IT’S HARD TO MISS James McNabney given the size of him.
Not that big men were scarce at Stade Chaban Delmas yesterday. Bordeaux had a few bruisers who punched holes in the Ulster defence.
Yet 22-year-old McNabney stood out in a physical sense. He used his frame – 6ft 4ins and somewhere around 116kg – to potent effect on a day when he was the joint-top carrier on 18 while also being Ulster’s top tackler with 12.
McNabney’s potential has been clear for some time, with the Ballymena man having had two impressive seasons with the Ireland U20s.
Ulster have backed him since, with McNabney making 11 starts at blindside flanker or number eight this season. He trained with the senior Ireland squad as a development player ahead of the Six Nations, so he’s clearly on that radar too.
And performances like the one he delivered in Bordeaux only add to the sense that McNabney has the qualities to be a senior international.
“He’s great, he’s a simple enough player – he just says he wants to carry,” said Ulster captain Alan O’Connor after their Champions Cup defeat to Bordeaux.
“Having a lad like that in your team who can carry like that and has that attitude and exuberance of wanting to get into the game is absolutely class.
“He’ll only keep going up and having him in the team is good. He’s a big boy.”
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Jack Murphy had another fine game. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
Another young Ulster man stood out amid the somewhat chaotic encounter against Bordeaux, with 20-year-old academy out-half Jack Murphy showing his poise.
Murphy only joined the province last summer after coming through the Leinster pipeline but he is thriving under the coaching of his father, Richie.
“He’s been really, really good in the way he’s just taken it one game at a time,” said Ulster head coach Murphy.
“He’s taken good feedback from us and shown that there’s a maturity beyond his 20 years.
“He’ll grow from this as well because this is what he wanted. This is why he came to Ulster, to get an opportunity to play as soon as possible and he’ll benefit from it.”
Zac Ward is an older player at 26 but he is also in his first season of senior professional rugby having joined Ulster from the Ireland 7s programme.
Like his father Andy, who won the 1999 Heineken Cup with Ulster, Ward was formerly a back row when he played 15s but has made an exciting move to the wing with the northern province.
With Rob Baloucoune out injured, Ward got a big chance against Bordeux and scored two tries in another display that suggests he has a high ceiling of potential. Ward has played for Emerging Ireland so he’s another player the senior Irish staff are watching closely.
Ulster wing Zac Ward. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
“I like competing against the best,” said Ward yesterday in Bordeaux.
“I want to be as good as I can so I need to be competing against the best out there. It’s definitely good to come up against guys like [Damian] Penaud.”
Ward played for Ireland in the Olympic 7s in Paris so this wasn’t his first time impressing on French soil. Now he’s determined to continue his rise in the URC run-in.
“It was a really cool place to come and play. The last time I was playing in France was a bit of a different occasion but no, I loved every second of it.
“It was real tough, a real good test but for myself personally, it was a really good learning curve and one I’ll definitely lead on going forward.”
Ward credited Mike Lowry and Jacob Stockdale for their influence on him, while also praising the impact of the latter in Bordeaux.
Stockdale was excellent for Ulster as he suggested that he could have a big role to play for Ireland this summer in Georgia and Portugal.
“Jacob on his day is one of the best players in the world so to have someone like that to lean on is massively beneficial to myself,” said Ward.
“I’m constantly asking him questions but Jacob is not the only one. We have plenty of really good back three players in the club so I’m not stuck for advice.”
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'He's a big boy' - 22-year-old McNabney impresses for Ulster
IT’S HARD TO MISS James McNabney given the size of him.
Not that big men were scarce at Stade Chaban Delmas yesterday. Bordeaux had a few bruisers who punched holes in the Ulster defence.
Yet 22-year-old McNabney stood out in a physical sense. He used his frame – 6ft 4ins and somewhere around 116kg – to potent effect on a day when he was the joint-top carrier on 18 while also being Ulster’s top tackler with 12.
McNabney’s potential has been clear for some time, with the Ballymena man having had two impressive seasons with the Ireland U20s.
Ulster have backed him since, with McNabney making 11 starts at blindside flanker or number eight this season. He trained with the senior Ireland squad as a development player ahead of the Six Nations, so he’s clearly on that radar too.
And performances like the one he delivered in Bordeaux only add to the sense that McNabney has the qualities to be a senior international.
“He’s great, he’s a simple enough player – he just says he wants to carry,” said Ulster captain Alan O’Connor after their Champions Cup defeat to Bordeaux.
“Having a lad like that in your team who can carry like that and has that attitude and exuberance of wanting to get into the game is absolutely class.
“He’ll only keep going up and having him in the team is good. He’s a big boy.”
Another young Ulster man stood out amid the somewhat chaotic encounter against Bordeaux, with 20-year-old academy out-half Jack Murphy showing his poise.
Murphy only joined the province last summer after coming through the Leinster pipeline but he is thriving under the coaching of his father, Richie.
“He’s been really, really good in the way he’s just taken it one game at a time,” said Ulster head coach Murphy.
“He’s taken good feedback from us and shown that there’s a maturity beyond his 20 years.
“He’ll grow from this as well because this is what he wanted. This is why he came to Ulster, to get an opportunity to play as soon as possible and he’ll benefit from it.”
Zac Ward is an older player at 26 but he is also in his first season of senior professional rugby having joined Ulster from the Ireland 7s programme.
Like his father Andy, who won the 1999 Heineken Cup with Ulster, Ward was formerly a back row when he played 15s but has made an exciting move to the wing with the northern province.
With Rob Baloucoune out injured, Ward got a big chance against Bordeux and scored two tries in another display that suggests he has a high ceiling of potential. Ward has played for Emerging Ireland so he’s another player the senior Irish staff are watching closely.
“I like competing against the best,” said Ward yesterday in Bordeaux.
“I want to be as good as I can so I need to be competing against the best out there. It’s definitely good to come up against guys like [Damian] Penaud.”
Ward played for Ireland in the Olympic 7s in Paris so this wasn’t his first time impressing on French soil. Now he’s determined to continue his rise in the URC run-in.
“It was a really cool place to come and play. The last time I was playing in France was a bit of a different occasion but no, I loved every second of it.
“It was real tough, a real good test but for myself personally, it was a really good learning curve and one I’ll definitely lead on going forward.”
Ward credited Mike Lowry and Jacob Stockdale for their influence on him, while also praising the impact of the latter in Bordeaux.
Stockdale was excellent for Ulster as he suggested that he could have a big role to play for Ireland this summer in Georgia and Portugal.
“Jacob on his day is one of the best players in the world so to have someone like that to lean on is massively beneficial to myself,” said Ward.
“I’m constantly asking him questions but Jacob is not the only one. We have plenty of really good back three players in the club so I’m not stuck for advice.”
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