Firstly Reuben, huge congratulations on winning the U20s six Nations Grand Slam! Now the dust has settled, what are your reflections on that campaign?
The Six Nations was a great experience for me and all the Ulster lads. We came into the tournament as underdogs – we played Italy in a pre-Six Nations game just before Christmas and they beat us in Dublin. We played that game with a slightly weakened side but it showed the strength of Italy and the other teams in the Six Nations, so we came in as underdogs but we did exceptionally well and improved in every game we played. I’m really pleased for the boys to come away with the Grand Slam.
How special was it to win the Grand Slam in front of a home crowd and also to get those crucial away victories over France and England?
Playing our finale against Scotland at Musgrave Park that Sunday night was great. The crowd really got behind us. The scenes at the end were unbelievable! Looking back to the French game, which was our second game of the campaign, we went into that game pretty confident. We played good rugby against Wales. The French had a good start to that game – they went 10-0 up and we had to claw our way back the whole game. Up to the last minute, we were 16-10 down and then we scored the converted try in the last play of the game. I was really proud of the boys in that game. The England match was a similar start; they went 10-0 up and we played good rugby to get back in it. We scored a few good tries to then go on to win the game!
What has the reaction been from your family, friends and rugby circle – they must be so proud of what you have achieved?
A lot of what I have achieved is down to my family, especially my mum, dad, my two sisters, my girlfriend and some of my best mates from school. They played a big part in me developing as a rugby player and as a person to lead that group of lads to a Grand Slam. I also want to give credit to the coaches who have coached me through school – Derek Suffern at Wallace High School. Ballynahinch Rugby Club played a big part too. I played Mini Rugby from P2-P7 at Lisburn Rugby Club – all of those rugby sides were a big part of my development.
It must have been especially pleasing having such a strong Ulster representation in the squad?
There were nine Ulster players involved throughout the whole Six Nations and each one of them really held their own and added something different to the team. They could all be really proud of their efforts because it really showed on the pitch what each of them brought.
How did you find having a familiar face in Willie Faloon as the Defence Coach during the Six Nations?
Willie has been my Academy coach since the start of the season. He was also my coach at U18 level, so we’ve spent a bit of time together and have a bit of history. He’s a great coach in his own right and he really helped our Grand-Slam-winning side on the defensive side of things. As a player he was renowned for his defence around the tackle area and the breakdown. He was a huge asset to the squad and added a lot, not just to the squad but to me. He played my position in his playing days with Ulster and Connacht. He has added a lot to my game and added strings to my bow. I still have a lot to learn and hopefully Willie can keep helping me along the way.
You led the squad superbly throughout the U20s Six Nations – what did you learn during that time to help you going forward both at Ulster and with your club Ballynahinch?
The squad was pretty easy for me to lead; there were a lot of leaders within the squad who really helped me and gelled the team together. The big thing for me was being patient and listening to others; not always taking the lead but being able to listen to others when I needed to when sometimes I wasn’t right in my decision-making. As a team, we were very much a moment-focused team. We would only think about our next job ahead of us. We’re very much grounded in all aspects of our play and tried not to be complacent. We took each game as it came and approached each game in its own right. We learned to be diligent in our preparations.