Eastern promise fulfilled out west

Interview with Mark McHughJohn O'Sullivan on how the Connacht full back's rejection by Leinster turned out to be the best thing that happened to him, rugby-wise

Mark McHugh walked out of one of the last exams in his finals, having completed the fourth year of a Civil Engineering degree, to find a message on his cell phone. "Basically it was from someone in the Leinster Branch telling me they would not be offering me a contract for the new season."

It was the summer of 2001 and McHugh, after two years with the province, including one heroic night in Donnybrook when he battered Leicester into submission in a Heineken European Cup match with a prodigious kicking display, found himself unemployed.

He hadn't been careless or arrogant in merely taking for granted that a contract would be offered. The previous March and April he had gone to the then Leinster coach Matt Williams and tried to secure a future. The latter was initially evasive before finally inquiring if McHugh would be interested in "the possibility of going to Connacht".

"It wasn't something that I had considered and came out of the blue a little bit. At that stage I decided that it wasn't for me; that I'd try and fight my corner. There was no contact until that message I received after coming out of an exam. If I had been offered a contract by Leinster I would have stayed but I wasn't, so I rang Eddie Wigglesworth and asked if the Connacht offer still stood. He told me it did.

"In hindsight it was the best thing that happened to me. I rang Steph Nel, who was coaching Connacht at that time, and he said he'd be delighted to have me. I look back now and think it was the best thing for me as a rugby player and a person. My career developed with Connacht in a way it wouldn't have with Leinster."

McHugh's origins in the game would have steeled him for the pitfalls that lay ahead. From the time he trotted down to mini-rugby at Drogheda RFC - they amalgamated subsequently with Delvin to form Boyne RFC - he would have to take the more circuitous route to professional rugby.

He played on all the underage teams at the club over the years and was also capped by Leinster and Ireland at youths level. His fledgling career was in the number nine scrumhalf jersey, a position he filled until he was 16.

"It was a Leinster Youths trial match at Clontarf. They had a few scrumhalves but no outhalves. They asked me to switch, saying I could have half a game in each position. I did well and when the squad was announced I was selected at outhalf."

Two years followed playing with Trinity, his CV enriched by Irish Universities caps and lining out for the Leinster under-20s.

He travelled with the Ireland under-21 World Cup squad to Argentina in 1999 and that summer joined St Mary's College. From that platform he launched his senior career with the province. He enjoyed some good moments with Leinsterbut the grind of professional rugby coupled with studying meant he couldn't enjoy either fully.

An honours degree in Civil Engineering, hugely facilitated by Prof Simon Perry's support, provided him with insurance for life after rugby.

His playing career, though, had stalled. Connacht offered a different challenge, and a refreshing one to boot, albeit his first season there as Eric Elwood's understudy wasn't what he had envisaged.

"I suppose I was impatient. I didn't get many opportunities that season and thought I was not being given as many chances as I should have been."

An injury to Gavin Duffy and McHugh's career path veered towards full back.

McHugh made an Irish squad heading for a World Cup qualifier in Siberia and when Duffy was injured again at the start of the following season he was moved to full back.

He dropped the winning goal against The Borders and then the following week dropped a goal that beat Leinster at Donnybrook.

"I have a lot of very good friends that play for Leinster so there was huge personal satisfaction in the aftermath of that game but it was in putting one over on the organisation rather than the players."

He made his Ireland debut on a summer tour to Australia, Tonga and Samoa in 2003 in the game against Tonga at Nuku Alofa international stadium. A strong wind saw him endure a tough first half but he responded with character, eventually crossing for a try late on.

At 26, and after shoulder reconstruction and an operation on an arthritic foot during the summer, he's thoroughly enjoying the Connacht experience and his ambition is to see the province qualify for the European Cup.

Of more immediate import is trying to overturn that 14-point deficit that the Irish province face following their European Challenge Cup first-leg defeat - McHugh was outstanding - in Narbonne last week. Tomorrow at the Sportsground Connacht will try and hurdle another obstacle.

"We will have to play really well, something we didn't do in the first leg. The video showed that we didn't perform anywhere near the levels of which we are capable. It's about taking responsibility."

Much like McHugh's career, really.