Baloucoune can look back on Six Nations as massive personal gain - despite Rhys Carré

BOUNCE BACK: Robert Baloucoune goes into Sunday with supreme confidence despite a disappointing moment against Wales. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho

Rob Baloucoune was one of the few people inside Aviva Stadium and indeed, throughout world rugby, who did not enjoy Rhys Carré’s standout try for Wales but the Ireland wing will regardless go into Saturday’s Scotland clash with supreme confidence.

Baloucoune has endured rather than enjoyed the endless re-runs of him getting bumped off a tackle by Carré last Friday night as the bullocking loosehead prop scored perhaps the try of this Guinness Six Nations campaign. 

Yet such has been the impact made by the Ulster flyer during the 2026 championship, on both sides of the ball, that he will look back on this international window as a massive personal gain.

It is also one that could end with silverware, if Ireland can overcome the high-flying Scots and claim the Triple Crown at their guests’ expense in front of a sold-out Aviva.

A try-scoring, man of the match performance at Twickenham as Ireland completed a record away win over England in round three added to a first Six Nations try on his championship debut the previous weekend in the home victory over Italy. 

There is, however, more to Baloucoune’s game than tries, while the fact his nomination on Thursday’s shortlist for the Six Nations’ Rising Player Award at the age of 28 suggests the wing is in a hurry to make up for time in Test rugby lost to well-documented spells on the sidelines due to injury.

The appearance of Baloucoune alongside Ireland team-mates Nick Timoney, 30, and a pair of 26-year-olds in Cormac Izuchukwu and Cian Prendergast on a 12-player list recogising “the brightest emerging talents” in the competition confirms the adage that good things come to those who wait. 

After four caps between his try-scoring debut against USA in July 2021 and November 2022, Baloucoune is relishing the opportunity to play three Tests in a row with a fourth to come this Saturday, and speaking this week he agreed this was “definitely” the most enjoyable period of his rugby career to date.

“It's been a full turnaround since last season as well. The level that I'm playing and the minutes has been unbelievable,” Baloucoune said. 

“And my ability just to play games repeatedly is something that's been a big focus of mine, trying to be in training consistently and being able to do that.

“And I feel like that allowed me to build confidence each game I'm playing and being able to do that continuously is a big factor in my game.” 

Baloucoune has looked perfectly at ease in these elevated surroundings at Test level as a result, so much so that he can look back on that missed tackle with a wry smile.

“Definitely tough to watch back,” he said. “Just kind of reviewed it, being on the same page and stuff like that. So yeah, I never like to see that, I hate missing tackles.

Baloucoune is tackled by Wales' Eddie James. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho

“It's something that I'll definitely be looking at in training and trying to compound that. But fair play to the big man, he was flying as well. So it's something I'll try and cut out of my game.” 

All will be forgiven if Ireland close out the championship with a Triple Crown and there is much to be excited about with the return of Tommy O’Brien on the left wing. 

Baloucoune had replaced O’Brien on the right following the opening round’s defeat to France but when starting left wing James Lowe pulled up with a groin injury after 18 minutes at Twickenham a breathtaking, high-tempo partnership was born. Both scored tries in the victory and their combinations on each other’s flanks broke English lines repeatedly, not least in the build-up to Jamison Gibson-Park’s opening try. 

Baloucoune provided the assist for O’Brien’s try as the pair sprinted down the left wing and the pair were effective pair combined in defence to great effect also to stop what Tommy Freeman’s break down England’s right, O’Brien’s tackle followed by Baloucoune’s track from one wing to the other to catapult the man in white into touch.

“I suppose it's just the way we want to play as well, where you're just getting off the wings and then once you're there, you're working, you're in a spot to be an option or be a threat. I think it wasn't a set plan of us working together.

We've worked hard to get into the space where the space is. We've done our work early as well, so then effectively, we've then linked up and it works really well against England. 

It's definitely a threat that we can push forward as well.” Ireland will need to be at their best defensively if they are to contain Scotland’s twin wing threats of Kyle Steyn and Darcy Graham on Saturday and Baloucoune is as wary as he is impressed by their potential impact.

“Kyle Steyn's physical, he's a physical carrier and knows his way around. I've played Darcy Graham quite a few times against Edinburgh and he's nippy and he actually works around the nines quite well as well, so it's probably something that I need to work on in my game is kind of get involved around like that.

“But no, they're two class wingers and know how to score and that's probably a main focus of every winger. So if you're doing that, you're doing well and it'll definitely be a challenge for the weekend, but for myself, as I say, I'm looking forward to the challenge.”