THOUGH NATHAN DOAK has fulfilled an ambition by playing in an Ireland jersey, the 24-year-old Ulster scrum half is gunning for more exposure at Test level.
Doak has, so far, collected two caps, debuting when coming off the bench in the Six Nations against Wales and then also getting minutes over the summer against Japan, but there is a burning desire for more opportunities even though Jamison Gibson-Park and Craig Casey are ahead of him in the pecking order.
“To represent Ireland is an absolute dream,” said Doak whose father Neil was part of Ireland squads but never capped.
“The challenge is I’ve got to go and get more,” he added, the hope being that he will be involved in next month’s concluding stages of the Nations Championship.
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“Every time you’re in an Irish camp, it’s incredibly special and it (last summer) was the first time being away with the senior squad and what a place to go in Australia and then New Zealand.
“It’s class getting to work with the top players in the country and it’s an environment that I think that every time you go in, you leave a better player.
“And that’s all any player wants to do,” stated Doak who this season has a new rival pushing him for the number nine shirt at Ulster in former Connacht player Matthew Devine.
“So, for me, it’s a real hunger to try and get back and get in there consistently, hopefully get some more game time and just become a better player.”
He is going head to head with Casey on Saturday evening as Ulster host Munster for the season’s first interprovincial contest with Richie Murphy’s side eagerly seeking their first win after a home defeat to Edinburgh and high scoring draw at Glasgow, the latter where Doak got his first minutes of the season off the bench.
“I’m looking forward to playing against Craig, but it’s not about me or Craig,” he explained.
“It’s fully about Ulster and Munster. We haven’t won this season yet, so it’s massive for the team and for our fans as well.
“We haven’t given them a win at home since the Exeter game (the Challenge Cup semi-final, though Ulster’s last league win in Belfast was last January), so we’ll have our stall set out.
“We’ll be ready to go on Saturday night and if we can play our best rugby, we’ll be in a good place to win.”
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'I'm looking forward to playing against Craig, but it's not about me or Craig'
THOUGH NATHAN DOAK has fulfilled an ambition by playing in an Ireland jersey, the 24-year-old Ulster scrum half is gunning for more exposure at Test level.
Doak has, so far, collected two caps, debuting when coming off the bench in the Six Nations against Wales and then also getting minutes over the summer against Japan, but there is a burning desire for more opportunities even though Jamison Gibson-Park and Craig Casey are ahead of him in the pecking order.
“To represent Ireland is an absolute dream,” said Doak whose father Neil was part of Ireland squads but never capped.
“The challenge is I’ve got to go and get more,” he added, the hope being that he will be involved in next month’s concluding stages of the Nations Championship.
“Every time you’re in an Irish camp, it’s incredibly special and it (last summer) was the first time being away with the senior squad and what a place to go in Australia and then New Zealand.
“It’s class getting to work with the top players in the country and it’s an environment that I think that every time you go in, you leave a better player.
“And that’s all any player wants to do,” stated Doak who this season has a new rival pushing him for the number nine shirt at Ulster in former Connacht player Matthew Devine.
“So, for me, it’s a real hunger to try and get back and get in there consistently, hopefully get some more game time and just become a better player.”
He is going head to head with Casey on Saturday evening as Ulster host Munster for the season’s first interprovincial contest with Richie Murphy’s side eagerly seeking their first win after a home defeat to Edinburgh and high scoring draw at Glasgow, the latter where Doak got his first minutes of the season off the bench.
“I’m looking forward to playing against Craig, but it’s not about me or Craig,” he explained.
“It’s fully about Ulster and Munster. We haven’t won this season yet, so it’s massive for the team and for our fans as well.
“We haven’t given them a win at home since the Exeter game (the Challenge Cup semi-final, though Ulster’s last league win in Belfast was last January), so we’ll have our stall set out.
“We’ll be ready to go on Saturday night and if we can play our best rugby, we’ll be in a good place to win.”
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Nathan Doak