Bad times will not go on forever

IT is a strange time to be a professional rugby player with the global health crisis having all but ended the current season.

The mandatory break came at a bad time for Connacht’s Jack Carty, who embarked on a recent resurgence in hope of returning to the heights which saw him don the No10 jersey at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

And although his surroundings have changed, the out-half is making great efforts to ensure he is ready if the season does eventually resume this Summer.

Despite a lull in action the 27 year-old has been kept busy as he looks to maintain fitness levels during the indefinite off-season.

‘Things are quite similar to what we would have done before. I got up to Dublin about two weeks ago just before everything stalled and I managed to get a few bits in McSport and so did a couple of the other Irish lads,’ said Carty yesterday.

‘Connacht gym was dissembled and everyone was given pieces of equipment based on their needs and gym programmes were formulated out of that.

‘I’m actually getting a good bit done. Our training volume in terms of what we are doing is quite high and I’m fortunate it has been dry enough in Galway that I have been able to do it in the back garden. If it stays like that we’ll be laughing.’

The record-points scorer admits that he has taken the simple things for granted such as throwing a rugby ball and seeing his team-mates at the Sportsgrounds every day.

Keeping mentally well is as important as maintaining peak physicality for the Tackle Your Feelings ambassador (right), as isolation from the Connacht setup imposes its own battle with loneliness.

The former underage Irish soccer international has measures in place to make sure he is getting the required levels of social interaction through online tools such as Skype.

‘My godson and nephew’s birthday was last week and I was unable to go to that; so we did a Skype call and that’s basically how I have been doing things.

‘My parents are back in Athlone so it’s good for keeping in contact over the phone and through video calls. It’s been massive being able to see them.

‘It’s about being proactive in terms of mental health and going out for walks and not being cooped up in the house all day and I’ve used the Tackle Your Feelings app which is a check-in tool to use to see how I am getting on.’

Carty has struggled with mental health challenges in the past, having obsessed over social media comments and faced intense scrutiny both in the green of Connacht and Ireland. He was even withdrawn from matchday squads at times by former coach Pat Lam for the benefit of his mental health.

His last Ireland appearance came when he deputised for Johnny Sexton in the shock group stage defeat Japan at the Rugby World Cup.

Club form soon deserted him afterwards, having displayed somewhat of a World Cup hangover as he found himself usurped by Conor Fitzgerald in Connacht’s starting XV.

He was able to call on past experience to emerge from the turmoil which began with that loss under Joe Schmidt six months ago.

‘The fact I went through it (poor form) before, I knew in the situation after the World Cup that there was going to be an end to it.

‘Friendy (Andy Friend) was very good to me in terms of how he helped me through it and bad times don’t go on forever so I was happy to come out the other end of it,’ he added.

‘In Connacht regardless of whether you have caps or not they pick on form week-to-week and if you’re not performing, you’re not going to get picked.

‘There were two games when I didn’t perform that well and Fitzy played well and it has to be what’s best for the team rather than the individual.’

‘Connacht tried playing me back into form, I played at 15 for the Gloucester game and I had never played there before.

‘It was a new perspective on how to play. Friendy and the coaching staff were extremely patient and I was happy to repay them with my performances the last couple of weeks.’

The return to form has left Carty ‘delighted’, yet despite being a part of Andy Farrell’s initial ‘stocktake’ training session in December, he has had little opportunity under the new Ireland boss.

But constructive discussions have taken place between the pair and the Englishman has urged the kicker to play on his instincts and focus on the basics instead of the spectacular. ‘I had pretty good conversations with Faz and I’d like to think that between the last conversation we had to now that I have taken what he said and improved a lot. ‘You wouldn’t see the summer tour being played at this time but hopefully when there is an opportunity I am right up there (for selection),’ added the Connacht man.

“If you’re not performing, you’ll not be getting picked’