Making hay while Lions were away

MAGNERS LEAGUE: Gerry Thornleytalks to Niall Ronan who, despite being from Leinster, is being made to feel at home in Munster

THIS FORMATIVE part of the season is the time of bounty for a host of players, like Niall Ronan. When the Lions are away, it’s their time to make hay. And, after something of a breakthrough campaign with the Munster Heineken Cup squad and his first Ireland caps on the summer tour, this season Ronan has hit the ground running.

He’s always been an exceptional talent, what with his Meath Gaelic footballing background and the kind of all-round footballing ability and athleticism which has even seen him play at centre. He is something of a late developer, but having had a sniff of the front line he clearly wants more, judging by efforts for Munster in the win over Cardiff last week.

Defensively, he snuffed out danger swiftly, and with the amended laws at the breakdown which allow the tackler to compete on his feet for the ball longer, Ronan orchestrated several turnovers at the breakdown. Having added about eight or nine kgs in his two-plus years with Munster while putting in the hours in the gym and on the training ground, Ronan is determined to dip his beak.

“He was tremendous,” enthused his coach, Tony McGahan, not one normally given to effusive individual praise. “The news laws really suit him to a t. His work-rate and his ability to work close to the ground is a testimony to himself.”

The news laws are made for opensides, Ronan admits. “It gives a seven more of a chance to poach, but we’ve worked hard. The coaching staff have done an unbelievable amount of work, not just with me but the whole squad.”

Poachers are flourishing, and the key to Heinrich Brussow’s success in cementing a place in the Springboks’ team is, Ronan says, because “he’s just so quick off his feet.”

Having initially joined from Leinster for one year in the summer of 2007, Ronan renewed his contract for two years from the start of last season. Hence, having turned 27 last Monday, this is a big year for him. He says he is settled and content. The key, of course, is the game time – 33 matches in his first two seasons with Munster as opposed to “three or four a year” at Leinster.

“It’s family-orientated down here. Everybody’s involved; girlfriends, wives, families – it just makes you feel at home, especially for a player that’s not from the area. They go out of their way to help you, and that does help. So I feel settled here and I’m loving every minute of it.”

Not that he’s become a complete turncoat. “I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for Leinster. They gave me my chance. I played four years there and learned my trade there, so I have to thank them for starting off my career.”

Originally from Boyne, Ronan took the more circuitous route through the youths/club scene through the Irish youths and Academy. There was no rugby in the family bloodline. His father, Finbarr, played Gaelic as well as golf in Baltray, bringing his handicap down to two. Ronan himself played Gaelic football from Monday to Sunday, finding room for rugby training on a Friday night and a match on Saturdays.

Special mention in the Ronan story has to be reserved for one of his coaches at Boyne, Gerry Tallon. “He was the driving force for all the GAA lads coming to play rugby. Without him I probably wouldn’t be playing rugby.”

It was the time with the Leinster Youths that first gave him a taste of what a professional career might be like. “I lived right beside the Gaelic pitch and played Meath minor for a few years. I wanted to have a career in Gaelic but I got the chance of getting paid for doing something I love so I took the chance and no regrets.”

If he missed out on anything by coming through the youths route as opposed to playing with one of the elite schools, it was probably more than compensated for by his intensive Gaelic football roots.

“I think if you have those skills you can definitely be a good rugby player. You’re going to be a good athlete, peripheral vision, good skills – it definitely does help. Look at Rob Kearney.”

Akin to the Shane Horgan story, Ronan’s move to Lansdowne at 17 ensured his career graph inclined some more and at 20 he was offered a contract with Leinster. “I was playing and training with the likes of Brian O’Driscoll, and you learn from the best. I’m willing to learn. I’ve high standards and a bit of a perfectionist. I want to try and improve every week, and when you’re playing with those guys you kind of go ‘right, this is the big time’.”

He looks back on his time with Leinster fondly and with no regrets, but when Shane Jennings was lined up to return and with Keith Gleeson there too, it was time to move on. Cue a phone call from Declan Kidney inviting him to Munster, for which he will be forever indebted.

He still has a rather curious mix of thick Meath accent with more than a hint of D4 from his time in Leinster, as his Munster team-mates have been telling him from week one. “If you can take a slagging in Munster, you’re sorted like, you know what I mean?” he reasons. “The first day he (Declan) introduced me he said: ‘Here’s the Leinster so-and-so’ and that was the coach. But if you give as good as you get you’ll fit in. And if you work hard, because there’s a great work-rate and honesty here, and if you train hard you’ll fit in, get respect from the players and you’ll reap the rewards.”

With Denis Leamy fit again, Alan Quinlan back last week and David Wallace likely to return next week, the customary competition for Munster back-row places will resume soon. “It keeps you on your toes,” smiles Ronan. “I used to watch these lads when I was with Leinster and learn. You train with these lads and you learn, and you actually do. You copy things they do and if you can keep improving your game. When there’s a guy in the same position as you it’s gonna keep you on your toes and be up for the challenge, and I like that.”

The flip side of turning 27 is that he is a relatively low-mileage 27-year-old. So, in a season that could potentially define his career, it’s games like last week and tonight’s visit to the Scarlets which might define his season. “When you’re given a chance to wear this jersey you’ve got to take it, because you mightn’t get another one. But I love the pressure of that, because you have to play well.”

NIALL RONAN

DOB: September 14th, 1982.

Height: 1.91m (6ft 3in).

Weight: 100kg (15st 10lb)

Position: Openside flanker.

Team: Munster (35 appearances, 35 points)

Honours: Ireland (2 caps)