Connachtss Eoghan Masterson refusing to give up on Ireland chance
Epitomising the new breed of young player whose stature and confidence continues to grow within the Connacht Rugby structure, the 22-year-old expects to line out against Ulster’s Nick Williams in this evening’s festive derby at the Sportsground — a player, who along with All Black Kieran Reed, he would love to emulate.
Masterson, in his first year of a development contract, has played nine of this season’s Connacht’s fixtures in a hugely competitive back row after “a rollercoaster” ride to professional rugby through the Portlaoise RFC youth system, Leinster sub-academy, the Irish underage ranks before a World Cup U20 campaign with Scotland.
“It’s actually a long story,” he says of his arrival to Connacht in 2013, but a dislocated shoulder while playing for Clontarf was pivotal, ruling him out of the Ireland U20s for six months, during which time Sean Lineen and Scotland came calling.
“All I ever wanted to do was be a professional rugby player, more specially play rugby for Ireland. At the time I was feeling confident about the Ireland U20s despite coming back from injury, so I was bitterly disappointed how it went. I was in the Leinster sub academy, but I knew I was not going to get signed in Leinster. I hadn’t heard anything from Munster, Ulster or Connacht about a contract, so I went to Scotland for the trial.
“As it turned out I wasn’t in the initial squad, but on the standby list. I thought ‘my God this is the worst thing I have ever done’ — as low as it was being dropped by the Ireland U20s, being dropped by Scotland.”
As “luck” would have it, Masterson, whose father hails from Bannockburn, played for Scotland in the World Cup due to injuries, after featuring in a pre-World Cup warm-up against Ireland.
“That was really, really hard. I was playing for Scotland and I knew I was not in their World Cup squad, up against the lads I felt I should been playing ahead of for Ireland.
“So I let the shackles off and played the best I could. At the time I was dropped by Ireland I was really disappointed. In hindsight, it was the best thing that happened.”
After a call to Connacht’s Academy manger Nigel Carolan, whom he knew from the Ireland set-up, Masterson was brought into the western provincial fold after a trial.
Two years later, the former Portlaoise, Ireland U19, and Connacht Eagles’ captain, is being touted as a future senior leader. “I’m a lot happier here now that I could not imagine being anywhere else. My mum is from Westport, my parents met in Westport, and all my cousins are there and they come down for the games. Mum and dad always call Westport home, and it feels like home.”
Masterson attributes much of Connacht’s success to the greater competition for places.
“One of the main reasons we have improved and are more successful is the competition; the lads have been able to make changes and keep it fresh. People are hungry and the competition in training is like what we face on the field in a match situation. The scrummaging is pretty intense, there are good battles to prep you for any weekend.
“The Munster game was massive — a top of the table clash — a chance to show what we are about, and thankfully we produced it and got the win. We have got huge confidence from showing that what we are doing works.
“We have the confidence to trust the systems if we play to them 100%, trust the calls from each player, have confidence to back each other up, and play our game. Definitely winning breeds confidence.” In a squad with an average age of 24, Masterson believes Connacht have the ability to play Champions Cup rugby.
“With mostly Irish qualified lads, and the influence of others, like Tom McCartney and Bundee Aki who bring a level of experience that is important, if we keep this core group of players together and keep growing as a squad, I think we can go all the way. “We know there is a long way to go, and we have two massive games over the Christmas against teams which historically we rarely win against, but we back ourselves if we stick to what we do and do it well.”
The versatile back row player, who prefers No 8, has worked hard on becoming bigger, stronger, and improving his skills: “This year it is consistency — winning collisions, showing skills and being explosive for the full 80 minutes. I am determined to keep pushing and getting better. “My goal is to be a big player for Connacht and play in a successful Connacht team.
“Then there is the 2019 World Cup, and putting on the green shirt of Ireland. I am quite a bit away from it at the moment, but I am working hard to get there.”
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