Jordan Larmour: I'm still the same player as the kid who arrived at Thomond

It was in the backyard of the old enemy that a 20-year-old Larmour announced his emergence onto the Irish rugby stage

Thu, 31 Mar, 2022 - 08:39

Simon Lewis

It is little wonder Jordan Larmour speaks fondly of Leinster away days in Thomond Park and although a return trip will have to wait for the injured back-three star, the memories of past glories against Munster burn bright.

It was in the backyard of the old enemy that a 20-year-old Larmour announced his emergence onto the Irish rugby stage with an exhilarating counter-attacking solo try to claim an away win for Leinster on St Stephen’s night 2017.

Ireland caps would soon follow in the 2018 Six Nations and Larmour, now 24, has been a constant in national squads since, even if Test starts have not necessarily followed as provincial team-mates James Lowe and Hugo Keenan have nailed down their places in the back three and others have moved ahead in the pecking order.

A hip-flexor injury sustained against Benetton at the beginning of March put paid to any hopes of forcing a way into this season’s Six Nations campaign and Larmour said yesterday that he is taking his recovery week by week.

“I just started back running there last week and then did a bit of sprinting yesterday so I'm probably just going to keep building on that, probably looking at a few more weeks on the sidelines before I am back playing. But I feel a lot better. I don't really have any pain through it, so it is more about just getting rehab under my belt and getting back running.”

Definitely ruled out of this Saturday’s visit to Limerick, Larmour knows exactly what he will be missing at what is for many supporters and players alike the most eagerly-anticipated fixture of the season.

“I think it's always a great game to be involved in,” Larmour said as he and Lowe launched the 2022 Bank of Ireland Leinster Rugby Summer Camps alongside Ali Coleman and Aoife Wafer at St Mary’s College RFC yesterday.

“Going down there to Thomond Park, it's a great stadium. Their supporters, they really get behind their team so it's always a great atmosphere. So it's a tough game. Both teams always bring their best and we know how big the rivalry is.

"Memories of it overall is that it is a tough place to go and win. I've been on the back of some games where we've lost down there and they always hurt the most. It's a really exciting game. It's one you want to be playing. You kind of feed off the crowd's energy and yeah, it's just a great place to go and play.”

What Larmour wouldn’t give to be able to just go and play this weekend. He has played just four times for Leinster since the turn of the year while his 30th and most recent Ireland appearance came with a start in the wing against Japan in Dublin last July.

"It can be tough at times, not getting selected, picking up a few injuries, kind of having a few setbacks,” he said. "It can be tough but I think it's just important to keep a positive mindset.

"All I can really do is just show up every day and work as hard as I can. So that's what I try to focus on - working hard, doing all I can to get back being selected and keeping the body in good health so I'm not picking up injuries.

“But yeah, it can be tough. It can take a hit on your confidence. So it's just important that your mindset is in a good spot and you're working hard, setting goals to get back to where you want to be and how you're going to do that along the way I think is really important.”

He added: “This injury’s come at an annoying time because I thought I was going well but the messages (from Ireland management) at the moment are kind of to keep doing what I’m doing, keep working hard off the ball and doing the basics really well.

"Then those opportunities will come and it’s just about taking them so for me, it’s about focusing really hard and then doing the basics really well.”

That try at Thomond Park back in 2017 showcased more than just the basics done really well as Larmour, just 11 games into his professional career and playing full-back, collected an Ian Keatley high ball outside his 22, looks up and takes off, stepping inside both Sammy Arnold and then Rory Scannell, accelerating into the Munster half and wrong-footing Keatley on the fly-half’s outside before doing enough to evade the covering tackle of Simon Zebo and score in a 34-24 defeat of their neighbours.

A lot has happened in the four and a quarter years since but Larmour believes that when fit and able he plays with the same instincts as he did at the outset.

“I don’t think I’ve gone away from that kid when I’d just broken onto the scene. Maybe I’ve matured a bit more but when I’m out there I’m just playing what I’m seeing in front of me, going out there and expressing myself.

“Maybe a few games where I’ve been overthinking it or not backing myself. That’s when I might have had a bad performance but I try to do my best, just go out there and just have fun and like I said, express myself and not overthink things. Just kind of go for it.”