“DELETE AND NEXT job,” Emma Hooban says, reflecting on that heavy Six Nations opener defeat.
It’s quite fitting that the 21-year-old rising star is up for interview at the Ireland Women’s post-England, pre-Scotland press conference alongside Alison Miller.
The duo from Laois go way back.
Hooban started out her ever-blossoming rugby career at the age of seven or eight at Portlaoise Rugby Club where she, like many young girls back then, played with the boys week in, week out for a few years.
“Then Ali was involved with setting up the first women’s underage team in the club,” Hooban explains. It all snowballed from there.
Miller would have coached her back then at the age of 12 or so, while there’s plenty more she credits for helping her to where she is now: Yvonne Delaney and many other senior girls in Portlaoise, her Dad, Mark Roberts; they’ve all done their bit.
Now, though, to be playing alongside Miller — who made her international return from a horrific leg-break on Friday — in the green jersey is quite special.
“I know, it’s mad,” she enthuses, adding that there was a huge crowd up from Laois to watch their two superstars in action. “She kept on saying ‘God, I never thought we’d play in the same team together’ and all that kind of stuff. She’s kind of like my OAP!”
Of course, this comes as a chance to look back on that gut-wrenching defeat to the Red Roses at Donnybrook last Friday and also to look forward to righting the wrongs in Scotland this weekend, but it also comes as a golden opportunity for Hooban to reflect on the past few years, and in particular, a roller coaster past few months.
It’s not that long ago since she was watching on herself, following the every move of Miller and the rest of the team.
“I literally just said it to the girls after the national anthem when we played the USA game,” she smiles, “I was standing in the stand a year previously, saying ‘This is just amazing.’
“I never thought I’d be standing in that position as quick as it has been in the last six months, with everything that has happened. It has just been hectic.”
After making a big impression with Leinster through her transition to senior level, and helping them to the Interprovincial Cup crown in September, she was called up to Adam Griggs’ Ireland squad for the November Tests.
From there, it was straight onto the big stage as the Leinster hooker made her debut off the bench before a first start followed against England at Twickenham.
“I was so nervous and the girls kept on saying to me ‘It’s just going to go in a blur,’” she recalls of her debut.
“The day was going to go so quick and it just flew by. It was amazing being on the pitch. It’s great having the culture around you. Everyone is encouraging on the pitch. They’re so comforting and they’re always saying, ‘Next job, next job’.
“You never feel like you’re doing anything wrong, because the girls are so encouraging.”
While she holds her roots in Portlaoise close to her heart, Hooban is grateful to be plying her trade with St Mary’s, having learned from some of the best to have ever donned the green jersey in Paula Fitzpatrick and Orla Fitzsimons, along the way.
Studying mental health nursing in DCU, thoroughly enjoying that and striking the right balance between college, placement and rugby, this is her third season with the South Dublin club.
“Going in as an 18 year old playing AIL division rugby was a huge step up for me,” she continues. “Having role models like Orla and Paula is just amazing on the team. They’re always encouraging you to stay going and keep working hard.
“They’ve been role models for me throughout my whole rugby career, especially with Ali and Claire Molloy. It has been a great honour to have been able to play with them. I know Paula’s not playing much rugby anymore and Orla has gone to play with a different club, but it’s just nice knowing that I’ve had the opportunity to play with them at club level.”
She’s played some representative golf and more recently, a small bit of Aussie Rules, in her time but has thrown her lot in with the rugby for the time being, she grins.
Happy with that decision, it seems, as she speaks positively despite that — what would have been demoralising to many — 51-7 defeat to England last weekend.
“It was a tough loss to swallow, but there’s no point dwelling on the past,” she interjects on a chilly Monady evening, her sensibility and maturity shining through.
“We’re building for the Scotland game. We’ve done our reviews and we’re ready to go back into training and gather ourselves back up together. The culture is very good.
“It’s like ‘delete and next job’, so we’re not dwelling on any of our mistakes. We’re taking our learnings and we’re hopefully able to put them into practice now on Friday night.”
While, at first glance, the scoreline makes it look like a hammering and it is agreed that the professional England outfit did outclass Ireland, Hooban’s side can take huge encouragement from a number of aspects of their performance.
There are many learnings to take on board, but it’s important to focus on the positives going forward too.
She does just that.
“I think even line-outs would be a good area for us. We weren’t so happy with how we performed there against England. That’s a big area we’re going to have to up for this weekend.
“Our scrum was very dominant, so we’ll bring that as a positive impact into training this week. I think just working as a collective unit going forward.”
“It’s something we’ve been working on very hard,” she continues when she’s pressed on how pleasing it was that the scrum was so dominant. And Mike Ross’ impact.
“He’s great. He brings a vast knowledge to everything. Especially for myself. I’m new-ish to the scrum as a front-row. This year I started during the summer with Leinster, moving from the back-row into the front-row. Especially hooking. It has been good. I actually prefer it an awful lot more.”
Any reason why she prefers it?
“I don’t know. It just feels right. It’s very easy to do well in the front-row when you have secure props alongside like Lindsay [Peat], Laura Feely, Leah [Lyons] and [Fiona] Reidy.
“It makes my job an awful lot easier.”
A difficult job lies ahead this weekend, but Hooban is sure to rise to the challenge.
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