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Cave played in both centre positions for Ireland in Argentina last summer. Dan Sheridan/INPHO
surprise inclusion

Ireland centre Cave out to 'stop complaining and start playing well'

The 27-year-old will play for Ireland on home soil for the first time against Georgia on Sunday.

ULSTERMAN DARREN CAVE is taking a characteristically no-nonsense approach to his surprise recall to Ireland’s starting XV ahead of Sunday’s clash with Georgia.

Having been ommitted from Ireland’s 37-man squad before this month’s series of internationals, the 27-year-old had resigned himself to a relatively quiet November rugby-wise.

Indeed, the seven-times capped centre was on holiday in New York this time last week, before fielding a call from Joe Schmidt on Sunday asking him to come into camp at Carton House.

Five days later he has been named in Ireland’s famous 13 shirt for his first international appearance on home soil.

I’ve been around the game a while now and it’s a fickle world,” says Cave, “professional sport is the most fickle thing. If ever I needed a reminder of that, it’s been the last couple of weeks.

“It was only two or three weeks ago I was on the phone to Joe, talking about how I wasn’t going to be involved in the camp. Then I got the call on Sunday saying ‘come on into camp’ and I’m thrown in to play.

“I’m delighted. It’s a bit more unorthodox than normal but I’m ready to play.”

Cave has had injury struggles at Ulster this season, while the conversion of Jared Payne from fullback to outside centre has also limited the Holywood man’s starting chances. Indeed, he was unsurprised to receive that original phone call from Schmidt to inform him he’d been left out of the group for November.

Darren Cave 14/11/2014 Cave was called into the Ireland group this week. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

“I was expecting it, to be honest,” says Cave. “This year at Ulster has been a bit stop-start for me. I got a shoulder operation in the summer, and missed the first game. I played my first game back, then the week after I played eight minutes and popped a rib and then I struggled a wee bit.

“Jared came back from injury and played well; I just hadn’t really got going. I know I had played a lot of decent rugby in the past but I wasn’t overly surprised that he said I was going to miss out this time.”

It was Tuesday of this week before Cave realised that he was in with a realistic chance of being in Ireland’s XV, an impression Schmidt confirmed to him on Wednesday. In a curious way, the lack of mental preparation time may actually suit Cave.

In the past, earning international opportunity has somewhat gnawed away at the Ulsterman, but there has been little time to stress this month.

It did happen quite quickly, I haven’t really had time to sit down and worry about everything that’s going on all around. And I think that’s a good thing because it’s quite a big day for me at the weekend.

“I’ve never been capped in Ireland before, so having grown up since I was knee high watching Ireland play at Lansdowne Road, now the Aviva Stadium, it’s a big day for me and all my family there, to be getting out and doing that.

“The more time you spend worrying about the occasion, the less time you spend worrying about your role in the game.”

Cave will have his detail nailed down, as Schmidt demands of all his players, and insists he has no thoughts for potentially retaining his position against Australia. Not due to a lack of belief, but rather a focus on the immediate.

Darren Cave breaks free Ireland will expect to dominate the Georgian backline this weekend. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

His is a six-year international career now, having made his debut in 2009 against Canada, but remarkably Cave has won just seven caps in that time.

That the centre positions have been filled by Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy in recent years explains that in part. While Cave did play both June Tests for Ireland in Argentina, he admits to frustration down through the years.

“The important thing is not to feel sorry for yourself,” says Cave. “You appreciate that they are very good players and credit them also for their longevity, not just how good they are. Gordon’s still going strong.

It’s important not to feel sorry for yourself, just keep improving, improving and improving. The one thing that I probably found most frustrating is that I think I probably have improved a lot since 2009.

“When I first got in the squad, I was just there because I was a young lad. I hadn’t really done a lot but I’d played okay and was maybe someone for the future.

“I feel I have improved a lot in those five or six years, and that was probably what can be frustrating. But now here’s an opportunity for me to stop complaining and start playing well.”

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