Andrew Conway yearns to take Munster form to Ireland

Andrew Conway was regarded one of the country’s finest ever schoolboy players and a star of the future when he left Blackrock College in 2009 with Leinster Schools Senior and Junior Cup medals among his possessions.

In August of that year, he joined the Leinster academy, 12 months later he was on a full contract, by 2012 he was a Heineken Cup player and in 2013 he scored a hat-trick of tries against Ospreys as he helped his native province to success in the Amlin Challenge Cup. By that stage, however, Conway also felt the need for a change of scenery and opted to move to Munster, believing regular shows in the red jersey would help his prospects for elevation to the highest levels of the game, a privilege not always on offer while wearing the blue of Leinster. Although he has pulled on the green Ireland shirt at schools and U20, he still has to achieve his ultimate ambition.

In fairness, this is due more to the quality of the other wingers in Irish rugby than any shortcomings on Conway’s part, and at 23 he still has time on his side. A series of fine performances established him as a first-choice wing with Munster and recently he came in as a replacement for the Irish Wolfhounds against the English Saxons, so he is obviously on Joe Schmidt’s radar.

While he will be a key man for Munster in tomorrow’s Guinness Pro 12 game away to the Scarlets, it doesn’t help his Irish prospects Munster are left to concentrate on the secondary event having been eliminated from the European Championship.

“It is what it is, you have to accept that,” he says philosophically. “It will be tough when we have to look at Leinster in the quarter-final alright, but we have one trophy to play for and that is the Pro12. We know the consequences of the losses in Europe.”

No matter how accomplished Conway may be, he needs platforms on which to display his talents if he is to make Ireland’s World Cup squad, and that is why he is putting everything into Munster right now.

“We have eight regular season games left and hopefully two play-off games,” he points out. “So if you are in a position like I am, you need to be playing in those games and playing really well. Joe is great for keeping in contact when squads are named, whether you are in or not in it.

“If he feels you are one of those guys pushing and one of those guys who might feel aggrieved at being left out, he would always touch base to give you the reasons. In my position and many others, there is massive competition, really experienced lads playing at every level. Even though it was a Wolfhounds game, there were a lot of Lions there with Irish experience.

“Every player that plays in the province is pushing on to play for Ireland, it is a big incentive. In saying that, you also know you are one of that wider group pushing for Six Nations action. You have to play as well as you can for Munster, to get out on the pitch as much as you can.”

The chase for a World Cup place continues at Parc y Scarlets tomorrow.