Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I’LL SHOW I’M IN FINE NICK
Ulster star Timoney desperate to make an impression as the race for places on plane to France intensifies
NINE Tests until the World Cup for Ireland after today – and Nick Timoney will use the chip on his shoulder to get on the plane to France.
Timoney, a Dubliner plying his trade for Ulster, has had a tempting taste of international rugby and earns his third cap against Fiji this afternoon.
He is realistic about where he stands in Andy Farrell’s thoughts but the 27-year-old also knows that things can change quickly.
After all, he woke up in Belfast on the morning of the third Test of last year’s Autumn Nations Series and, several hours later, was lining out for the anthems after a late promotion to the bench because Iain Henderson had to cry off.
“It’s been 15, 16 months since I’ve last been picked for a Test match,” pointed out Timoney, referring to his debut against Japan in the 2021 summer series.
“I’m fully aware of that, how hard it is to get in and once you get your chance you’ve got to go and take it.
“So, yeah, it’s nine Tests to go to the World Cup and it’s getting pretty serious. This game is huge. It’s nearly a year since I actually last played in the Test team.
“I’m fully aware of how hard minutes are to come by and games are the same.
It’s never going to be handed to anyone so you’ve got to put your hand up.
“The thing is, the competition is so tough but it’s about not feeling sorry for yourself, physically and mentally getting your body ready to go.
“A lot of the time you sort of feel beat up but, if you can get yourself going again, you can get yourself in a good place.”
The flanker is made of the right stuff for the fight.
While not massive in size, he was the top tackler in the URC last season as well as in the Champions Cup pool stages.
There is little time for reflection, however, as he relishes the journey ahead – and the possibility of a first World Cup.
“The thing I have tried to do is keep looking up because ultimately I feel like if I have a chip on my shoulder and am that bit hungry then I will play better,” Timoney explained. “If you had told me five years ago that I was in the Ireland squad preparing for a game against Fiji in the middle of a series where the team had just beaten South Africa I would have been delighted.
“But you owe it to the team once you get to this stage. If you’re sitting happy with where you are then you’re not pushing the standard forward that much.
“So it’s looking at all the potential that I think I have. I wasn’t involved last week and you want to be involved in those games.”
Timoney is confident in his ability to find the right balance in his efforts to impress.
“My nature is to be in the system and do things well and I can do that while still being a bit angry and a bit pumped up. I trust myself to not do anything off the wall,” he stated. “I understand how incredibly privileged I am to be a part of this team and that’s not something I will ever take lightly.
“When you see it in here, you want to be part of it in the Test matches against the best players and teams in the world and winning and doing all these incredible things.
“That’s where I want to be, that’s where we all should want to be.”