Sam Arnold: 18 Year-old Ready To Make Ulster Bow

They say: ‘when you are good enough, you are old enough’ and that is certainly the case with highly-talented young Hughes Insurance Ulster Academy player Sam Arnold. The 18 year-old has been selected as a replacement for Ulster’s Guinness PRO12 game against Newport Gwent Dragons and the match promises to be a very special occasion for the Ireland U20 player.

“I am really looking forward to it,” he says. “It could be a good day for me and if I get on, I will know my role and do a job if Doaky (Neil Doak) asks me. I am excited about the possibility of playing alongside players like Ruan Pienaar and Darren Cave and also people that I know really well like Rory Scholes.”

It has been a rapid rise for Arnold, who originally hails from Surrey. He starred for Ulster U20s as the province won the U20 interprovincial championship, scoring two tries against Leinster. His form for Ulster has seen him selected for Ireland U20s where he has played in all three matches in the U20 6 Nations so far. He showed great strength to fend off tacklers to set up a try for fellow Ulster player Jack Owens against France.

It was something of a risk for him to come to Belfast at such a young age and to join the High Performance Pathway at Ulster, but it is a risk that is now paying off for both player and province:

“Coming over here, I was only really aiming for Irish 19s this year and then maybe to get a couple of games on the bench for the Ravens,” says Sam. “When I then got a few starts for the Ravens and got to the Irish U20s camp that was great.  I was obviously a bit nervous at first, but I have had such a good group of guys helping me along the whole time that it has worked out well. It is just good to be around a good team atmosphere and with people who want to push you on and to help develop you as a player.”

Ahead of his first involvement with the Ulster senior side, Sam is quick to praise the coaches who have worked with him at the Adademy:

“I really haven’t looked back since I moved to Ulster,” Sam says. “I am so pleased that I did it. The only set-back was that I had a long injury lay off last year. All through the summer, the strength and conditioning guys – David Drake and Matt Maguire, worked me until I was in bits! I am so grateful for that now though. It has really helped my conditioning and fitness.”

With potentially such a big moment in his early career coming up, Sam has been getting advice from coaches past and present.

He says: “Neil Doak has just been saying that if I get on, to know my role and to enjoy it. I was speaking to my school coach back at Cranleigh School in Surrey, Andy Houston, and he also told me to go out there and make the most of it. I think my mum is going to try and get down to Newport tomorrow, I think it’s a five hour drive for her!

“If I get on, I just want to repay the faith that the coaches have put in me.”

Sam Arnold. Remember the name. A young Ulster player, with a very big future.