Leinster’s Luke McGrath has come around to fitting into his skin. No call from Ireland coach Simon Easterby or Andy Farrell this season, the Stormers on Saturday in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and then a break until February 14th leaves the 31-year-old scrumhalf pragmatic about where his career has landed.
Two match entries last week against Bath in the Champions Cup, the first after 31 minutes when Jamison Gibson-Park left with a cut on his cheek and the second on 71 minutes keeps McGrath centrally involved in Leinster’s progress through the season. Still, there is a wistful tone to not travelling to the pre-Six Nations training camp in Quinta do Lago with the nine other Leinster backline players.
McGrath made his Ireland debut alongside fellow Leinster members Garry Ringrose, Dan Leavy and James Tracy in a win over the country of his birth, Canada, in November 2016. But with Craig Casey unavailable because of a knee injury, Connacht’s Caolin Blade was picked as Ireland’s third-choice scrumhalf behind Gibson-Park and Conor Murray.
Who will win the Leinster Schools Rugby Senior Cup?
A URC game against the South African side in the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening before a match-less three weeks seems like thin pickings.
“Faz [Andy Farrell] has called me in the previous years, telling me I’m not in the squad or whatever, so there has been a little bit of communication,” says McGrath. “Not much to be honest [this time] and I have to deal with that. It is what it is. It’s so competitive in this squad, and in Ireland more so in that [scrumhalf] position. There are so many difficult calls and everyone wants to play.
“It was more ‘yes you are in our thoughts’. It’s different phone calls when you’re telling someone they are not in the squad. He might say the odd thing, ask how you are going and how you are improving. But usually, it’s a quick call. Keep the head down. And keep the phone on. Sometimes things happen differently, but it’s been a few years since I’ve been in the squad.
“Dealing with the Ireland disappointment, it’s just great to be able to be around this place as it’s so enjoyable. I’m still loving my rugby, I’m still competitive.”
It is left to McGrath and Cormac Foley in the senior squad with Fintan Gunne and Oliver Coffey in the Leinster Academy to carry out duties at No 9 until the Six Nations ends on St Patrick’s weekend.
Stormers will be McGrath’s 11th outing of the season with Leinster, seven of them so far in the URC. The leadership role he has taken up in the team has been a natural progression with a wealth of experience gleaned from over 200 appearances for Leinster. McGrath is now filling the role that Isaac Boss and Eoin Reddan once did as senior players, when he was coming into the squad.
“This week, there are so many lads gone off to [Irish] camp and it’s such a different environment,” he says. “But it’s great to have so many young lads in. And it’s going to be a different team this week. You can see the challenge ahead, with so many Springboks in the [Stormers] squad and we’re in the Aviva again which is brilliant. These are special weeks. But it will be tough.
“I’m probably one of the more experienced players in the squad, so I probably don’t have that many years left in me. I know I won’t be here forever. It’s a great place to be. Obviously winning helps that. It’s a really enjoyable environment to come in every day. Tyler [Bleyendaal] and Jacques [Nienaber] are great, training is enjoyable. They’re incredibly serious as well.”
Unbeaten in all competitions this season, the weekend maybe Leinster’s biggest challenge so far. The combination of Irish players missing and the quality of the Cape Town-based side is a heady mix.
It’s a place Leinster have been many times, where player success at national level mitigates against week-on-week team strength. We need to focus on ourselves We know what is coming our way,” says McGrath.
Speaking like a man who has seen it all before.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to the Counter Ruck podcast for the best rugby chat and analysis
