'It feels like a problem for future Ireland, not for me': McCloskey on centre succession planning

With Garry Ringrose ruled out with a hamstring issue, Andy Farrell handed the 13 jersey to Robbie Henshaw despite having younger players Jamie Osborne and the uncapped Jamie Benson available.

IN POSSESSION: Ireland centre Stuart McCloskey. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho

Rugby pundits may be tying themselves in knots over where the next Ireland centres will come from when the current crop of 30-something stalwarts finally hang it up, but for understandable reasons, those incumbents are not in the slightest bit concerned.

The midfield triumvirate of Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki which has dominated the numbers 12 and 13 jerseys for the best part of a decade has become a quartet in recent seasons with the late blossoming Test career being enjoyed by Stuart McCloskey.

Such has the Ulsterman’s rise to prominence been that he has made the inside centre role his own over the past two seasons, not least a stellar 2025-26 that has him in the running for a string of player of the year awards. 

Now 34, he is playing some of the best rugby of his career as he zeroes in on a place in head coach Andy Farrell’s World Cup squad heading to Australia in 11 months.

Yet who partners McCloskey Down Under has become the subject of intense interest on the airwaves, stoked by Farrell’s selection for last Friday’s Nations Championship series opener at home to Argentina. 

With Ringrose ruled out with a hamstring issue for this month’s four Tests, the Ireland boss handed the 13 jersey to Henshaw despite having younger players Jamie Osborne and the uncapped Jamie Benson available.

With Farrell set on Thursday to unveil his starting team to face Fiji back at Aviva Stadium this Saturday evening, the name next to the number 13 will be one of the first to be sought out. 

Henshaw played well alongside McCloskey in a 42-12 victory over the Pumas with Osborne only called into the replacements following the late withdrawal of an ill Aki and that has given rise to concerns outside the camp about Ireland’s succession planning at outside centre.

None of that bothers McCloskey one bit as he prepares as normal to continue his occupancy in the Irish midfield having admitted on Monday he is nonplussed by the current focus of rugby conversation.

MY BALL: Stuart McCloskey, centre, with Gus McCarthy, left, and Joe McCarthy during an Ireland men's rugby squad training session. David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

"I've seen bits of it. It's a weird one. I probably had my best season ever, last year at 33,” McCloskey said "I've just turned 34 and still think I'm playing really good rugby. It feels like a problem for future Ireland, not for me. I don't really care.

"I just want to play as much as I can. Honestly, I couldn't care less about the succession of what's going on after me. That's genuine. I just want to play well myself and worry about me.

“I'm sure the guys in there... Until someone comes and takes the jersey off us, I think we're all still playing at a very high level. It's not really of our concern what age we are.

Nor does McCloskey envisage a problem this time next year when the World Cup will have progressed to the knockout stages.

"No, absolutely not. Touch wood, I think we'll all still be fairly good. It's probably in two or three years' time (when it will be an issue).

"We'll all still be playing now. I'm sure someone will come through. That is the honest opinion. I don't really care. I'm just happy that I'm playing well and happy that I'm still involved.” 

McCloskey made his Ireland debut as a 23-year-old alongside Henshaw at Twickenham in the 2016 Six Nations but it took four seasons to earn his first six caps. Last Friday was his 32nd Test, his 26th in the last four years and he is determined not to loosen his grip on his place any time soon.

“I think that's every game this year I've started so it's been nice. I don't think I thought that was going to happen at the start of last season anyway, playing so many games. It's been great.

“I’ve felt settled in the jersey for a while. Three or four years settled when I've come in, not feeling like I'm going out to prove anything, just doing the job that's set in front of me. It's been nice in that way.

“I think all four of us in the centre have had a good relationship over the last six or seven years. Whoever's went in has always felt comfortable in the job and knows what they have to do. Whoever that is in on the day has always probably had a reasonable enough performance.” 

McCloskey would class his outing last Friday as one of those “reasonable enough” rather than eye-catching performances which had become par for the course in last season’s Six Nations. 

One reporter put it to him that his game against the Pumas the other night was more in the “steady Eddie” bracket, to which he replied: “Yeah, that's a nice way to put an average game.

“You're playing it sometimes and I think everything's been going so well for me the last year, that you feel like every time you touch the ball something's going to happen. International rugby's not always like that. You've got to do the basics well.

“To be fair I went through the game and thought I had a really steady, really solid game. Didn't do an awful lot wrong. I didn't miss any tackles, had some decent carries. Gave the boys the ball in space. Sometimes the ball just doesn't go your way.” 

He added: "Could have had two tries and you are looking at it in a different way but I'm happy if the team plays that well and I'm being steady, I think everybody would take it.”