AFTER MATCH REACTION: John O'Sullivantalks to debutant Kevin McLaughlin and Jamie Heaslip after Saturday's match against Italy
JOHN McLAUGHLIN and Richard Heaslip soldiered in the backrow together in the colours of Monkstown rugby club. On Saturday, their respective sons, Kevin and Jamie, formed two thirds of Ireland’s tearaway axis for this season’s opening Six Nations Championship match against Italy at Croke Park.
There would have been plenty of time for reminiscing and perhaps a pointer or two when the four congregated in the aftermath of a victory that’s perhaps best described as unpolished. The lustre was missing but the integrity of the end result doesn’t change materially whether it’s buffed or not.
Not that Kevin McLaughlin would have cared one whit once Ireland won. The broad smile won’t fade for a day or two. Making your debut for Ireland has that effect. He spent Saturday morning trying to keep his emotions in check, a collision of excitement, nerves and adrenaline. He’d slept well the night before but once game day arrived it seemed to unfurl in slow motion.
McLaughlin smiled: “I was trying to keep my emotions in check. I forced two meals in but they were trying to force their way back out. It was an amazing day. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.
“It was all a new experience for me. You see people on the street turn and cheer; the support was unbelievable.
“The anthems were the final straw. I was just trying to put my mind elsewhere and concentrate on the game. You don’t want the emotions to overwhelm you. Once the game started I was delighted to get going. All that adrenaline had been building up for two weeks.
“I’m well used to playing with Jamie (Heaslip), Leo (Cullen) and Cian (Healy). It’s nice to have that bit of familiarity there. But to be honest everyone in the team has been welcoming, making you feel like you’ve been there for two or three years. I really felt that I was part of the team from the moment I started to train with them two weeks ago: everyone so welcoming.”
Once the game started the 25-year-old was looking to make a positive contribution to finally settle any nerves.
“Their number six or number eight stepped inside and I got a good hit on him. I knew then that I was in the game. That’s the best way for me, to get a tackle or a carry early on. Once I got that I was grand.
“It wasn’t the fastest game I have ever played in to be honest. Physically it was tough. They come at you hard in defence and when they carry, they carry hard. I felt well up to it physically.”
Given the nature of the contest, there was precious little opportunity for anything other than the mundane, fetching, carrying and tackling aggressively on the gain line.
The video will, though, reveal he acquitted himself very capably including one muscular surge in the build-up to Tomás O’Leary’s try. Playing the entire game was also a massive plus.
“I hate coming off in any game. You’re always more satisfied when you stay on for the full 80. You feel like you have earned the win as part of the team.
“They (Italy) really tried to take us on in the scrum and the pick-and-goes; that’s the way they were trying to beat us. We did quite well to quell that. They did not get a huge amount of yardage out of that part of the game. We knew we were going to be facing that and we’re happy with the way we dealt with it. It’s probably the best day of my life so far and I want to get more.”
In the short term, McLaughlin’s future in the team is likely to depend on the fitness of Stephen Ferris. He offered a little insight into the nature of his character when discussing the possibility of playing in Paris next Saturday.
“Stevie’s a top player and a really good bloke; shook my hand when I got announced in the team. That’s the team spirit. I’d been the same wishing for him to get back and fair competition for the six jersey. That’s the way teams work.”
Heaslip, just a year older but with considerably more mileage in the Test match arena, was very supportive of the new boy’s efforts. “I think Kev did great; he flew around out there. The only thing I said to him before the game was to keep doing what you’re doing and that’s what he did. We just talked like normal then on the pitch – he’s a big enough and bad enough boy. He knows how to get around the pitch, do his job and he did that today.”
Ireland’s number eight repeated his feat of last season in scoring the first try of the campaign. “Yeah we had a nice little move along the left and I think Trimby (Andrew Trimble) went flying up and we got the ball across. Darce (Gordon D’Arcy) made a good call, saw a shooter come out of the line. We got a couple of good passes and I got a gift of a try, no one on me – and cruised in. It was brilliant.”
For the fathers and sons, it was smiles all round; that kind of afternoon.
