Conway here to stay after impressive if brief debut

ANDREW CONWAY could still be playing for Blackrock College in the Leinster Schools Cup this season. Instead, the 18-year-old began what was confirmed on Saturday as a meteoric rise through the professional ranks with a six-minute debut for Leinster. There was only time for two incidents.

Shaun Berne cut through the Scarlets midfield, with Conway burning winger Andy Fenby but over-running the line off Berne; he had to slow, which allowed Fenby get a grip on his jersey. But natural leg power freed him again, before he was hit by Josh Turnbull. And still he off-loaded for Jonny Sexton to crash over.

Moments later Fenby, no slouch himself, stretched his legs down the left wing, but Conway not only caught him on the try line but the tackle forced a knock-on.

Afterwards Michael Cheika revealed Conway would have started on the right wing if Shane Horgan had failed to recover from an ankle injury. That means a whole host of talented backs would have been skipped in one swift selection of the new kid.

Word has been out about Conway for a while now. Eyebrows were raised by his pace and footwork in senior training with Leinster, promoted despite most 84kg teenagers being given a year to develop in the sub-academy.

As a schools player Conway had an impact similar to Denis Hickie, Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald. A fullback by trade – aren’t they all these days? – his immediate future looks to be on the wing, where his gliding acceleration will always do damage.

It started at Blackrock College, where he became a folk hero with a match-winning, last-minute try against St Michael’s that delivered the Junior Cup in 2007, then the senior version in 2009 when he again crossed for a try in the final.

Immediately promoted to the Blackrock club wing this season, two impressive outings for the Irish Under-20s against Italy and France cleared the path to his Leinster debut.

A bit of X factor, is what Cheika sees in him: “We probably weren’t looking for the security factor and the steadiness, a bit of X factor. He’s not just got pace and footwork, but he has an excellent rugby brain as well, which we’ve seen in the under-20s game.

“Shaun Berne probably gave him the ball a touch early, he probably would have made it himself, but that is the one thing that was very good. When he gets into that area where he got held he just kept running. He just backed his pace. He made a little error in defence to let the guy down the side, but he went back and got him.

“When we go to play Cardiff we will probably have a few less players and will need him and a few others.” (That match is away on March 7th).

“Great offload, but the thing I was most impressed with was his work effort and his desire to get back and make that tackle,” said Shane Jennings of Conway.