WITH THE TASTE of international rugby still relatively fresh on his palate, missing out on the Ireland squad for November wasn’t an easy pill to swallow for Rory O’Loughlin.
Not that it was a surprise. Getting in the Leinster starting centre slots is tough enough going as he has to compete with the men who, arguably, represent Ireland’s first-choice midfield pairing.
The message from Joe Schmidt to O’Loughlin at the beginning of the season was to get on the field for the big games.
“When I didn’t play against Wasps, I was hoping to play against Toulouse at least and that might give me a bit of a chance,” O’Loughlin said this week as he moved beyond the disappointment.
Rory O’Loughlin speaks at Leinster’s base this week. Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO
“When I didn’t feature in that game I had a feeling what was coming, so it wasn’t the biggest shock to me once it was announced and I was told I wasn’t in it.
“It is a setback for me in this season, but you can’t really do anything about it. There is another opportunity for me now to get a good few games with Leinster.”
So Ireland go on with alternative midfield solutions in Sam Arnold, Bundee Aki, Will Addison and Stuart McCloskey alongside the Leinster axis.
Among the areas both Schmidt and provincial coaches are asking O’Loughlin to improve is his outward leadership. The former St Michael’s man brought himself to the professional ranks by leading through example, but senior coach Stuart Lancaster has been driving him to improve the other method.
“I don’t think my personality is like that,” admits the centre, “that’s been a challenge for me and it is something that Stu identified early on with me in my first year with the team; forcing me to accept leadership roles, speaking in front of everyone and being more comfortable amongst the squad.
O’Loughlin at training in UCD this season. Source: Oisin Keniry/INPHO
“It’s the same with Garry (Ringrose) who is not the loudest person in the room either. He has had to work on it as well. He makes himself say stuff in front of the squad and makes himself push that role as a leader; it probably didn’t come naturally for him and it hasn’t been natural for me but it is something that you have to work on. Everyone can be a leader even if it doesn’t come naturally.”
“I’ve tried to sit down with the backline — Robbie (Henshaw) is the same. Garry (Ringrose) is the same — you sit down and go through the moves they’ve been playing and what we’ve been doing and talk through the scenarios as they play out in training.
“If there are mistakes in training, you review it and get on the same page in D… even if it’s not the right decision, if everyone is doing the same thing, it puts pressure on the attack.
“That is the challenge that has been put to me this year and it is what I’m still working on: to get more vocal, to get more clarity in our defence, no matter who’s playing where.”
A Sunday afternoon kick-off (12.45, eir Sport) overshadowed by a Saturday night Ireland Test may feel well out of the limelight for some, but the pressure of Leinster’s demanding coaching ticket remains cranked up high and a lack of familiarity with a team-mate is not an acceptable excuse.
“It happened a few games last season and a few games this season we’ve been off the page.”
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