O’Leary: Nine shirt up for grabs

TOMÁS O’LEARY was Ireland’s first-choice scrum-half when he succumbed to injury during the Six Nations. Now he finds himself one of five number nines trying to catch Declan Kidney’s eye before the World Cup in New Zealand.

Four years ago, the national team suffered for the want of genuine competition for places but the task facing O’Leary in reclaiming his spot at the top of the queue is compelling evidence that Ireland’s strength in depth stretches much deeper this time.

Other areas such as the back row and back three are equally competitive while the great Jonathan Sexton/Ronan O’Gara debate is likely to demand the sacrifice of thousands of trees between now and the first game in Pool C.

“It’s great for the squad,” O’Leary said. “It’s going to make us all push each other and individually step it up. First of all, to get onto the 30-man squad and then if you do get on that then get into the number nine jersey. We all just basically have to push a bit harder.”

Three of the five will go to New Zealand with O’Leary, Eoin Reddan the front-runners, Peter Stringer next in line on the basis of experience and recent use, while Isaac Boss and Conor Murray have most ground to make up ahead of the squad selection on August 22.

Boss has played just three minutes of rugby for his country – against Samoa last November — since the last global extravaganza in France while Murray has yet to debut having just recently broken through the ranks with Munster since O’Leary’s enforced absence.

The Irish players face weeks of pre-season training and will play three of the four Summer Series games, against Scotland in the Aviva and France home and away, prior to the squad announcement and O’Leary isn’t thinking in terms of hierarchies just yet.

“I don’t know what way Deccie’s thinking but I think it’s very much open,” said O’Leary who was speaking in his role as a Guinness Rugby ambassador. “It will all be down to form really and how lads play in the build up to the World Cup.

“Obviously last season will have an impact on it but all I can focus on now is to get a game or two in the summer series and try to impress the coaches. I’m happy enough that there is a chance for me just to get back in the nine jersey.”

O’Leary has been MIA for five months and would have understood that his injury would be someone else’s opportunity but it must feel more like five years such has been the speed with which Murray’s career has accelerated.

The Garryowen man’s profile is still listed among the Academy players on the Munster website although he will be playing under a senior contract next season having impressed in recent months.

“At the end of the season he did very well, to be fair. He was very impressive. He’s a very good player. Obviously more competition, not just for the Irish squad but for Munster next season. It’s certainly going to be interesting. Obviously I’m going to have to step it up.”

O’Leary missed more than half the Six Nations and the rest of the season with Munster because of a back injury and his eagerness to return to work was evident when he embarked on pre-season work two weeks before Ireland duty began.

It hasn’t been an ideal run-in to September’s tournament but it still offers a better chance to take part than in 2007 when his debut amounted to just five minutes on the wing against Argentina on the summer tour.

“I’m just excited that I’m training and there’s the carrot of the World Cup there. I kind of feel refreshed. When I was going through the injuries last season and it was dragging on a bit I had that in the back of my mind as a focus and as a goal. It kind of kept me going.”