Conroy’s try scoring exploits a key factor in Buccs’ winning run
By Daire Walsh
With five tries from his opening four appearances of the 2016/17 season, Buccaneers RFC winger Jordan Conroy has taken Division 1B of the Ulster Bank League by storm since his summer arrival from Tullamore.
Indeed, he made it seven tries in five matches in Buccaneers’ 49-17 win over UL Bohs last Saturday.
When you consider that he was plying his trade in the fifth-tier (Division 2C) of Irish domestic rugby with the Co Offaly club, it was expected that moving to Dubarry Park would be a daunting step-up for the Athlone IT student.
Yet, Conroy believes his ongoing involvement with the Ireland Sevens programme has helped him to make a quick adjustment.
“With the Irish Sevens, that was kind of a big step-up for me, and I think that kind of helped me ease into Division 1B.
“Because I was playing with very high quality players in the Sevens, who taught me a lot. It was a very fast game I had to learn, so I kind of brought it into Buccaneers, and it eased me into the game,” Conroy remarked.
“I guess it was the first three games of the pre-season that I kind of knew that I’d be able for that type of game. I was a bit nervy at first, but after those three games, and the first League game with Buccs, I felt really comfortable and I guess that why I’ve been playing so well.
“I’m comfortable where I am on the wing, and how I’m playing, that I’m capable of playing that level. It was a massive jump, but it was good for me anyway.”
Indeed, even before he arrived at the Athlone-based club, he had already linked up with Buccaneers outside centre Shane Layden in the Ireland Sevens squad.
He acknowledges it was ideal to have established a relationship with the former Cistercian College Roscrea prior to his club transfer, and he provided an insight into the understanding they have developed on the field of play.
“That was very kind of handy to come into, because I knew Shane Layden from the Sevens. We already had kind of a connection. We knew what sort of players we were. He knew of my pace, so he knew how to utilise me, and we kind of brought it into the Buccaneers team, and it’s been a fantastic link-up so far.
“He knows my strengths, I know his strengths, and he’s a very smart player. He really is a top man, so that’s a very, very good link-up, and that is down to the Sevens.”
Conroy has also recently featured for Connacht Eagles in their British & Irish Cup campaign alongside a number of his club-mates – which is another sign of how much he has progressed in the past few months.
Now that he has gained exposure to the provincial scene, Conroy is eager to make an impression, but also feels that playing in the top-two divisions is essential for young players who have ambitions of moving into the professional ranks.
“In Division 2C, there’s only so much I can learn, and in order to become a better player and step-up, you need to be in those type of divisions to progress, and progress potentially into provinces and sevens.
“I didn’t expect it to happen so fast, but after just experiencing two games [with Connacht Eagles], the training, the set-up, that’s where I really want to be now.
“I’m just trying to really work hard, and go towards playing with the Eagles as long as I can. Hopefully get a future career out of it, but it starts at Buccs anyway.
“I want to be in that sort of set-up in the future. I think it was through Buccs and the Sevens that kind of helped me to transition into the Connacht set-up.
‘Buccaneers is like a pedestal for me, to be in the window. That’s just the result from playing with Buccs. I got into the window, and that’s kind of how I got noticed and all that,” he added.
Conroy did miss out on Buccaneers’ fifth game of the league season against Dolphin on October 29 – but in a high-scoring encounter, Brett Wilkinson’s men returned home with a superb 31-22 victory.
The aforementioned win over UL Bohs on Saturday last means Buccaneers now occupy first place in Division IB.
And although there is a lot of rugby left to play, Conroy believes they will be in the running for promotion come the end of the current term.