IT’S NOT TOO long ago that Caolin Blade was struggling to get to grips with being a scrum-half. Now he’s in line to make his Ireland debut as one of the best scrum-halves in the country.
Blade played at outside centre or out-half coming through the ranks at his home club of Monivea RFC, a junior club, and it wasn’t until U18 level that he properly made a move into the number nine jersey.
He was playing dual status with Galwegians by that stage, so he would often find himself at scrum-half for ‘wegians on a Saturday and then at 13 for Monivea on a Sunday.
He made it into the Ireland Youths squad and reckons he had only played seven or eight games in the position when he won those U18 caps at scrum-half.
“I was reluctant to do it but I think my height caught up on me,” says the 5ft 7ins Blade.
“It would have been quite late and I suppose that’s why I’ve had to work so hard. I don’t think it came exactly naturally to me because I didn’t have the game awareness and skills straight away.
“That’s why I felt I had to work extra hard because if you look at the lads who had started at scrum-half when they were 12 or 13, they had a six- or seven-year headstart on me.”
Blade has certainly made up for any lost time. He won Ireland U19 caps but missed out at U20 level and instead went about establishing himself in Connacht, having opted to give up football and hurling – at which he represented the Galway U16s.
The presence of Kieran Marmion means Blade has always had strong competition to break into the Connacht team, as well as a more experienced player to learn from.
“That was the level I had to get to,” he says. “I’ve had extremely good coaches who have helped me along the way. I’ve had to develop my own style, it has taken me a while. I feel like I’m getting there but I wouldn’t say I’m there yet.”
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing but Blade has consistently improved over the course of his career with Connacht and now, at the age of 27, looks more than ready to make his Test debut.
Ireland are spoiled for choice at scrum-half but Blade was impossible for head coach Andy Farrell to ignore and a first cap against either Japan and the US next month would be entirely deserved.
Blade has been in an Ireland squad before, spending five weeks in Six Nations camp under Joe Schmidt in 2019 but he feels in a far better place to kick on this time around.
“Looking back on that experience – I’ve had a good bit of time to reflect – I was brought in because there were quite a few injuries,” says Blade. “I was a little bit nervous, I don’t know was I as confident as I am now in my game and in my skills.
“I think I’m playing a little bit better and probably for myself, I feel like I deserve to be here. Instead of being a passenger, I’m trying to impact the squad and try to get my style and my personality across.”
While Blade has plenty on his plate in Ireland camp ahead, he was as saddened as anyone to hear confirmation this week that his Connacht team-mate, Sean O’Brien, has had to retire from rugby due to concussion.
“I actually lived with Sean for a few years there in Galway, he moved out recently,” says Blade. “He’s another guy who had to retire way too soon and he had such ability.
“He has had such a tough time with injury but it just shows his toughness and resilience that he actually got this far. It’s sad for him to retire.”
That kind of news makes every rugby player all the more determined to take any chances they have earned, and Blade is eager to put his best foot forward with Ireland.
With Conor Murray on Lions duty, the Connacht man is battling it out Jamison Gibson-Park and Craig Casey – both of whom were in this year’s Six Nations squad – for minutes at scrum-half next month.
“Jamison had a good Six Nations campaign but it all starts here in training and trying to get your foot in the door,” says Blade. “While Conor is away with the Lions there is definitely an opportunity here for the three of us to take our chance and take it well.”
