I see that four of the young players who caught the eye last season have made their way into the prestigious Ulster/Leinster squad for the showpiece opener at the Aviva Stadium at the end of the month.
Craig Gilroy, Iain Henderson, Paddy Jackson and, of course, Dave McGuigan all featured in games we covered throughout last season and, from an Ulster point of view, they’re definitely four players who should be worth watching at the “New Lansdowne Road” opener.
Here’s our rundown on these possible stars of the future!
Craig Gilroy.
The confident and abrasive Gliroy stood out with an exceptional performance for Ulster Ravens against Leinster A in early February, a performance reminiscent of Australian great David Campese right down to his swaggering gait! Our report at the time stated;
However the star of the first half was Craig Gilroy, playing at 11 who had an outstanding first half up against the much vaunted David Kearney. With the wind driving kicks in his direction Gilroy fielded superbly and absolutely skinned Kearney on four occasions leaving him flat footed and grasping at thin air. On the few occasions that Kearney got the ball, Gilroy was there to knock him flat.
Gliroy also sparkled at the Carrick 7’s playing for Tyrone Marauders scoring several tries throughout the tournament, the most memorable highlighting a wide range of skills when he chipped ahead, fielded the ball at pace and then showed great power and determination to muscle his way past three defenders to score.
Most definitely a showman Gilroy should thrive in the big match atmosphere.
Paddy Jackson.
I hadn’t seen much of young Methody out half Jackson but I’d certainly heard plenty about him. Our paths did cross however at the Ballymena v Methodist College Schools Cup semi-final at Ravenhill and the Ulster U20 outing against Ballymena Barbarians. Calmness personified with a great step out half Jackson scored on both occasions with slick dummies opening up the defences.
A classic out half, silky smooth with a keen eye for the break and a good boot, Jackson has the added benefit of being able to tackle and he should really come into his own in the second half as teams begin to tire.
Iain Henderson
Henderson put in an impressive display for the defeated BRA side in the Schools Cup Final but it was his performances during the Carrick 7’s which really stood out. Easily the player of the tournament Henderson starred for the Big Cats on the opening day Under 20’s tournament and the next day he was back with enough power and pace left over to take the Academy side through to victory in the Senior Tournament.
His performance in the final was testament to his extraordinary stamina as he dragged his team back into contention after going behind, prompting me to write;
However, as the game went on it was Academy that began to get on top and the Belfast side dominated the second half with BRA youngster Iain Henderson, playing in his second final in two days, leading the fight back with his immense work-rate.
Another utility back row player with fantastic pace Henderson should thrive in the open space of the Aviva Stadium. If he fills out a bit over the next few years and manages to maintain his pace he will be a very exciting prospect indeed.
Dave McGuigan
I’ve written plenty about our Schools Cup Player of the Year Dave McGuigan, but I only learnt last week that he’s quite the heartthrob for some of the contributors in our Women’s section, which I’m sure will prove a popular disclosure for his team mates!
McGuigan first caught the eye playing for Friends School against Larne Grammar in the early rounds of the Schools Cup scoring a crucial try under the posts and he never failed to impress as Friends enjoyed a memorable cup run losing out by one point over two games to, eventual winners, Ballymena.
A hard working back rower with a nice step, great hands and excellent positional play McGuigan always seems to make ground when carrying the ball and definitely a young Ulster back rower who should thrive from close contact with Ulster’s South African back row imports.
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