Repetition the key to Finlay rise
U20 Six Nations
Daire Walsh
They may hail from very different parts of the country, but the past 12 months has seen Ulster’s Lewis Finlay developing a powerful bond with Ireland U20s half-back partner Jack Crowley.
The Down High School graduate was named alongside the Bandon native as Noel McNamara’s defending champions defeated Scotland in a Six Nations opener at Musgrave Park last Friday and are set to feature in tomorrow’s clash with Wales at the same venue (kick-off 7.15pm).
“I played with Jack last year at U19s. We feed off each other well, because we can sort of manage each other’s emotions during the game. I was delighted with how he played, though we’ve a lot to work on come the next game. It was a good start for us as a half-back pairing,” Finlay said.
“I feel confident playing with Jack and he’s confident playing with me. It’s nice to have someone you know well enough. I actually stayed in Jack’s house the night before one of the Cork camps, so I know him pretty well at this stage.”
Finlay was speaking at the Sport Ireland Campus, shortly after Conor Murray and John Cooney had conducted a joint-press conference. Both players were prominent at U20s grade with Cooney featuring in the side that secured a Six Nations title in 2010.
Unsurprisingly, Finlay is full of admiration for the scrum-half duo.
“Obviously watching Murray since he was young, got his opportunity and took it. I’ve been really impressed with how John Cooney’s carried himself, more than anything, over the past year. I’ve had my own selection issues, but he’s shown that you speak through the way you play,” Finlay said of his Ulster compatriot.
“To be honest, he’s taken opportunities when he’s been given them. They’re both at the top level and both consistently showing that.”
The old maxim of ‘practice makes perfect’ is something that Murray and Cooney have followed closely on their way into the senior ranks and Finlay is no different in this regard. Having discovered a repetition exercise that All Blacks legend Aaron Smith used during his formative years, the Malone RFC club man decided to put it into action – albeit with a significant adjustment.
“I remember reading an article on him [Smith], with his dad he used to do 10 passes every night before he had dinner. That’s something I started to do with my dad. I started, and I still do, 50 passes every night off each hand with my dad.
“I realised it was time to make a point of difference in my game. If it wasn’t going to come through huge athletic gains, it seemed like something consistent that I could develop myself. Luckily, it has stood me in good stead and I can keep working on it and keep developing it,” Finlay added.