RUGBY: AUTUMN NATIONS SERIES – IRELAND V FIJI
ATHY’S LOUGHMAN ADDS TO GROWING KILDARE INTERNATIONALS
By Daire Walsh
AFTER making his senior international bow in a 35-17 triumph over Fiji in the Autumn Nations Series in the Aviva Stadium last Saturday, Athy’s Jeremy Loughman is eager for more opportunities in the Irish front-row.
Despite intense competition from former Leinster team-mate Cian Healy, Loughman was thrown straight in at loosehead prop for the visit of the Pacific Islanders to south Dublin. There was a heavy Lilywhites flavour to the Irish starting line-up with Jimmy O’Brien and Tadhg Beirne (both Eadestown) being joined by Loughman’s fellow Athy man Joey Carbery.
Additionally, Suncroft’s Cian Prendergast was introduced for his own debut at this grade off the bench.
Having previously watched on as his childhood friend Carbery made no fewer than 36 senior appearances for the Green Army, Munster star Loughman is hoping to become a more regular presence under head coach Andy Farrell.
“It was such an amazing day. Something that you look forward to and dream about so much when you’re a young kid. It has been a long journey to get that and then the confidence just builds in yourself, and the drive to do it again,” Loughman explained after the game.
“To have that feeling again and to do that is incredible. I could feel straight away after, I was just like ‘I’d love to do this again now’. I don’t want to make it a one-cap thing. I want to keep driving on, getting better and better every game.
“It’s an incredibly special day. I was lucky enough to have my girlfriend there and my sister, so it meant so much. My parents unfortunately couldn’t make it over from the States [where they currently reside], but I know they were watching. It was an incredibly special day for myself and also my family.”
Because he was born in Reno, Nevada, Loughman attracted interest from the US Eagles in recent years. However, he opted to stick with his goal of lining out for Ireland having already represented them at U20 level in 2015.
Appearances for Ireland in a brace of uncapped games against the Maori All Blacks during the summer edged him a step closer to full international recognition and he also featured for an Ireland ‘A’ side that took on a New Zealand selection in the RDS at the beginning of this month.
While the ‘sink or swim’ method is deployed by many international coaches around the globe, Loughman was grateful to be given a gradual introduction to life in the Ireland squad.
“I was in at the back end of the Six Nations and I got a little taste of it, but the Tour in New Zealand was unbelievable.
“I got to be in the middle of it during the lads getting ready for their test week games and then me for the Maori games. To experience that and how it pushed me on, I felt that tour was an invaluable experience for me,” Loughman added.
“I think on the back of that I’ve really shown improvement and I’ve taken my learnings from that. I keep adding more to my game. It’s invaluable, that experience of being around the lads. Being with them in training, day in, day out. Just the small things you pick up make such a big difference.
Concluding the former Athy RFC man said, “It’s about putting yourself forward and showing everyone else. We’re such a close team, you’ve got to prove to the lads around you, prove to the coaches that you should be there. When you do get your time, you have that experience and you’ve then got to just take your chance and give it everything you’ve got.”