INTERVIEW NIALL RONAN: Gerry Thornleytalks to the number seven who has thrived at this rarefied level, with signs that not only is he enjoying it, but it suits him
WHEN NIALL Ronan began this season the emphasis for openside flankers was on slowing down opposition ball or forcing turnovers. They were the destroyers and they were in their element. The likes of Heinrich Brüssow, David Pocock and Richie McCaw were ruling the roost.
Amid this manna from heaven for number sevens, Ronan adapted and worked tirelessly on that aspect of his game, but suddenly the pendulum has swung back the other way, and on the evidence of recent weeks, perhaps more to his innate talents as well.
He hit the ground running this season but, almost invariably, once David Wallace returned to the team and Munster were back to full-strength, Ronan’s chances became more limited. Since the turn of the year though, and especially on this tour, Ronan has been exposed to the type of conditions which suit his game.
As former Meath Gaelic footballer, who has played a bit of rugby at centre, Ronan is a different type of seven. He is at his best when his link play and footballing skills can flourish, as he showed with an eye-catchingly clever and influential performance against the Maoris.
“It benefits the attacking team big time. To watch the game is always good but as a seven it’s difficult at times, you don’t know when to poach and when not to poach. You take your chances when they come and you have to make the right decision.”
He’s won two caps against the Canucks and the Eagles, but this, as he puts it, is the big one. So far anyway. “These are the ones you want to be playing in, against the Southern Hemisphere teams.”
Unfortunately, opportunity knocks in a way that is liable to see him playing much of the game as a converted blindside and lineout option, after a crash course in the role this week. “I suppose it’s a different role, in lineouts and in defence off scrums, but you have to adjust, and I’d play anywhere to be honest with you, especially for Ireland. So I’m just going to enjoy it. I’ve been working on parts of my game that I haven’t been used to over the last couple of days and doing a bit of analysis.”
It’s a huge ask, although at least he comes in to it on one of the most impressive performances of his career. Chances like the Maori game don’t come along too often and it helped that the new game, as such, suits him. “I got a lot of ball. It was an open game; 15-0 down after 10 minutes we had to have a go. I got in a lot of hits too, but I gave away a few penalties, which I was disappointed with. Some of them were touch and go, but that’s the way it goes.”
The one which ultimately decided the match was particularly cruel. Ronan begins to make a perfect pinch at a Maori ruck, while on his feet, but then when he goes off his feet, he lets go of the ball. It’s moved back by an arm, but slow-motion replays of the incident show it to have been an arm in a black jersey. You could understand why Mark Lawrence saw it the way he did, but Ronan was unlucky. Such is the lot of an openside. “It looked like I did it, but it’s only a split-second decision the referees have,” says Ronan very diplomatically.
Nonetheless, as with the pre-tour game against the Barbarians, it gave him a taste of the more fluid and open game which prevails in this neck of the woods and his confidence is up, all the more so after training with Ireland for the last three weeks. This is the most exposure Ronan has had at this more rarified level, and the signs are not only is he enjoying it, but that it suits him.
Since joining Munster he’s become more adept at playing a tight game if it’s required. “Before that, I wasn’t,” he admits candidly, “but the coaches at Munster helped my game and my breakdown work has become stronger. Laurie Fisher has improved me immensely in terms of playing tight and being a groundhog if I have to be. And if you can do both it’s obviously good for your game. Laurie is brilliant at the breakdown. That’s his game. My game has come on leaps and bounds in terms of my positioning and breakdown work especially, and just little things, he’s very good at. I have to give a lot of thanks to him and Tony (McGahan, coach).”
As a Meathman, Ronan’s unstinting devotion to Munster is a bit much for Leinster fans, but it’s worth bearing in mind he was effectively released by Leinster, and he simply wouldn’t be here now if Declan Kidney hadn’t resurrected his career by signing him for Munster in 2007.
“I nearly gave up the game, because I had no contract with Leinster and luckily enough I had worked with Declan and he gave me my chance. Munster is a home from home for me and I’m playing a lot of rugby and I’m really enjoying it and I want to finish my career there if I can. I’ve a lot of gratitude toward Munster rugby and the fans especially. They always lift you when you’re playing at home and they’re very good to you. They’re just good people and that obviously helps when you’re playing in a team.”
Prior to the Maori game, Ronan had faced the haka once before on that memorable November night in ’08 when Munster met the All Blacks, and after their own quartet of Kiwis had performed the haka. “It does motivate you. You know you’re in for a battle. At the start I was hoping this wasn’t going to be a hiding but we worked well and got back into the game. Any New Zealand team you face it’s going to be tough.”
But typical of Kidney, he would reason that the Maori shouldn’t have exclusivity on their heritage and roots, and so that pre-match pageantry was also used as a reminder to the Irish players of how they can dip into their own sense of history and tradition, and where they came from. “The Maoris think about their families when their doing the haka and that was our motivation for that game. Playing this game is the same as playing against the Maoris. I’m playing for my country.
“So the people who coached me at home in Boyne Rugby Club, my parents who supported me all the way through – even when I wasn’t doing my homework,” he recalls with a laugh, “and my girlfriend. All my family and friends. They’ll all be watching and looking out for me. You want to do well for them and your country.”
So this afternoon the boy from Boyne will have flashbacks of his circuitous route through the youths/club scene, his father, Finbarr, and their Gaelic-playing roots, his first coach Gerry Tallon and all the others along the way.
This is a notably inexperienced pack to be taking into a frontline Test, but against that opportunity knocks for the likes of Ronan and his fellow backrower, Chris Henry. They, along with Tony Buckley and Séan Cronin, were in the Irish A pack that won the Churchill Cup 12 months ago – one of his greatest rugby memories. “It was brilliant. You’re playing England in a derby game and you’re winning by nearly 50 is even better; I enjoyed that bit.”
A year on and here they are playing the Wallabies. Kidney has been helping those players to relive that experience on this tour; no doubt all part of the mind games to help imbue them with confidence for what by rights should be a near impossible task. But then again impossible is nothing.
“Munster is a home from home for me and I’m playing a lot of rugby and I’m really enjoying and I want to finish my career there if I can. I’ve a lot of gratitude toward Munster rugby and the fans especially.
