Stuart McCloskey: 'You'll look at those pictures in 20-odd years and it will be pretty cool' 

Ireland’s Stuart McCloskey with his newborn baby after the win over Scotland

Stuart McCloskey is a patient man. There was a 19-month wait for a second Test cap. The dribble of just four appearances in the four-and-a-half years after his debut against England in Twickenham in 2018. And the six-week gap between his run against Samoa in Bayonne in late August and his first World Cup appearance, against Scotland, on Saturday night.

That last one might have felt the longest.

The Ulster centre had finally staked a claim for himself in the Irish midfield last season. He played six times for Andy Farrell’s side, all of them in the No.12 shirt. He had finally broken up the Holy Trinity of Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw.

Now he was back in the waiting room.

“Yeah, I was waiting for an opportunity. But the way this team is, the guys in the positions are so good and, as soon as one of us gets in, unless there's an injury, it seems that person keeps the position. I was happy just to work away in the shadows and hope for an opportunity more than anything.

“It's always shown for us in the last two or three years when I've been involved that someone has always got injured, whether it was me during the Six Nations or Garry during the Six Nations. There are always opportunities for guys so you have to stay on your game.” 

It can’t have been easy though. He’s 31 now and the odds are he won’t be knocking around at this level come the next tournament in Australia. As the weeks went by and his number didn’t come up against Romania, Tonga or South Africa, you would have to wonder.

His status as a specialist inside-centre clearly doesn’t help. Others offer a more versatile option. Look at Jack Crowley getting on the bench ahead of Ross Byrne who lacks the Munster man’s ability to plug into different positions.

Yet McCloskey has said in the past that he is comfortable with this. That, with so many colleagues capable of moonlighting elsewhere, it was all he could do to concentrate on this 9-5 and see where that would take him.

“It was frustrating and it wasn't. I always look back to what it was before last summer and I wasn't involved at all. I was thinking about calling it a day with Ireland stuff and I came back in, played a load of games and finally became a part of the team.

“So it's nice, my goal was to get to a World Cup and I made that and whatever happens from now I'm fine with it. I know if you put me on the field I will perform well but, if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I'm not going to sit in the shadows and be angry about it.” 

He bagged 57 minutes against the Scots, injury accounting for Mack Hansen far earlier than anyone had anticipated, and with concerns lingering over Robbie Henshaw, Keith Earls, James Lowe and Hansen he may well get another shot in the quarter-final.

It might even be that Jimmy O’Brien, the last man on the list yet to get a game, sees some action too.

McCloskey was only minutes on the field when he was part of a superb Ireland move that led to Hugo Keenan’s first try and it showed just how adept the team and the wider squad has become at rolling with punches.

McCloskey and Aki, two specialist 12s, were in the centre, Garry Ringrose had migrated to the wing by then and the musical chairs was complete after the break when Jamison Gibson-Park was reposted to the other wing.

“Myself and Bundee are natural 12s but he is a world-class 13 if he wants to be. It all slotted in really well. It's not something we actually practise that much. I slotted in on the wing a good bit this week but it didn't come to that thankfully.” 

It's been a whirlwind few weeks for McCloskey who flew home to attend the birth of a baby boy, Kasper, less than two weeks ago. The little man was fast asleep amid the din and the madness of Stade de France as the music played and the crowd sang late into the night.

What a moment.

“Yeah, it was brilliant. I'd say you'll look at those pictures in 20-odd years and it will be pretty cool.”