TOM O’TOOLE HAS spoken about his pride in becoming an Ireland international.
The 22-year-old was one of eight players who earned their first caps in Saturday’s 71-10 victory over USA, his arrival onto this stage offering Ireland yet another option at tighthead.
“It was an unreal day,” O’Toole said. “From the moment I found out that I’d be playing I made a promise to myself that I’d enjoy it and not stress out too much. I tried to get on top of my detail pretty early and just enjoy the rest of the week.
“On a week like this, it’s a very emotional week and I think you have to reflect. You know, you’re getting messages from friends and family and you’re thinking about your journey and how it’s got to this point.
“It was a nice week for me but I wanted to put a good shift in and now the next couple of days I’ll reflect that bit more.
“I just wanted to make sure I was in control and enjoying it and enjoying it with the others because some of my best mates made their first cap today as well.
“It was a special day for all of us.”
What made things particularly special for Robert Baloucoune was the fact he marked his first cap with the best try the Aviva has seen in years.
“With Rob, I’ve seen a lot of him in training, I’ve seen a lot of him in Ulster, so it’s no surprise to me,” said O’Toole. “You look at him and you’re thinking, ‘how does a guy shift like that?’
“The weight I am and the position I am, I couldn’t even begin to imagine.
“It’s very impressive to see and I’m massively chuffed for him because he’s worked so hard for it with a few injuries setting him back but he’s a wonderful player and top-class bloke so to see him move like that, express himself and show everyone what he’s capable of makes me really happy for him.”
Yet Farrell has already thrown down a challenge to the newcomers, seeking to see if they can become 30-cap players rather than one-hit wonders.
“When I come into the environment the next time, hopefully in a few months if I play well with my province, hopefully Tadhg (Furlong) and Ports (Andrew Porter) will be back so it’ll be competitive and it’ll be nice to be with them and train with them again,” O’Toole said.
“For me it’s about working hard these next few weeks, getting back in with Ulster and putting in some good performances and making sure I’m putting myself forward to be back here. It’s a highly addictive environment to be in, it’s competitive and you get a sense of happiness from days like today.
“So you’re chasing those moments again and knowing that you’ve only got to here and there’s a lot more hard work to come.”
The same rule applies to Harry Byrne, the young Leinster outhalf who came on for Joey Carbery in the second half. He was thrilled to have his family there to see him make his debut.
“Particularly after a long slog for so many players and so many watching as well, with Covid it’s been a bit of a nightmare really,” said Byrne.
“For players it’s been pretty much 12 months of not knowing when we’re playing and not playing. It’s been a really long season. I think everyone was just eager to showcase a bit of enjoyment or just get the crowd going.
“To play for your country, particularly in rugby in this Irish team, it’s an honour and I absolutely loved it.”
