Rugby

The Offload: Tadhg McElroy building an interesting rugby CV

Ireland under-20s go down to Italy; quote of the week; Michael Cheika to Narbonne?

Tadhg McElroy in action for the Ireland under-20s in 2017. Photo: Craig Watson/Inpho

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John O'Sullivan
Mon Dec 20 2021 - 09:00

One can’t but admire Tadhg McElroy’s determination and singular focus to eke out a professional rugby career. The former Ireland under-20 international hooker has just signed a short-term deal with London Irish until the end of the season.

The Dundalk native, 24, joins from Ealing Trailfinders. Irish had signed Reece Marshall on a short term deal but he was injured in his first game, a Challenge Cup match against Pau. The Exiles’ director of rugby Declan Kidney said: “After Reece’s unfortunate injury we are pleased to welcome Tadhg for the rest of the season, to improve competition at hooker.”

McElroy has amassed quite the rugby CV even at this point. He played All Ireland League Division 1A rugby for Lansdowne as a teenager, an impressive achievement physically. He beat Leinster and Ireland’s Rónan Kelleher to the starting jersey for the Irish under-20s.

McElroy swapped the Leinster sub academy for the Connacht academy but then was dropped from the Irish under-20 squad just before the Junior World Championship as he chose to take up a contract with Saracens for whom he made three appearances in two seasons while also going out on loan for the Bedford Blues.

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He returned to play for Clontarf in the AIL, had a stint with Pat Lam’s Bristol Bears back in the English Premiership before joining Ealing Trailfinders and now London Irish; all before his 25th birthday. He has always been his own man and once said of that stubborn impatience that “I can be my own worst enemy at times.”

What can’t be denied is his drive to chase a dream and doing everything he can in pursuit of that goal.

Ireland under-20s lose out to Italy

Ireland lost 15-8 to Italy in an under-20 international friendly at the Belfield Bowl. Richie Murphy’s side conceded two first half tries to the visitors, one of which was converted, their only response a penalty from Garryowen’s Tony Butler.

Despite a fine try from Clontarf wing Aitzol King, the Italians confirmed their win with a penalty from Niccolo Teneggi. The Irish squad will reconvene on December 27th for another four day camp that will include a game against a Munster Development XV on December 30th. They will then play a Leinster Development XV on January 7th.

Murphy admitted: “We have had four days together (in the build-up to the Italy game). It has been really valuable. A little bit disappointed with the result, we probably felt that we should have been a little bit further down the track. It’s a good start.

“From an individual and a team perspective, there are a load of things that we need to get right. We are meeting on the 27th for another four day camp leading into that Munster Development game which will be a massive opportunity for some of the guys that were playing here and also other guys who have been out of the squad this week.”

One of those otherwise engaged at the weekend was 19-year-old Young Munster fullback Patrick Campbell who started for Munster in their Heineken Champions Cup victory over Castres.

Quote of the week

“I thought that when he held onto the ball we did very well, we got metres, but we tried to look for the offload too much. It was just that final pass, it was just a bit frustrating on the field where we felt that we should have scored but we didn’t. We left a bit out there.” - Man of the match Damian de Allende offers an overview of Munster’s Heineken Champions Cup win over Castres.

By the numbers

12: Handling errors by Connacht during what will have been a frustrating loss to the Leinster Tigers at Welford Road based on the fact that the visitors dominated possession but an inability to protect the ball in contact cost them dearly at times. Jack Carty's superb late drop goal to secure a bonus point will have eased a little of the pain.

Cheika to Narbonne?

Narbonne, currently rooted to the bottom of the French ProD 2 and coming off a 70-0 defeat at Oyonnax at the weekend, their ninth in succession, may look to a ‘local’ according to reports in the French media.

The ‘local’ in question is former Leinster and Australian coach Michael Cheika, who has lived in the area for several years.

The President of Narbonne, Philip Campos pointed out that Cheika, who led the Wallabies to the 2015 World Cup final and in 2019 was part of the Argentina backroom team, was currently under contract as director of rugby to Japanese club NEC Green Rockets.

But he then added that while speculation that links Cheika to the club potentially helping out the existing coach team of Julien Seron, Sebastien Logerot and Brice Mach was a rumour, “it does not seem that farfetched to me” before going to establish that no contact has yet been made with the Australian. So clear as mud, then.