CONNACHT SCRUM-HALF Caolin Blade is playing the best rugby of his career and has featured in every match for this season, but the Galwayman is still waiting for a signal from Joe Schmidt and the Irish management.
The 24-year old said he doesn’t know where he ranks in the pecking order in the list of Irish scrum-halves and his primary concern is performing for Connacht.
He may well be fifth in line to the Irish number 9 shirt behind Conor Murray, his Connacht teammate Kieran Marmion, Luke McGrath and former Sportsground colleague John Cooney. However, without contact from the national team, it’s difficult to be certain of his place in the pecking order behind the current capped quartet.
“I actually don’t know. I don’t think too much about that. I haven’t really spoken to anyone about that, more so trying to play well here and try get number one here first of all, that’s my aim,” said Blade.
“But I’m delighted how I’m playing and I think the team are playing well and that allows me to do what I want.”
It’s possible that he could come up against three of the top scrum-halves in the world in the next 15 days, starting with Munster’s Murray tomorrow, then World Payer of the Year nominee Faf de Klerk and French 9 Baptiste Serin in Bordeaux in a fortnight.
He has featured in all 16 games this season — eight starts and eight off the bench — and has chalked up 80 appearances since making his debut five seasons ago.
“I have been involved in every game this season,” added Blade, who began his career with the Monivea junior club in Co Galway.
I think it is part luck, part hard work in my rehab so I think recovering well after every game has allowed me be available for selection every week.”
Connacht defence coach Pete Wilkins said that Blade is ready to step up to the international stage if the opportunity presents itself.
“I think Bladey has been terrific and the fact that people are even asking those questions shows what a good job he has done for us, not just this season but over the last the few seasons.
“He is the only player to be involved in every game we have had this season, which says a huge amount for someone who may have had the perception behind, obviously, Kieran Marmion, in being the number two and being the back-up, the opportunities he has had he has absolutely grabbed.
“His running game around the fringes of the ruck is a point of difference for him, he is a brave defender, he is not afraid to be physical in the same way that Marmo (Kieran Marmion) is, and his passing and kicking game is developing all the time.
“As a club and as coaches we would love to see him get opportunities further up the tree and I think he would grasp it as well. He is more than capable and added to that is a very level personality who has shown great leadership for us at times this season as well and I’d back him with whatever challenge comes next for him.”
Blade is just hoping that they can make it two festive wins when Munster make the short distance to the Sportsground tomorrow and said that confidence is high in the Connacht camp following their good form of recent weeks.
“I think there is a good team-bonding here, everyone gets up for these games more so than we do for some others. That might be a bit of a fault of us this year but as a local you have those rivalries. There are individual rivalries, players who might have played Irish underage with and so on, but every game is a big game.
“It would be huge to win this one. Munster are in our conference as well so that would be a massive win to get and a very important one. It’s very tight at the top.”
Subscribe to our new podcast, Heineken Rugby Weekly on The42, here:
