A NEW SEASON brings new opportunities, and Rory O’Loughlin doesn’t need anybody to tell him that this is his window of opportunity. He knows his chance is now, and a strong start is a prerequisite if he is to fully seize it.
In line to start in the Leinster midfield against Cardiff Blues on Friday evening, O’Loughlin is coming into his third season in the province’s senior squad having enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2016/17, during which he scored 10 tries and ended it as an Ireland international having toured USA/Japan with Joe Schmidt’s squad.
O’Loughlin didn’t quite reach the same heights last season, as a series of frustrating injuries disrupted his rhythm and saw him fall out of the international picture, which was a great source of frustration for the 24-year-old.
That said, O’Loughlin still amassed 21 appearances for Leinster over the course of their double-winning campaign and the year ended with inclusion in the matchday squads for the Champions Cup and Pro14 finals, with the centre playing 61 minutes against Scarlets after the early withdrawal of Isa Nacewa through injury.
And with an encouraging end to last season behind him, opportunity usually arrives at this time of year, with pre-season contriving to present openings through retirement, departures and Ireland requirements.
Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose are easing their way back after the summer tour of Australia, the latter this week returning to training after a foot problem sustained Down Under, while Noel Reid has just come through a rehab programme for a quad injury.
All of that means early-season opportunities for O’Loughlin in the number 13 jersey alongside new arrival Joe Tomane, starting with Friday night under the lights at the Arms Park, where Leinster will be faced with a stiff opening assignment in their Pro14 title defence.
“There is a big opportunity,” he admits. “There was a group of us in before the internationals came back and we said at that stage it’s realistically going to be this group that starts the season so we’ve had a lot of time training together and gotten used to playing together.
“Certain guys have stuck their hand up and everyone knows the international lads are going to come back and it’s up to us to make it as difficult as we can for the coaches. It’s a massive opportunity for us.”
O’Loughlin has had his own misfortune with injury in the past, too, so getting back in over the summer period to make incremental improvements in fitness and strength has been beneficial, and certainly he looks in good shape coming into the season.
One of the areas the former St Michael’s College student has also worked hard on in pre-season is his tackle technique with new contact coach Hugh Hogan, a particularly important area of the game for an outside centre who must show strong defensive skills in that busy 13 channel.
“Last year we noticed a lot of the tries we conceded were due to missed tackles,” O’Loughlin explains.
“We were making good impact but ultimately missing the finish and players were getting up and running on to score, so Hugh has taken a bigger role with us before and after training.
“He has individual slots where he’ll just focus on whatever it is you’re doing wrong in the contact area, whether it’s your footwork or your bite in the tackle. That’s a big focus for us and personally it has helped me a good bit as well because the 13 channel you do have more difficult types of tackles to make and the more you can work on your technique the better you’ll get on it.”
As a team, Leinster have honed in on improving their defensive structures, specifically in counter-attack situations, after sloppy performances and results during the run-in — including defeats to Benetton and Connacht — rankled with the coaching staff.
“We had one or two meetings early in pre-season looking over every try we conceded and it was one of the most negative meetings I’ve been in because it’s not easy seeing yourself making a mistake that leads to a try and I think everyone in the squad was at fault for at least one or two,” O’Loughlin said.
“That has been one of the main focuses, not switching off, particularly on counter-attack as we conceded a lot of tries there. Stu [Lancaster] has had us doing drills during pre-season that has kind of replicated that and I think we’re in a good spot to hopefully right some of those wrongs.”
While the pre-season outings left a lot to be desired from a Leinster point of view, O’Loughlin again showed his penchant to get across the try-line and generally fronted up well despite a poor defensive display against Newcastle Falcons.
With back-to-back away games against Cardiff and Scarlets leading into home fixtures against Dragons and Edinburgh, there is a real chance for O’Loughlin to stake his claim for selection going into the inter-pros which precede the opening rounds of Champions Cup action.
The Ireland international, who won his debut and only cap against Japan last summer, is fully aware of the opportunities which lie ahead, the need to knuckle down and importance of really performing in the blue jersey.
“I have season goals that I have laid out and getting back into the national squad would be one of them,” he adds.
“Just looking at this block of games, play well and hopefully that leads into some European game time and if you’re playing well in those games, you’re in the shop window for selection for November. You have to look at it in six week periods; play as much and as well as you can.
“I think you have to [put pressure on yourself]. Maybe that’s what I didn’t do as well last year when you have an opportunity of a few games, you really have to take it and not leave anything to chance. Get all your detail right and put in a performance.
“Maybe last year I lacked that at the start of the season when there was an opportunity. You have to do that and be on your game every time you go out for Leinster because it’s getting so competitive here at the moment and you can’t rest on your laurels at all.”
While the focus is on Friday night, O’Loughlin makes no secret of his long-term goals.
“The extra [Ireland] game in November will give players a lot more opportunities to show what they can do and as I said Joe tends to pick those squads based on how you play in the big games leading up to that, be it Europe or the inter-pros.
“So by playing well in the first three or four games of the season, I’ll put myself in a good place to get game time then in Europe and against Munster and Connacht.
“You never know if you play well in those games you could be back in the Irish squad and getting a few caps in November.”
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