AS CIAN HEALY and Andrew Porter traded places in the Leinster frontrow at the start of the season, Finlay Bealham watched on with interest, but didn’t get any grand ideas.
The Connacht prop is familiar with both positions, having played the vast majority of his rugby at tighthead while also filling in at loosehead for both his club and for Ireland – lining out with the No 1 on his back for the Autumn Nations Cup game against Georgia last November.
“Certainly I see myself as tighthead first and foremost, and with the ability to cover loosehead if need be,” he says.
“To see Church (Healy) do it now, he was killing it at the weekend. I was chatting to him and he seems to be really relishing that tighthead role.
“I wouldn’t rule it out (playing loosehead again), but I feel like I’ve been doing tighthead for a while, and I’ve played there at a really high level and I feel comfortable in the position.
“That’s not to say if I got an opportunity at loosehead I wouldn’t take it, I’d take any opportunity I can get. First and foremost tighthead, and with the ability to cover loosehead if need be.”
Bealham – who turns 30 on Saturday – has made a strong start to the season, and hopes to carry that good form across the next three rounds of United Rugby Championship fixtures as Ireland head coach Andy Farrell plots a squad for the upcoming autumn internationals.
He featured in both of Ireland’s summer Tests in July, starting against Japan and coming off the bench against the USA – scoring a try in each game.
And Porter’s move to loosehead could potentially push Bealham up the pecking order with Ireland, where Tadhg Furlong is well established as Farrell’s go-to tighthead.
“Without being too cliché, I try not to think about that kind of stuff, and really just focus on my process, week in and week out,” Bealham explains.
I’m trying to reach the ceiling that I have and trying to get as far as possible and improving myself as best I can around the pitch, and as long as I do that I’ll put myself in the best position possible to put my hand up for Ireland selection.
“Ultimately that’s where I want to be as a player. We’ve got three more games until that November series, and that’s obviously a goal of mine, to make that (squad).
“Playing that first game against Japan and getting the start against Japan, they’re a class outfit. And to be given the nod to start in the 3 jersey, and to play in front of crowd at the Aviva, it was a special moment in my career.
“The USA game I came off the bench, and getting a run in that just gave me a really good confidence (boost). I got more confidence again from being in camp and working with the coaches and getting to know everyone better, and getting to know what Faz and all the other coaches wanted from me as a player.”
Overall, Bealham feels in a good place as Connacht look to build some momentum following last week’s superb win over the Bulls, where he chipped in with 11 tackles and two offloads to complement a strong night’s work around the set-piece.
With 161 Connacht caps to his name, he represents one of the more senior men in Andy Friend’s squad – only Denis Buckley (200 caps), Tiernan O’Halloran (192) and Kieran Marmion (189) are ahead of him.
It’s put to him that last week, Munster prop Dave Kilcoyne stated that he’s aiming to play to the age of 40. How much more does Bealham feel he has left in the tank?
“If Killer wants to play until 40, I’ll play until 41,” he smiles.
“Seriously though, I’m loving my rugby at the moment and I try and take care of myself as best I can. I feel that I’m still yet to reach my prime as a prop, I still feel I have lots to work on and I’m really ambitious and achieving the max that I can.
“Age is just a number at the end of the day, and as long as I can show up for training week in and week out and have that hunger and drive, the age is irrelevant.
“The scrummaging is the main thing, and I keep telling our strength and conditioning coach Dave Howarth that strength is the last thing to leave an athlete, so thank God I’m not a fast-twitch fibre athlete, I’ll keep my strength for a while. I hope my theory is correct.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
