WHEN MARTY MOORE decided to leave these shores in 2016 for a stint with Wasps, he knew he was putting his international ambitions on hold.
Back in Ulster this season, after a two-year spell which coincided with Tadhg Furlong changing how tightheads are viewed, the Dubliner knows there is work to be done to get back up the pecking order.
Or into it.
“I suppose I’m not in the pecking order,” he says matter-of-factly. He is looking forward to presenting his case to Joe Schmidt with efforts on the field.
“All my focus is just on trying to play for Ulster. There’s no point trying to think where I am in the standings because I don’t think I’m in the ranks. So it’s get a white shirt on me and see what I can do. ”
Moore’s time on Test duty has been a successful one. Before Furlong’s emergence ahead of the 2015 World Cup, the Castleknock man headed the line of succession behind Mike Ross and his 10 international caps have come in Six Nations title-winning campaigns in 2014 and 2015.
Injury kept him out of the 2016 Championship and he was replaced by Finlay Bealham. Lately, the Connacht man has also slipped down the order of merit in Schmidt’s eyes with John Ryan and Andrew Porter – who was encouraged to switch from loosehead to tighthead due to Moore’s departure – now acting as sizable roadblocks to his path back to Carton House.
Of course, so much more than just the rugby landscape that has changed in Moore’s time in the Premiership. He returns not only two years older, but as a father.
“We’ve started a family. We’ve a little one now who was born over there in January so I suppose a lot changes in a couple of years.
The last time I was playing in Ireland, Aaron (Dundon, Ulster scrum coach) was playing with me in Leinster, Jared Payne was playing with Ulster. I came back and they’re both coaches with kids and I’ve got a child myself so a lot can happen in two years.
“I got to experience a different league, different coaching systems. There’s a very different way of doing things over there from the coaching to the playing.
“It was really good and really formative for me as a rugby player and more so as a person even. Just a bit of growth and get out of my comfort zone and try something new and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I did enjoy it, but then obviously when the opportunity did arise to come back it just was a good fit.”
“I had another year to go at Wasps and then I got a call last summer to say that there was interest here if I wanted to move back. It was good timing, I was kind of feeling a bit like I wanted to be back in the Irish system and make a go of it and, possibly, internationally again.
“We were also expecting our first child, so family-wise it kind of made sense as well. We went from staying in England for the foreseeable future to planning our trip back to the ‘mainland’ within a few weeks.
“To be over here is great and (we’ve) settled in. I suppose I know a lot of the guys as it is so that’s made things a lot easier. The transition hasn’t been a wholly new adventure.”
There’s more than a touch of familiarity about Moore’s next opposition too. Just as Wasps were the last team he faced as a Leinster player, Coventry will be the scene of his first Ulster start this evening.
“I just laughed (when he seen the pre-season fixture list) because my family had been over at most home games my grandparents were over and always stayed in the hotel on site there at the Ricoh Arena. They were kind of saying in April or May: ‘this is the last trip…’
“They knew all the staff by first name, so they were saying their goodbyes and everything. Two weeks later I rang them up and said: ‘you know we have a game there in August, so you’ll be back over!
“Should be an interesting game.”
Ulster:
15. Will Addison
14. Craig Gilroy
13. Stewart Moore
12. Stuart McCloskey
11. Angus Kernohan
10. Johnny McPhillips
9. Jonny Stewart
1. Eric O’Sullivan
2. John Andrew
3. Marty Moore
4. Alan O’Connor (captain)
5. Kieran Treadwell
6. Marcell Coetzee
7. Sean Reidy
8. Nick Timoney
Replacements: Adam McBurney, Andrew Warwick, Tom O’Toole, Alex Thompson, Caleb Montgomery, David Shanahan, Angus Curtis, Darren Cave, Greg Jones, Chris Henry, Jack Owens.
Wasps:
15. Rob Miller
14. Christian Wade
13. Elliot Daly
12. Juan De Jongh
11. Josh Bassett
10. Billy Searle
9. Dan Robson
1. Ben Harris
2. Tom Cruse
3. Kieran Brookes
4. Joe Launchbury (captain)
5. Will Rowlands
6. Nizaam Carr
7. Joe Atkinson
8. Nathan Hughes
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
If he gets back into the Irish setup without others getting injured I’d be very surprised. Saying that if he does merit a recall then he’ll be playing fantastic rugby so for Ireland sake I hope he does.
@Chris Mc: It’s all about him I reckon cause he’s definitely got the talent/ability. As someone else pointed out here he looked in bad shape for a lot of his time at Wasps, if he really focuses on that he could challenge for a place on the squad no problem.
@The Irish Pain: wasps wanted him heavier, to be a different prop than the mobile less effective scrumager cooper wolley
Ireland now have 5 reliable TH props available . Furlong , Porter , Bealham , Ryan and Moore : all under 30 . That’s an incredible turnaround .
@Limón Madrugada: Maybe you could include Archer on that list as he seems to be first choice in Munster.
@Tom Reilly: but reliable for Ireland ?? I’m not convinced , he is capped though for sure ..
Someone on here yesterday said that Leinster made a ‘poor decision’ letting Marty Moore go.
I think the opposite, Marty Moore made a poor decision to leave Leinster.
When he left he was in the Irish 23, primed to replace Ross. He moved to Wasps and ended up not even starting for them. He also looked unfit.
In that time Leinster developed Furlong and Porter, Ireland brought in Bealham and Ryan and a few years later he’s back fighting for 3rd/4th in the Irish pecking order.
A shame because he is some prop on his day. Possibly a better scrummager than any of the above.
@Oval Digest: The word was that Moore was excited to play under Dai Young, a well capped Welsh and Lions prop. Maybe it was the 2 year deal offered by Leinster vs the 3 year Wasps deal (undoubtedly for more money) that was the real reason. Or maybe he saw Tadgh Furlong coming through and thought now’s the time to cash in. Or perhaps he thought Leinster are not gonna be challenging any more. If it was the Young factor that helped him go, the renowned Young had no impact on him other than gaining weight. The move might have been good for his bank balance but it was a disaster for his career. Thus far. Still, a big season and he could play his way in.
@grandslamkbo The word was also that Moore signed a contract without realising that he couldn’t get out of it in an effort to bargain with the IRFU, and then got stuck.
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/leinster-admit-defeat-in-bid-to-retain-marty-moore-s-services-1.2510136
Marty is good on his day when fit, the problem is there just isn’t enough of those days.
He will have to buck up his ideas if he is to have a sniff of being anywhere near the Irish squad.
Yes squad not team
His whole career and how people will view his achievements relies on his application for the next two years
Be interesting to see how Nathan Hughes goes this season, he should be pushing for a place in the English team.
@Ruairi O’Bric: He is a super club player but I’m not sure about his workrate apart from ball carrying. If Billy V stays fits there’s no comparison…
Looked very unfit at Wasps as when he was playing previously for Leinster he had great mobility/work-rate and could force a few turnovers too.
He was overweight when he last played for Leinster and Ireland and things have only gotten worse since, needs to go on a serious shred if he is to make Ireland contention again.