Ultan Dillane looks a tad apprehensive as he is engulfed in a battery of microphones and tape recorders. He understands that it now comes with the territory following his barnstorming 15-minute cameo on debut against England at Twickenham followed by a slightly longer gallop against Italy at the Aviva stadium.
He smiles frequently, is scrupulously polite and his answers betray the emotion of a young man who is trying to rationalise what he perceives as his good fortune. The 22-year-old Connacht secondrow is becoming more comfortable in his new surroundings.
“In terms of the team we were a bit nervous at first, us new lads, but the staff and the rest of the boys have been great at getting us comfortable. In that respect it has been getting easier each week. Training wise, that’s never a let up; it’s been tough but great. It’s what a few of us have been dreaming about for years; it’s amazing how it’s all happening now.
“It was a great experience to get that 15 (minutes at Twickenham) and it flew on me but I learned big time last weekend how much tougher (it is) to get a few extra minutes on the pitch. Maybe Italy had us moving a bit more.
“I certainly realise the physical challenge that’s out there. Considering they (Italy) were a team decimated with injury, this weekend is going to be a lot tougher in a must win game for us to finish third.”
Dillane is being shaped by his new environment, as much off the pitch as on. Ireland coach Joe Schmidt advocates the philosophy of the 'devil is in the detail,' and that's something that the Connacht player has embraced enthusiastically.
“I have learnt how much extra work needs to go on off the pitch, in terms of studying other teams and how much work we have to put in each week to be ready. (I have been) studying Scotland set piece, individual players how they carry, how they tackle and where they are effective.
Then we study our own training session; for me, my jump shape in the lineout, my shape in the scrum; how to be better and more consistent. Coming off the bench especially, we are studying our opposite man, trying to stay a step ahead and that is certainly important for us this weekend.”
So how would be characterise the step-up from Pro12 to test level rugby? “To be honest I don’t think I would make this many line breaks in Pro12 for Connacht so I am not too sure what happened for me to be able to do it (in a test match).
“In that situation at Twickenham I was a fresh body coming on against tired bodies. I had a lot of nerves behind me that I might have channelled well. I have to learn to bank the memories on how that came about to reproduce it.
“There are always thing to improve on, learning on where and when you can be more effective. There’s a lot to learn and I am definitely not there yet. There’s a lot of luck to making it in rugby because everyone faces grave injury at some point.
“I was lucky a few seasons ago to get through a tough one. There might be a bit of a secondrow crisis (with Ireland) this season and there was one in Connacht last season which gave me my opportunity. They happen. I am very grateful.”
He pays tribute to the coaching he’s received at Connacht and the ethic that sees players spend time working on the extras outside of the collective training. Dillane smiles when asked about what sort of reaction he’s received in Tralee from friends and family to his new status.
“See I don’t drive yet, so I don’t get home that often,” he smiled. My mom and my brother keep me posted on what everyone’s mood is like down there. They’re happy and I am looking forward to getting back and seeing the family.
“The family are more excited than I was. I just want to get out there (on Saturday). I think I will just let in sink in after the weekend.”
