Stuart McCloskey has noted the concerns expressed about Ireland’s centres in the context of next year’s Rugby World Cup.
His response? Take a chill pill, it will be grand. For now and for then, anyway.
Much of the focus in the run-up to November’s Nations Championship games was on the age profile of the experienced centres on whom head coach Andy Farrell will rely on as he attempts to guide Ireland through their quarter-final glass ceiling.
McCloskey, a late bloomer at Test level who has become a vital part of Farrell’s plans at inside centre, will celebrate his 35th birthday less than two months before the tournament begins.
Bundee Aki, back in contention for Saturday’s meeting with Fiji after illness forced his withdrawal from last week’s match day squad, will turn 37 in April. Robbie Henshaw will be 34 in Australia, while Garry Ringrose turns 32 in the new year. Only Jamie Osborne, who missed the match day cut for Friday’s 42-12 victory over Argentina, is on the younger side: the Naas man turns 25 on Monday.
Given the attritional nature of their roles, the extensive mileage accumulated by Farrell’s frontliners featured repeatedly in Nations Championship previews. Brian O’Driscoll was among the pundits to highlight the lack of options beyond Ringrose at outside centre.
“I’ve seen bits of it. It’s a weird one,” McCloskey said. “I probably had my best season ever last year at 33. I’ve just turned 34 and still think I’m playing really good rugby.
“It feels like a problem for future Ireland, not for me. I don’t really care; I just want to play as much as I can. Honestly, I couldn’t care less about the succession of what’s going on after me.
“That’s genuine. I just want to play well myself and worry about me. I’m sure the guys in there ... until someone comes and takes the jersey off us, I think we’re all still playing at a very high level.
“It’s not really our concern what age we are.”
Certainly, McCloskey does not see it as an issue for World Cup selection. “No, absolutely not,” he stressed. “What’s that, 10 months away now? Touch wood, I think we’ll all still be fairly good.”
He expects Farrell will have to address succession in the next World Cup cycle, but is confident new centres will emerge.
“It’s probably in two or three years’ time. I’m sure someone will come through,” McCloskey said. “That’s the honest opinion; I don’t really care. I’m just happy that I’m playing well and still involved.
“Going into the last World Cup we had an unbelievable belief that we could do it. This time I still feel a great confidence there.
“We’ve won seven of the last nine games, which in any other year you’d probably say is a reasonable enough return overall. But some of the performances, like France, we probably let ourselves down, and New Zealand in the summer.
“It’s just been a bit patchy. There’s that to build on, but it’s an amazing carrot at the end of it all, to go to a World Cup. There’s so much to do in between, though. It’s there, but we’re not looking too far ahead.”
Hybrid players are another fashionable topic. McCloskey joked Paul O’Connell would not let him go down that route.
He praised South Africa’s André Esterhuizen for moving from centre into the backrow. Given McCloskey’s size and physique, it might seem surprising that he has not trained as a flanker.
He would give it a go, he said, but would rather stick to playing 12, given how long it took him to establish himself there. Apart from the victory over Japan last November, he has started every game for Farrell in the past 12 months.
“I’m not jumping at the chance to get out of it,” McCloskey said, smiling. “It’s been nice. I don’t think I thought that was going to happen at the start of last season, playing so many games.
“I’ve felt settled in the jersey for a while. Three or four years settled, not feeling like I’m going out to prove anything, just doing the job that’s set in front of me.”
McCloskey traces his growing comfort on the international stage to Ireland’s three-point victory over South Africa four years ago, despite having to withdraw injured after half an hour.
His confidence grew, he earned regular minutes and last year proved his best in green, earning the Rugby Players Ireland Men’s Player of the Year award.
“Last year there was probably a bit of luck in it,” he said modestly. “A lot of things went my way. I put myself in a good position to do it and took advantage of it when it happened.”
Celebrated for producing decisive moments, McCloskey was content to be more of a ‘Steady Eddie’ presence against Argentina, doing the basics well.
“That’s a nice way to put an average game,” he said wryly. “Everything’s been going so well that you feel like every time you touch the ball something’s going to happen. International rugby’s not always like that. You’ve got to do the basics well.
“Listen, I’d love it to be a master performance, to be another day like it was in Twickenham or one of those Scotland games, but it can’t always be like that.
“As long as you don’t over-try it or force it, that’s when you make mistakes. I was trying to be patient. I’d love more touches, but sometimes the game goes like that.
“I’m just happy to do my job. If the ball comes to me, the ball comes to me. If it doesn’t, just keep doing the right thing.”
Source: The Irish Times · Michael Scully
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