IT WAS ALL going so well for Stuart McCloskey. Winning his first Test cap in over a year, and his first against one of the big hitting Tier One nations since his international debut against England in 2016, the Ulster centre was one of Ireland’s stand-out performers in the bruising opening stages against South Africa last weekend.
Then it came to a sudden halt with less than 30 minutes played, McCloskey walking away from one of those heavy collisions worse for wear and unable to continue.
“It was a nerve – the ulnar nerve if we’re being specific,” McCloskey explained earlier today.
“I hit that and my arm just went completely dead. My forearm was in a lot of pain but it cleared up pretty well. My hand is still getting full function back, bit it’s getting there.
I was frustrated at the time, I thought I broke my forearm and I was pretty worried about that. Going off, I was thinking I had waited six-and-a-half years to play another Tier 1 team – not that playing other teams isn’t big, but it’s nice to show yourself against a world class team like South Africa, so I was disappointed.
“Looking back on it, the positives were I was playing quite well when I was on, and it hasn’t seemed to be as bad as first thought with the injury.
“Most of it was spent defending, South Africa started pretty well. Some of the tackle and breakdown stuff was good at the start, I just wish I could have stayed on longer and done more going forward.”
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McCloskey started well but was forced off early against the Springboks. Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
If all goes to plan with his recovery over the next few days, McCloskey should run out as part of a much-changed Ireland team against Fiji this weekend. If he does, it will be the first time he’s put together back-to-back games in the green jersey.
He’s fought hard for the opportunity.
The 30-year-old has plenty of admirers but finds himself competing for a jersey in one of the most competitive areas of Ireland’s squad, with Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki both preferred by Andy Farrell, and previously Joe Schmidt, in the 12 shirt.
That competition has meant that even while McCloskey has been lighting it up for Ulster, he’s been left watching on during international windows.
“I don’t think there’s as much of a gap, it’s that the guys are doing so well,” he says.
When Bundee plays, he’s been very good. When Robbie’s played 12 he’s been very good. Why would you change a winning team? That’s the way I look at it. I’ve played at the same sort of level as them, club-wise, for a long time. It’s just waiting for your opportunity to get in there and play for Ireland.
“If I was Andy, why would I change the team unless I was leaps and bounds ahead of those guys? Those two are probably two of the best 12s in the world for the best part of five or six years. I don’t think I was lots better than them, but I think it was quite an even balance between all three of us.”
While shorter than anticipated, his showing against the Springboks was enough to suggest McCloskey is a reliable option for Farrell going forward. Not that the player himself has experienced many doubts.
“For me, it was always a thing that I wanted to get back here,” McCloskey continues.
I could have left (camp) years ago and not worried about playing for Ireland, but I always wanted to get back here and not prove to Andy, but prove to others, prove to everybody that I can do it at this level. It’s more a personal thing than proving to anybody else.
“Listen, I’d love to be in the reckoning for the World Cup but there’s a long time between now and then. I just want to play a few more games in the next year leading up to the World Cup, and to play 80 minutes would be great.
“As long as this hand resolves itself pretty well (over the next few days), which I think it will, I’d love to keep on playing on (in the next two games).
“I know it’s only provincially, but over the years I think I’ve done very well, bounced from game to game, played a lot of rugby. It’s always seemed to work for me when I’ve played three or four games in a row, not just in and out one game here and there.”
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'I always wanted to get back here and prove that I can do it at this level'
IT WAS ALL going so well for Stuart McCloskey. Winning his first Test cap in over a year, and his first against one of the big hitting Tier One nations since his international debut against England in 2016, the Ulster centre was one of Ireland’s stand-out performers in the bruising opening stages against South Africa last weekend.
Then it came to a sudden halt with less than 30 minutes played, McCloskey walking away from one of those heavy collisions worse for wear and unable to continue.
“It was a nerve – the ulnar nerve if we’re being specific,” McCloskey explained earlier today.
“I hit that and my arm just went completely dead. My forearm was in a lot of pain but it cleared up pretty well. My hand is still getting full function back, bit it’s getting there.
“Looking back on it, the positives were I was playing quite well when I was on, and it hasn’t seemed to be as bad as first thought with the injury.
“Most of it was spent defending, South Africa started pretty well. Some of the tackle and breakdown stuff was good at the start, I just wish I could have stayed on longer and done more going forward.”
If all goes to plan with his recovery over the next few days, McCloskey should run out as part of a much-changed Ireland team against Fiji this weekend. If he does, it will be the first time he’s put together back-to-back games in the green jersey.
He’s fought hard for the opportunity.
The 30-year-old has plenty of admirers but finds himself competing for a jersey in one of the most competitive areas of Ireland’s squad, with Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki both preferred by Andy Farrell, and previously Joe Schmidt, in the 12 shirt.
That competition has meant that even while McCloskey has been lighting it up for Ulster, he’s been left watching on during international windows.
“I don’t think there’s as much of a gap, it’s that the guys are doing so well,” he says.
“If I was Andy, why would I change the team unless I was leaps and bounds ahead of those guys? Those two are probably two of the best 12s in the world for the best part of five or six years. I don’t think I was lots better than them, but I think it was quite an even balance between all three of us.”
While shorter than anticipated, his showing against the Springboks was enough to suggest McCloskey is a reliable option for Farrell going forward. Not that the player himself has experienced many doubts.
“For me, it was always a thing that I wanted to get back here,” McCloskey continues.
“Listen, I’d love to be in the reckoning for the World Cup but there’s a long time between now and then. I just want to play a few more games in the next year leading up to the World Cup, and to play 80 minutes would be great.
“As long as this hand resolves itself pretty well (over the next few days), which I think it will, I’d love to keep on playing on (in the next two games).
“I know it’s only provincially, but over the years I think I’ve done very well, bounced from game to game, played a lot of rugby. It’s always seemed to work for me when I’ve played three or four games in a row, not just in and out one game here and there.”
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Autumn nations Series Ireland stu can do it stuart mccloskey