Ringrose eager for Leinster to follow the lead of ‘impressive’ Dublin team
FOR A 23-year old, Garry Ringrose has already racked up plenty of miles on the clock for both club and country.
Last season’s Guinness PRO14 final was a particular personal milestone for the centre as he played his 50th game for his home province.
That is a distant memory now, however, and making his first appearance of the season in last week’s win over the Dragons, Ringrose slotted back into the midfield alongside Robbie Henshaw.
By his own admission, his performance wasn’t without its faults, yet Ringrose has become such an important cog in the wheel that it’s easy to forget that he is still only in his third season playing senior rugby.
“Thinking back to the final last year, I remember looking forward to it because I was quietly excited for my 50th cap,” he admits.
“When you start off, coming out of the Academy, in someone like
Hughie O’Sullivan’s position or Caelan Doris’, who had their first game at the RDS on Saturday, you don’t think you’ll get to 50, or you think that it’s miles away.
“And then all of a sudden it’s gone like that, so I feel incredibly lucky to get to 50 caps for the club I’ve grown up watching and supporting. It’s the same focus week on week, hopefully I get a few more.”
Winning the double last season as well as being part of Ireland’s Grand Slam success has helped fuel the fire for the long campaign ahead, but it hasn’t always been plain sailing.
“(There have been) A few ups and downs,” Ringrose maintains. “The game against Connacht at Murrayfield is one that always sticks out to me. It was the first kind of disappointment.
“I was so used to seeing Leinster win and then being in the final and losing was a bit of a shock, and then certainly two seasons ago, the two semi-finals that probably ultimately kicked us on to last year and managing to win the double.
“So you can never really get too complacent because they still seem pretty fresh, the disappointments. That’s what keeps us motivated and driven.
“When you look at all teams it is hard to stay on top for so long, that’s why it’s so impressive when you look at teams like Dublin, the success they’ve had year on year.”