Exile still hoping for big comeback

London Irish v Ulster: Gerry Thornleytalks to Aidan McCullen about his time at Toulouse and his move to London Irish

Aidan McCullen was a little apprehensive about his swift return to Toulouse with London Irish in the second round of the Heineken European Cup last October. He had left the French aristocrats of his own volition but was welcomed warmly, not only by former team-mates but also by coach Guy Noves, who inquired as to the length of McCullen's contract with Irish.

McCullen played well in defeat and was boarding the team coach to the airport after the post-match reception when a Toulouse supporter approached him with a booklet of cuttings from his year with the club. A nice touch.

The perception might be that McCullen has fallen off the radar in the last year-and-a-half, that his one-year stint at Toulouse didn't work out, that he was jettisoned by the French aristocrats and is now picking up the pieces at London Irish.

All untrue. He looks back on his year with Toulouse fondly and, but for sustaining first a one-month suspension for punching and then a torn knee ligament and ensuing niggles, would have enjoyed even more than the 14 appearances (eight starting) he made there.

"I loved the rugby and I really did well there, especially in the first few months," he says. "It was a dream start; got straight into the team and at number eight as well. I'd never played regularly at eight apart from at Lansdowne years ago.

"I played 14 matches, and I know that mightn't seem like a lot but that was in six months. I played when I was able and fit. I started eight and was on the bench for six, which is the way it is for everybody at Toulouse apart from Yannick Jauzion and those guys. In the back row we were rotating seven of us. It was brilliant, a brilliant year."

The brand of rugby was not unlike that at Leinster; indeed McCullen cites a thread through to the style at London Irish as well. At Leinster, whether it was Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy or David Quinlan and Shane Horgan - and for that matter at Toulouse with Jauzion and Florian Fritz - they played an offloading game and McCullen enjoyed running off them or off the next phase. Front-foot rugby.

"I've come away from there with a lot more skill," he says. "I'd always look for the offload if it's on, and that was the way Willie Anderson had ingrained us in the philosophy at Leinster.

"It wasn't that hard of a transition, and then the way they play over here as well, even if we haven't hit that form they finished with last season yet."

There were some great days with Toulouse too: his opening European Cup match at home to Llanelli; an understrength team going to a capacity house in Clermont Auvergne and nearly winning; and playing in front of 80,000 away to Stade Français.

"It was like a superimposed crowd. I always say it to the Horsebox (Trevor Brennan) - he played that day as well. It was awesome just being there."

The decision to leave Toulouse was as much a lifestyle choice as anything else. The social scene around Stade Toulouse is very "family orientated"; his "missus" - as he refers to his fiancee, Niamh Redmond - was struggling to get a job either as a qualified estate agent or through her studies in nutrition; they'd talked about living in London; he was injured at the time and following on from previous enquiries by Conor O'Shea, with perfect timing London Irish coach Brian Smith rang him last February.

He had a get-out clause prior to March 31st, and after a visit to Sunbury and the Madejski Stadium, he decided to use it.

Aside from enjoying the bright lights of London, the sometime DJ is satisfying his keen interest in music by dabbling in a production studio. They live in "a nice pad" in Sunbury, "just up from the boathouse Mal O'Kelly used to live in. I smile whenever I drive by it."

Engaged to be married next June, in the first year of a two-year contract, "Lard", as he's popularly known, is doing fine and thanks to back-to-back meetings with Ulster over the next two weekends will be granted ample opportunity to showcase his undoubted ability.

An operation to a knee delayed McCullen's start by a couple of months, but he's appeared in their last 11 games.

"I'm playing a lot and I'm playing well, getting my hands on the ball and making a lot of tackles," he says, adding that London Irish are showing signs of finding the fluidity that made them the best club team to watch in England in the latter stages of last season. Their opening defeats to Llanelli and Toulouse demand, as he admits, that they give it a real go in the Madejski Stadium this Saturday.

"We haven't quite clicked yet, but we will I'm sure," he says.

His one cap was at the tail-end of his time with Leinster, in the oppressive humidity and 35-degree heat of Apia three summers ago.

"I don't win easy caps," he quips, but at 29, one of the most talented all-round backrowers the Irish system has thrown up hasn't given up hope of tapping into the Irish feel-good factor.