Deeny is happy to put in the hard yards
Missing out on traditional route no deterrent to Deeny
FOR BRIAN Deeny, making the hard yards in rugby has never been an issue.
The 6’ 6” second row forward hasn’t taken the traditional route in the game, having to make a few side-steps, considering his alma mater was St. Peter’s College, where Gaelic football and hurling are very much the sports of choice.
It was at Wexford Wanderers, the club he joined at around the age of ten, that he was introduced to the oval ball game, and the mentors there helped to nurture a determined kid with raw talent on the road to being an international with a promising future.
The natural ability to make it at a high level was always there, but Deeny puts most of his progression down to simple hard graft and an unwavering willpower to succeed.
‘It’s a little bit harder to progress from the club system. Schools players might get preference because they’ve played a higher standard of rugby under-age and stuff, but I think that it’s down to the individual,’ he said.
‘If you’re willing to do a bit extra work or you’re determined enough you’ll get where you deserve to go. It’s definitely harder but if you make it you know you deserve it.’
Seeing players like Tadhg Furlong, and Seán O’Brien before him, make their names for the Irish team having taken the road less travelled by with New Ross and Tullow respectively, was an inspiration for young Deeny, and if he could carve a similar path in his career he won’t be doing half bad.
‘They’re obviously two exceptional players and they would inspire you coming from the same sort of club system background as myself. It gives you something to aim for when you’re coming up.
‘Everyone’s ambition is to play at the highest level you can. If I can do that I’ll be happy, that’s all anyone could ask for,’ he said.
The Volunteers clubman was a pivotal member of the St. Peter’s team which brought the first Leinster Senior ‘ A’ football title to the school in 25 years in 2017 and made it all the way to the All-Ireland final, where they lost out to St. Brendan’s of Killarney in Croke Park.
His midfield partner was none other than Wexford hurling star Rory O’Connor, while Rory’s cousin, Barry O’Connor, who now plies his trade with Australian Rules side Sydney Swans, lined out at full-forward for the strong schools outfit.
Deeny’s talent saw him gain a place with the Wexford Minor footballers, and it appeared that it would be in that sphere that he would blossom on the sporting stage.
However, a call-up to play sevens with Ireland led him down the rugby route and he travelled with the Under-18 side to Lithuania, where they finished second in a European championship tournament, an experience that he clearly relished.
‘It was just very enjoyable to play that kind of rugby. You have so much space and time for offloads. It was great fun and it probably opened the door for me to progress in the game,’ he said.
Since then the Leinster Academy player has been on a forward trajectory and he was part of the Irish Grand Slam-winning Under-20 squad last year, coming off the bench to help his side to wins over England and Italy.
He has played a bigger role this year as they secured the Triple Crown, starting in all three victories against Scotland, Wales and England for Noel McNamara’s side.
Unfortunately, with another Grand Slam up for grabs, the coronavirus pandemic forced the postponement of their games against Italy and France, while the Under-20 World Cup which was due to be played in northern Italy in late June and July was unsurprisingly cancelled.
‘Last year was unreal, the performances were exceptional but I didn’t get to play as much as I have been playing this year.
‘It’s been very disappointing and frustrating because you feel like you’ve a lot more rugby to play, a lot more to give and a lot to gain from the next couple of games that we were due to play.
‘They’re very important for us and we don’t know if they’ll be on now or not, but hopefully they will be before the end of my time at this level. We’ve three games played and all we want to do is play two more games.
‘To win another Grand Slam would be huge. If we could do that it would be a massive achievement for us all,’ he said.
The 20-year-old lock got a taste for the World Cup last year, making a cameo appearance in the tournament after a late call-up having initially been ruled out due to injury.
Injuries to back row pair Ciarán Booth and David McCann meant a fit-again Deeny was brought back in for the fifth place play-off semi-final match against England, coming on for the final 20 minutes and scoring a try in their 30-23 defeat.
He would have loved to have gotten another crack at the whip this time around although, given what’s happening on the planet at the moment, he can see the bigger picture.
‘It was a brilliant experience last year in Argentina but I only went over for two weeks because of an ankle injury.
‘Getting on the pitch and playing was great, and it’s disappointing that I won’t be able to do that again in an Under-20 World Cup.
It’s very frustrating but, having said that, everybody’s health is more important than a World Cup over in Italy.
‘The World Cup is a great experience, you’re away for a month with the lads in a different country and playing rugby at a high standard.
‘It’s good craic but Italy are struggling so much the moment, so obviously that’s way more important than any rugby tournament,’ he said.
Despite the current sporting shutdown, the Wexford man, who has featured prominently for Clontarf in the AIL for the past two seasons, is still working hard to keep himself in as close to peak condition as possible, and it’s clear that he has lost none of his competitive edge.
‘Leinster have given us plans to work on, skills and fitness. It’s hard doing it by yourself but everybody is in the same boat.
‘Even though there’s nobody with you, there’s still a competive aspect to it as everyone wants to be in the best shape when they come back,’ he said.
The life of an aspiring young rugby star is certainly a busy one, with Deeny juggling studying biomedical science at Trinity College with his commitments to Clontarf, Leinster and the Irish Under-20s, but he clearly wouldn’t have it any other way.
‘Everyone would agree that balancing college life with training is hard but it’s worth it.
‘If you put effort into both of them, the rugby helps you out with college and college helps you out with aspects of rugby. When they work together it goes well,’ he said.
Of course, his sporting career may have taken a very different path if it wasn’t for Wexford Wanderers, where he fell in love with the game, and his hometown club holds a special place in his heart.
‘Growing up I was lucky enough to play on a very good Wexford Wanderers team. It’s a lot easier to enjoy playing rugby when you’re on a good team that are doing well. The level of coaching there is very high.
‘It helps a lot of younger lads to get out and enjoy themselves when they’re playing. I still go out and watch games at Wanderers when I can. It’s a great club to be involved with,’ he said.
It’s clear that Deeny takes a great sense of pride from his Wanderers roots, and all at the Park Lane club are bound to tell you that the feeling is mutual.