacht knew he was a quality scrumhalf and was only second choice because of Marmion and because he had a poor run with injuries. It’s not as if he suddenly became a good player this year, he was a quality player before and was picked for Ireland on the back of his Connacht performances of the bench…we just get to see it week in and week out now. I think most people at Connacht were disappointed to see him go but understood a player of his quality would probably be getting first team action more often at another team. I remember reading on an Ulster forum fans moaning that they were getting the second choice Connacht scrumhalf to replace Pienaar, and I knew that by the end of the year they would be calling for his inclusion in the Ireland squad!
Goes to show what people can do when given an opportunity. There are players at each of the provinces that could be very good if given an extended run of games for their 1st teams. A lot of people criticise them based on short cameos here and there though. Nobody was that upset when Cooney, Beirne and Farrell left their original provinces, but look at them now. As I watch Leinster the most, the 3 guys I think could make the biggest impact, if given the chance are Ross Molony, Rory OLaughlin and Barry Daly.
@Rudiger McMonihan: Leinster need those guys. They need the depth as they supply the bulk of the national side.
@Rudiger McMonihan: agreed about Molony, has been forgotten about with the emergence of Ryan and import of Fardy but he was very promising when he broke through. Playing only B&I and sharing bench duty with Nagle and Kearney has stunted his development, maybe a move where he was starting regularly would put him back on track.
@Callum: he came through with great mobility and hands but he was a stick. He’s since put on weight and has lost all that coordination.
Also good for a brain fart peno each game.
I think he’ll only ever be a good pro at club level. He’ll cut it at champions cup level but not international. So Leinster is perfect for him when dev and Ryan are away.
@Johnny 5: moloney has had chances and just hasn’t taken them. The fact he’s not head a shoulder ahead of Nagle and mick Kearney proved this. He is still young as far as second row goes but he needs to step up and take his shirt not get one handed to him because a few years ago he was a good young player
One way to guarantee people won’t read your comment is if you start it with ‘he’s right up there with Murray!’
I can’t understand how people can’t appreciate cooney without having a pop at marmion , marmion offers a different skill set and has been in a poor Connacht side this year. Luke McGrath has been in an excellent leinster side and people also think by association he’s been excellent.
I think Leinsters main weakness is 9 and has been for a while , almost back as far as omeara easterby times , then boss/reddan times, they always seem to have solid 9s just not pushing on past that.
Niall Cronin should of been picked up by Leinster this year.
I also feel pecking order on form and talent is Murray , cooney, marmion then McGrath
@baw baw: haha, complain about people not being able to appreciate Cooney without having a pop at Marmion, and then having a pop at McGrath yourself. You’re your own worst enemy.
@Conor Paddington: in terms of performances this season I’d agree with Baw Baw on SH hierarchy. Cooney having a prominent role with Ulster has allowed him to prove his consistency, ability was always there but having an injury free run has allowed him to flourish as a player and effectively push Marshall into retirement.
If McGrath moved to Connacht next season, he wouldn’t be ahead of Marmion on merit. Not even close when they have faced off against each other.
Basically I see Leinster fans doing a JJ Hanrahan on McGrath, i.e. over inflating his quality massively. He’s solid and that’s about it…
He’s right up there with Murray and a class kicker off the tee. We need him. Is way better than Marmion. It’s amazing what the switch to Ulster has done for him. It would be great to see him combine with Carvery for a season. Could be the future for Ireland.
@Tom Fahey: There’s nothing like a big spoon of hyperbole for breakfast.
@TheHeathen: Do they serve hyperbole at the “Carvery”?
Murray, Mc Grath and Cooney for me.
Would like to see him travel, but for Joe Schmidt, as Ireland manager, he is 4th choice. Schmidt doesn’t always pick on form and he isn’t going to be swayed by what we say. Unless there’s an injury, I don’t see how the order would have changed in his eyes. Murray has to travel because the ARU will demand it or they’ll send reserves to Dublin or offer less to host us in the future. McGrath might need a summer off and that’s the only way Cooney can move up, imo, in Schmidt’s eyes.
@grandslamkbo: It’s not just form Cooney’s shown, but sensational quality and ability. Should definitely be taken on tour and should probably get a Test start too. Schmidt doesn’t like changing things much midway through the 6N, so the cut-off date for previous scrumhalf selection was probably in late Jan/early Feb. Cooney’s put a lot extra in the bank since then. It would be a big mistake not to take him imo. He’s a game-changer
@grandslamkbo: Nice to know you speak for Schmidt. Any other insight you’d like to give us about the squad that’s going to tour?
I still think Marmion is still easily the best second choice 9. He rarely gets a chance, but in the big games – England 2017 and Wales 2017 when he came on early for Murray he was excellent, and has done a few decent shifts on the wing against other big sides as well. Surely you have to put a premium on that type of experience? He was very poor vs Fiji the same as everyone else, and Murray wasn’t much better the next weekend vs Argentina so I wouldn’t hold that much against him.
I’d bring Cooney as the 3rd choice. The form 9 in the country, and while I like Mc Grath I think he is slightly overrated. Great attitude and a smart player but his passing and box kicking aren’t quite good enough yet. Marmion and Cooney don’t play behind the best pack in Europe either and still look better!
McGrath and Marmion have proven that they can more than survive at International level. I don’t think Schmidt will drop either until their form dictates otherwise.