McCloskey happy to play poster boy for patience

RELIABLE: Ireland’s Stuart McCloskey celebrates winning. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Given he had to wait seven years to add a second Guinness Six Nations appearance to his first, Stuart McCloskey could well now serve as the textbook embodiment of staying patient.

SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP

Your home for the latest news, views and analysis of this year's Six Nations Championship from our award winning sports team.

SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP

Your home for the latest news, views and analysis of this year's Six Nations Championship from our award winning sports team.

Handed his Test debut by Joe Schmidt against England at Twickenham in 2016, the Ulster centre has had to be content with sporadic opportunities to add to his Ireland cap tally thanks to the accident that makes Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki his contemporaries and rivals for the green number 12 jersey.

That it took McCloskey, now 30, to earn his next five caps tells its own story, but though Covid denied him the opportunity of an earlier international reboot, ongoing injury issues for Henshaw and a lengthy ban for Aki last autumn allowed the door to finally re-open.

Saturday’s championship opener against Wales was McCloskey’s fourth successive start at inside centre after an ever-present November window against South Africa, Fiji and Australia. Henshaw is nearing his return from a wrist injury but Aki has had to settle for a place on the bench since his return from suspension but the Ulster man has more than kept his side of the bargain for Andy Farrell and his early pass to James Lowe at Principality Stadium helped put Ireland away for Caelan Doris’s opening try on two minutes.

“There were definitely in those seven years when I didn’t think I would ever get another game,” McCloskey said after his 59-minute shift in the 34-10 bonus-point victory.

“I was pretty close just before Covid hit. I was in the team on the Monday to play France before Covid hit and I thought that was a chance I probably wouldn’t get again. I’ve been playing well, it’s not like I haven’t been playing well in the last seven years, for club, so I thought if I just kept persevering, digging in, that eventually I would get a chance.

“The two guys did brilliantly when they were in there so I couldn’t really complain too much, they were both starting for the Lions at one stage and they were playing at 12 ahead of me. It’s been hard, I can’t say it hasn’t been, but it’s nice to get that monkey off my back.” McCloskey could be forgiven for thinking the rugby gods were against him but he is enjoying the moment now it is here.

“There have been times when I was disheartened. I was playing well, I wasn’t getting picked but I didn’t have a leg to stand on because the lads were playing really well and Ireland were winning.

“It was probably the best period of Irish rugby, especially at centres, we’ve ever really had, especially depth-wise. It was tough at times but I like to take a bit of heart from the fact I stayed in there and finally got a chance. I’ve played four games, we’ve won all four, I don’t think that’s all down to me particularly but it’s nice to win the games when you’re playing.”