The Ireland U20 team will get their U20 Six Nations campaign underway tonight versus France at the Stade Chaban-Delmas (kick-off 8pm Irish time), with scrum-half Jonny Stewart one of three Abbey Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy players named in the starting XV.
Stewart, with ten U20 caps already to his name, is a seasoned campaigner who was part of last year’s squad which, despite opening with three wins, suffered back-to-back losses to Wales and tournament winners England to finish a distant fourth.
Stewart is now determined to put that right this year, and is confident with the batch of players that will join him in the green jersey.
“There’s some real talent there,” he said. “Even some U19s in that team. From playing with them, they know their stuff and it’s quite a smart backline. That’s what we’re going to try to base ourselves on in this campaign – trying to be the smartest team out there. We want to work in a smart way and try to outwit other teams if we can.”
Stewart continued:
“I think we’ve really brought a lot more detail this year and we’ve nailed down our detail early. We’ve had a couple more camps this year than we did last year by this time of the year, so that will be helpful going into the Six Nations.
“We’re going to work to be the smartest team taking to the pitch every week and that’s not just the halfbacks or the big-game players; it’s one to 15 and everyone doing their job.”
Having already made a couple of senior appearances for Ulster this season, Stewart definitely sees himself as someone who can assist captain Tommy O’Brien in a leadership role.
“As you’re saying, I’d like to at least give a couple of words of advice to the younger guys if they’re nervous or whatever, and try to come across as a leader in the group, especially on the pitch.
“We do have a leadership group and I’m in that, a group of four or five of us who have a few words off the pitch and on the pitch we try to get sessions to start from the beginning at a really high quality and high tempo. It’s a group effort and if everyone buys in, we’ll really benefit.”
Stewart, with ten U20 caps already to his name, is a seasoned campaigner who was part of last year’s squad which, despite opening with three wins, suffered back-to-back losses to Wales and tournament winners England to finish a distant fourth.
Stewart is now determined to put that right this year, and is confident with the batch of players that will join him in the green jersey.
“There’s some real talent there,” he said. “Even some U19s in that team. From playing with them, they know their stuff and it’s quite a smart backline. That’s what we’re going to try to base ourselves on in this campaign – trying to be the smartest team out there. We want to work in a smart way and try to outwit other teams if we can.”
Stewart continued:
“I think we’ve really brought a lot more detail this year and we’ve nailed down our detail early. We’ve had a couple more camps this year than we did last year by this time of the year, so that will be helpful going into the Six Nations.
“We’re going to work to be the smartest team taking to the pitch every week and that’s not just the halfbacks or the big-game players; it’s one to 15 and everyone doing their job.”
Having already made a couple of senior appearances for Ulster this season, Stewart definitely sees himself as someone who can assist captain Tommy O’Brien in a leadership role.
“As you’re saying, I’d like to at least give a couple of words of advice to the younger guys if they’re nervous or whatever, and try to come across as a leader in the group, especially on the pitch.
“We do have a leadership group and I’m in that, a group of four or five of us who have a few words off the pitch and on the pitch we try to get sessions to start from the beginning at a really high quality and high tempo. It’s a group effort and if everyone buys in, we’ll really benefit.”