HIS FIRST CAP was in Twickenham, five years ago. It would be 18 months before he’d get a second and a further 12 months before his third one arrived.
If that felt bad, worse was to come. Labelled the future when Joe Schmidt handed him his debut in the 2016 Six Nations campaign, Stuart McCloskey was in danger of becoming the forgotten man by the time cap No4, a miserable win over Georgia last November, came around.
This time the wait hasn’t been so long, just seven days separating his fifth appearance for Ireland last Saturday, and his sixth this weekend.
“It has obviously been difficult (for me) because you’d love to be getting consistent rugby,” said McCloskey earlier today in answer to a question about the stop-start nature of his Ireland career. “The guys that are there ahead of me have been doing brilliantly. You see Bundee (Aki) and Robbie (Henshaw) and they’re probably going to be the starting centres for the Lions so it’s not as if the competition hasn’t been good. Yeah, it’s difficult slotting in and dropping out. Obviously I’d have loved to have played a bit more.”
Now is his chance. Aki and Henshaw are away; Chris Farrell and Garry Ringrose are injured. The circumstances surrounding his pair of appearances in this summer series serve as a reminder that chance can play a major role in a player’s career.
Having scored his first Irish try last weekend against Japan, McCloskey is aiming to seal his season with a flourish, especially with familiar faces beside him in the Ireland backline this weekend – James Hume and Robert Baloucoune, his Ulster team-mates.
“They’ve both had great years, and while Rob has been injured on and off, when he’s been playing, he’s been class. James has been probably one of Ulster’s most consistent performers. He was up for most of the player of the year awards and will bring great footwork, that power he has, his passing game as well. Rob has got the pace to burn and if we get him on the wing in a bit of space, hopefully we’ll see a few tries.”
Each of the four Irish players due to make their debut this Saturday is on Ulster’s payroll, Nick Timoney and Tom O’Toole joining Hume, Baloucoune and McCloskey on the starting XV. Repeatedly, all four have referenced the 28-year-old centre as a helping guide along their journey to this stage, McCloskey praising the philosophy of Dan McFarland, the Ulster coach, for the collective progress. “Dan placed an emphasis on youth from the moment he came in; that’s paying off.”
So, on a personal level, is his relationship with McFarland, one that has resulted in him adding a good bit more subtlety to his role as a crash-bang-wallop type of centre.
“The way rugby has come on, everyone in the backline needs to take on more of a role; you can’t just have your ten and your nine calling the shots anymore,” he said. “They’re going to touch the ball a lot more than the other guys, but 12 and 13; I don’t think there’s a great deal in it anymore.
“Whether that second play-maker is your 12, your 13, or your 15, someone in there has to put their hand up and take a bit more ball at first-receiver. It’s the way you want to split that up and how you want to do it. It depends on what team you have, it depends whether you want your 12 to get across the gainline or you want a ball playing 12.
“Your 12 can’t just be a one-trick pony anymore. You can’t just carry it up the middle; he has to have some ball-playing about him. In terms of rugby, I think everyone has to have more skills now, even the props and second-rows are pretty skilful now compared to what they were. I clicked on Sky the other day and they were showing the 2001 Lions and it looks a completely different sport.”
Been tough to get a look in with the guys he has ahead of him!
One of the most hard done by players in Irish rugby after John Cooney. Some players face clearly doesn’t fit, while others get chance after chance playing average!
@Darren Mullins: or…..there are just better players in his position. Which one of the current Lions centres who play 12 for Ireland have had “chance after chance” keeping McC out of the team?
@Darren Mullins: Dunno, got done by Scannel last time they played. Don’t think he has it for top flight, and what was Cooney doing for the previous 7 years when no one knew his name? Certainly a heap of other Ulster players with great potential in front of them.
@Ricky Wright: aki and henshaw both play 12 for club and country. They are both just better than McCloskey. He done something to piss Joe S off and with farrell as assistant whatever it was had an effect on him also.