JEREMY LOUGHMAN INTERVIEW
Loughman looking for positive World Cup experience
By Daire Walsh
FOLLOWING a positive Six Nations campaign from a personal point of view, Athy native Jeremy Loughman is eager to make an impression at the upcoming World Rugby U20 Championship. The dynamic prop was part of the Blackrock College team that secured back-to-back Leinster Schools’ Senior Cup titles in 2013 and 2014, and made a try-scoring debut for Leinster ‘A’ against Carmarthen Quins in this season’s British & Irish Cup.
He also made four consecutive appearances for Nigel Carolan’s international side during the 2015 U20 Six Nations, before missing out on the final round defeat to Scotland through injury.
Victories over Italy and France had raise expectations significantly, but following reversals against England, Wales and Scotland, there was an anti-climactic conclusion to the competition for the Green Army.
Speaking in relation to their Six Nations odyssey, Loughman admitted that it was a disappointing end to the competition for Ireland, but is hopeful that they can bounce back when they travel to Parma, Italy for next month’s Junior World Cup.
“Yeah, it was tough. After the England loss – we knew that was going to be tough game – but then followed by the two other ones, it was a very tough way to finish it after it started so well,” Loughman stated.
“Hopefully now, that disappointment will drive us on to improve now for the World Cup. Hopefully we won’t have that kind of disappointment.”
Last year’s fourth-place finish in New Zealand brought a satisfactory end to Mike Ruddock’s reign as U20 supremo, and with a number of players remaining in the 2015 squad that featured in the southern hemisphere, Loughman is confident that they can match last year’s achievements.
“Yeah, there’s a good group of lads back again from last year, so they have that experience for getting that far. Obviously the World Cup is a different test themselves with the way the games are set-up. It’s obviously a goal of ours to improve from last year, and maybe hopefully place better, but the issue we can have from those lads returning will help us as well.”
Pool C opponents Argentina, Scotland and New Zealand will provide strong opposition to Ireland, with each side bringing their own unique characteristics to the table. Loughman is aware of how difficult it will be for Ireland, but is looking forward to the challenge of playing against the best young rugby players in the world.
“Yeah, it’s going to be a very tough group because we’ll have Argentina first, who obviously are a big, physical team. That’ll be a tricky one. Then we’ll have Scotland, who we’ve played already. We know they’re tough. Obviously New Zealand speaks for itself, that’s always a big game.”
“It’ll be challenging, but I’m really looking forward to it. When you’re playing against New Zealand, Argentina, Scotland, you’re playing against the best players in the world there. I think it will be a good chance to play the best.”
When Loughman’s Blackrock overcame Clongowes Wood College of Clane in the 2014 Leinster Schools’ Senior Cup decider, he was joined in the starting line-up by international team-mate Joey Carberry. Loughman and Carberry have featured in the same playing environment for several years, and he has also faced Billy Dardis at SCT level in the past.
“I’ve played with Joey since U11s I think. I’ve played pretty much in the same team as him all the way up, bar when I was in 5th year in Blackrock. He played Irish U18 Clubs and Leinster U18 Club, which I didn’t play in. I think we played on the same team since then, even in 6th year in Blackrock.”
“I played him [Billy Dardis] when I was in 5th year in Blackrock against Terenure. That was my one time [at schools level] I came up against him.”
While Loughman is still a relative newcomer to the underage international scene, he has gotten a sense from last year’s squad members about the difference between Nigel Carolan and his predecessor, Mike Ruddock.
Under Carolan’s stewardship, the U20 set-up has become increasingly player-driven, although certain goals and targets have been identified by the former Connacht player.
“I never had Mike Ruddock for anything, so I’ve never seen what his coaching was like. The lads say that there’s a bit more of an approach to put the emphasis on the players to lead the training, and he’ll obviously give us certain goals about what he wants us to do. He really wants a player-driven focus into our standards in training and stuff like that,” Loughman concluded.