James Hume has been in dazzling form since rugby resumed, starting in the number 13 jersey for four games in a row, and earning praise from Ireland’s most successful outside centre, Brian O’Driscoll.
The young centre puts this down to solid game time, as well as taking a more strong-minded approach to his development, with the help of Dan Soper (Ulster Rugby Skills Coach, and former Director of Rugby at RBAI – Hume’s alma mater).
“I’ve been plagued with injuries – really unfortunate ones – so it’s been a nice run of games I’ve had. It feels different this year with my own training; I’m a lot more invested in making myself better in specific areas. I’ve been doing a lot of reading over lockdown and worked on mental skills too. That really drove me when we got back together, and I was super-ready to go. It’s paying off, and I feel like the role I’m playing in the team is working well. Nothing is perfect and I’ve still got a long way to go.
“There was one specific conversation I had with Dan Soper when I came back from lockdown. In my last year at school, I set a five-year plan with him about what I wanted to achieve when I left school. Year three was to start at 13 for Ulster consistently. That really resonated with me that I wrote that goal in upper-sixth, and this was the year to do it. I’m taking no prisoners and doing everything I can to get that jersey.”
When asked about the impact of Soper’s coaching, the 22-year-old uses one word to describe him: “priceless”.
“He’s there all the time, giving me that extra bit of motivation. His attitude towards the team is awesome, and for Mikey [Lowry] and I, he’s been with us since fifth year in school. We can chat to him, and he can be honest with us about what we’re doing wrong, and how we can improve. He’s only too happy to do extras with you after training; kicking, passing, anything you want. He’s been the biggest influence on me getting into professional rugby. He keeps you going even when you’re going through the lows; he gets you back up again.”
Looking ahead to his first Heineken Champions Cup game – Toulouse in the Quarter-Final – Hume knows the game plan required to come away with a win.
“A lot of the positives we took from Leinster were things that we do well usually”, he says. “There have been a few weeks in a row when we’ve missed opportunities and have seen those on video. We have had meetings this week as a team about how to really knuckle down, take our opportunities, and be more ruthless against big sides.
“When we reviewed the Leinster game, we saw that we could have taken the edge and stretched them a lot more. That is what we’ve been working on ahead of playing against Toulouse, the French giants of the Heineken Champions Cup.”
Forging a new midfield partnership with Stuart McCloskey has come quite naturally for Hume, and McCloskey’s experience has added to his own development. “Despite the age-gap, Stu and I get on really well. I’ve been with him every day, having good craic, so when I’m on the pitch with him, we aren’t afraid to talk to each other. He’s an unbelievable player so I’m learning a lot from him every training session and every game. “I see how much of an influence he has on games. People see a lot of carries and tackles, but he does so much more than that. That’s something I feed off him. He’s very experienced in big games, so he would always say to keep doing what I’m doing, and he’ll be there to clean up any mess and I’ll do the same for him.” On the prospect of playing the record-equalling four-time title-winners away in his first European outing, he isn’t daunted by the occasion, but rather is excited by the special atmosphere that Heineken Champions Cup rugby brings, albeit with a reduced number of Toulouse supporters. “I was speaking to Nick Timoney and he says it just hits you differently and that when you’re standing in the tunnel and hear the Heineken Champions Cup music, it’s a bit of an eye-opener. I’ve had the pleasure of watching some big European nights with Ulster – Clermont, Racing, Harlequins and Bath to name a few – and they look like they were unbelievable matches to be involved in. Unfortunately, any time the competition has been on, I’ve been injured, so I’m really looking forward to Sunday. It will be a surreal experience playing away against such a big French team.” Ulster will play Toulouse in the Heineken Champions Cup Quarter Final this Sunday at Stade Ernest-Wallon, kick-off 12 30pm UK/Irish time - live on BT Sport, Channel 4 and Virgin Media.🔥🔥🔥 @_jume12 #LEIvULS #GuinnessPRO14Final #SUFTUMLive ⚪️🔴 https://t.co/e6GihTIhJg
— Ulster Rugby (@UlsterRugby) September 12, 2020