Dark clouds lift as injury-hit McLaughlin back with a bang
At the age of 24, and after a succession of injury setbacks, the St Mary’s man found himself contemplating the possibility of a life on Civvy Street and the options weren’t all that appealing.
“Believe it or not, I was looking in the banking sector,” he joked yesterday. “So I’m thankful now! I have been doing some work experience in Anglo Irish Bank so I have some contacts there for what they’re worth.”
McLaughlin’s litany of woe is a lengthy and painful one. First came a torn cruciate ligament then a shoulder reconstruction. Next up was an A/C problem in his other shoulder and, by the time he emerged injury free for the 2007/08 season, Rocky Elsom had signed on Leinster’s dotted line.
Michael Cheika still felt he was good enough to pick up where the Australian left off and told him so at the start of the summer. If McLaughlin could last a season away from the treatment room there was a one-year contract extension on the table.
“This season I worked really hard,” he explained. “I didn’t take any holidays, on or off season. I spent four weeks doing shoulder rehab. I got my shoulders and knees right and I’m feeling good.”
As he says himself, he has had a new lease of life having started all six games thus far (though he has yet to finish one), and he was named yesterday as the province’s player of the month for September. “I’m not going to take anything for granted because there is huge competition in the back row. Myself and Sean O’Brien, Stephen Keogh and (Shane) Jennings. We’re jostling for places and no-one is taking anything for granted.”
The only cloud on his horizon so far has been last Friday’s opening defeat in the Heineken Cup against London Irish. Leinster failed to make the most of a number of early line breaks while their problems at the lineout garnered most inspection, but there were equally serious cracks at the breakdown, as McLaughlin admits.
“There are a couple of key areas that we feel we need to improve on, one of them being body height at the breakdown. That’s one area we felt that we were lacking a little bit. Possibly there was a bit of complacency there where we were so happy with the way it went against Munster.”
Brive this Saturday offers McLaughlin and the rest a shot at redemption and they won’t be displeased to learn that Welsh flanker Alix Popham has been ruled out for a month after dislocating an elbow last week against the Scarlets.
Meanwhile Kurt McQuilken has revealed that he does not wish to succeed Michael Cheika who steps down as head coach next summer. McQuilken’s stock has soared since taking over as defence coach with Leinster. The province has not conceded a try in almost 200 minutes and was similarly stingy in the final stages of last year’s Heineken Cup.
“No, I wouldn’t be putting my name forward,” said McQuilken whose two-year contract ends next summer.
“There’s plenty better coaches than me around as head coach. I’m pretty happy doing what I’m doing, helping the team and having my own little area to work on. I’ll beaver away there. I’m sure there are plenty of candidates more qualified than I am. I did it with Greystones and with Lansdowne and in the NPC with my home club but it’s a totally different kettle of fish over here. I’m happy doing what I’m doing and wouldn’t see myself in the head coach’s role.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
