Robert Baloucoune making most of unexpected Ireland chance
Ireland winger Robert Baloucoune. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho
Think how Robert Baloucoune must have felt when he was picked to start on the wing for Ireland against South Africa in November of 2022. Imagine the pictures his mind must have painted as he scanned the road ahead.
The Ulster wing was 25 and this third cap was his biggest chance yet with James Lowe injured and the world champions in town. It never really happened for him that day, or against Fiji a week later.
How was he to know that 39 months would have to pass before his next opportunity would come?
That he would sit out 37 games, three full Six Nations, a World Cup and a series win in New Zealand before another cap would come his way.
Opportunity finally came knocking again last weekend when he appeared in the Six Nations for the very first time and capped his 80 minutes with a superb finish for a try that just about gave Ireland the room to squeeze past Italy.
There was a time when he thought that this second chance had passed him by.
“To be honest, yeah, probably. You know, it had been a while and playing for Ulster was even looking a bit dreadful (sic). I only played two games last season. I got a good run of games this season and was playing well.
“The team was playing well as well, which helped my ability to get back into the game, and scoring tries always helps. I was surprised getting selected for the camp but when I got the opportunity I wanted to put my best foot forward. I felt like I did that on the weekend.”
If injuries hampered his own career then these are roundabouts that swing other ways too. Mack Hansen started on the right wing 19 times during his own long spell on the outside looking in. Now the Connacht star is sidelined for the season.
Surprisingly few others have worn that No.14 jersey across that same spell.
Keith Earls had it for one game pre-World Cup, Jamie Osborne endured a tough day on that wing against France 12 months ago, Calvin Nash opened there eight times, and Tommy O’Brien’s run of seven caps was paused by a poor showing in Paris.
The other touchline has seen even less change. James Lowe started 28 of the 37 games between Baloucoune’s fourth and fifth caps, Nash started once, Jacob Stockdale got the go half-a-dozen times and Jimmy O’Brien and Shayne Bolton filled in the blanks.
Baloucoune’s only experience of national camp through all this was the odd trip down south from Belfast to check in with the Irish physios who played a role in ‘getting his hamstrings right’.
The bottom line is he feels as fit and robust as he’s ever been.
And his game has come on.
Andy Farrell spoke recently about how the Enniskillen man has become a more complete player on both sides of the ball. The head coach’s fondness for ‘messy’ wingers is well known.
Baloucoune has learned to wander in search of work.
“Back in the last time I was playing, I was probably just staying out on the wing. Mark Sexton’s come into Ulster [as attack coach] and he's wanted more from the wingers. I'm trying to get off my wing more and get involved in plays and get my hands on the ball.
“I'm even helping coaching with Enniskillen, a few bits. You just see the game in a different style. It's opened my mind up to what other players have to do and what they sense. So I feel like that's brought my game along and I can show that out on the pitch now as well.”
A laidback type by his own admission, the last year was probably his “toughest” as he neared full fitness only to regress time and again. He kept working on his skills while absent and a hat-trick against the Lions in Ellis Park in October was a major step.
Baloucoune’s retention of his place against England is testament to his effort last week.
All the more so given Cormac Izuchukwu and Edwin Edogbo have been left out as Farrell places most of his chips on experience for the date in Twickenham.
Both Izuchukwu and Edogbo performed on what were equally big days for them against Italy but the week since has been overshadowed by the racist abuse directed at Edogbo online.
Baloucoune was as exasperated with that as much as anyone else.
“We haven't really spoken too much about it, but I've seen bits and pieces over the internet. Yeah, the internet's a crazy place. Obviously, you don't want to see that but I feel like it's a narrow minority of people, usually people that aren't showing the names or faces and stuff like that. You can hide behind the internet.
“But there's also a huge support as well by the vast majority of supporters and that's what you should really focus on. I've seen stuff about Eddie as well, and the amount of support that he's actually got from Cork as well has been unbelievable. I mean, it's never nice to see and I hate reading that sort of stuff, but you've got to deal with it.”
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