FOR A WHILE, it looked like a Six Nations defeat to England back in February 2020 would be Nicole Cronin’s final cap for Ireland. The life of a sportsperson often takes unexpected twists and turns, but at that point Cronin had no idea what lay ahead.
The talented scrum-half had been in and around Ireland squads since the 2017 World Cup, but as Covid came along and caused chaos on the sporting calendar, it also appeared to stop Cronin’s development as an international rugby player dead in its tracks. The phone stopped ringing as then-manager Adam Griggs decided to go in a new direction.
“It was incredibly difficult,” Cronin admits, the player able to discuss that challenging period openly now that she’s back in the squad, having being rewired to play out-half.
“I had conversations with coaches and they had their opinions. It was just a case of going away, working on your game. I didn’t know, albeit, that I’d be moving position at that stage! I went away and worked on what I was told to work on, that would potentially get me back involved in a squad.
It hurt, but I think it only led to having probably one of my best seasons with Munster and Bohs (UL Bohemians), to be honest. The whole aim was probably to get back in here. I wanted to see a green jersey again because I didn’t want it to be the way it finished.”
Last weekend Cronin won her 17th cap for Ireland, and her first at 10. It’s clear why her coaches saw fit to move her across the half-backs.
A wonderfully skilful player and a superb passer of the ball, Cronin brings energy and invention to the 10 shirt, a position which had become something of a problem area for Irish teams.
Her relocation has also allowed Stacey Flood offer her playmaking abilities from centre, the pair working nicely together in defeat to Wales. As with many areas of this Ireland team, there are some creases to be ironed out in their on-field relationship, but the early signs are promising.
“(It’s) Incredibly enjoyable because Stacey’s a left-footer as well, so it gives us both options,” Cronin continues.
It’s not like a typical 10 being the only playmaker. We have a playmaker on both sides of the ball now so if you’re in a position that you’re not getting around the corner for whatever reason, then maybe Stacey steps in there. She does a mighty job to be honest.”
It will be interesting to see how this latest out-half experiment plays out for Ireland, the move being overseen by new head coach Greg McWilliams and ex-Ireland 10 Niamh Briggs. Briggs is a former teammate of Cronin’s, and the pair are still close since the relationship grew into one of player and coach.
Cronin also has an extensive sporting background to lean on, the UL Bohs star a talented soccer player before deciding to focus on the oval ball.
“I played both rugby and soccer growing up and got to a position where you kind of had to make a choice, it just wasn’t feasible because there was opportunities knocking in both sides,” she explains.
“At the time soccer was where I wanted to go. I was tipping away, got involved with Ireland underage and video of a competition in Croatia [European U19 Qualifiers in 2010] obviously made way to America. I went to Kansas but the coach there was from Cork so I think he was keeping an eye… I ended up going to the States before collecting my Leaving Cert results, my parents collected those!
“I went to Hutchinson (Community College) for two and a half years, almost three. I had an amazing time but I just ended up falling out of love with soccer. It was nothing to do with the States. I just, for some reason or other, came to what I’d call a full stop. I came home that summer, had a year left in my degree but I was just like it’s not for me anymore and stayed here. I don’t have too many regrets about it, I still think it was the right decision for me.”
Back in the team and set to start her second successive game at out-half when Ireland take on France today, it certainly looks that way.
Cronin has been playing 10 at club level but admits she still has plenty to learn about the position. She hopes the footballer within her can help with the transition. She slotted one excellent conversion from the sideline last weekend and over the course of Ireland’s remaining Six Nations fixtures she’ll look to show more of her attacking threat with ball in hand.
I never really thought soccer and rugby would work together but I think it does at out-half, it helps with how flat I can be or not be at times. It’s definitely the quickness on it, it’s not too much different to getting the ball into your feet in the middle of the park in soccer and looking to turn out. I do see a little bit of a variation in it, to be honest.”
Her development as an out-half will require patience and plenty of hard work, something which has been a familiar theme around this new-look Ireland team.
Having lost so much experience between the end of the Adam Griggs era and the start of the McWilliams one, there is a feeling Ireland are almost starting from scratch. In France today, 24-times capped Eimear Considine will again be the most experienced Irish player on the pitch.
The squad are also looking to implement a new gameplan, one built around open, attacking rugby which empowers the players to be the decision-makers – much like what we’ve seen from the men’s senior and U20 teams over the last couple of months.
These things don’t come together overnight, of course – again, Andy Farrell’s squad are a case in point – but there were encouraging signs against Wales at the RDS.
France promise to offer an even sterner test in Toulouse today, but win or lose, Ireland’s goals are more long-term.
“It’s like anything else with a new group and it’s not just a new group of players, it’s also a new group of management,” Cronin says.
Everything takes time. The pressure will build, everyone wants to win, we’re not naïve to that but people just need to be a little bit patient, this is going to take time but there is something special in this group.
“We also have to appreciate that this Six Nations, five other teams have another goal, their goal is to go to the World Cup and do well and fair play to them, they’ve qualified and we haven’t so our goal is to be in a pretty good situation come the start of next year.
“That’s not to say we’re not targeting this year but we just have to be very realistic about what to expect from different teams going to a World Cup. They throw up different punches and we’ll be prepared for that and go out putting our best foot forward every week but we’re just in a very different situation. There’s something nice growing. We’re just asking for some patience to be honest.”
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