Garry Ringrose recalls the rib-tickler tackle with a rueful grin. During the course of Ulster's 30-6 victory over Leinster in Belfast last month, Andrew Trimble demonstrated both impeccable timing and brutish force as he squeezed, temporarily, the breath from the 21-year-old's body. The noisy exhalation extended to the stands where few were unmoved by the thumping tackle, irrespective of allegiance.
It took a little while for Ringrose to regain his equilibrium but like most lessons in a sporting life that are a tad painful, it may serve him well going forward. He admitted: “I got a wallop off him. I said to my friends that I could take comfort in knowing that I wasn’t the first person he’s done that to.
“He’s one of the best wingers in the world at that defensively. Talking about experiences and learning from them; that would be a particular instance where I have to analyse why that happened. I got caught a bit flat, ball watching and probably didn’t scan as early as I should have. It was too late once I got the ball in my hands.”
Someone suggested it might have been a ‘hospital pass’ but Ringrose demurred, “ no, sure I called for it,” before adding with a smile, “hopefully it doesn’t happen again, but I’ve no doubt someone will fall victim to an Andrew Trimble hit on Friday but hopefully it won’t be me this time.
"There's an edge to the (interprovincial) games that's hard to describe. When it's teammates who are friends with regards to Ireland and then provinces, the prides collide and there is that extra edge and physicality to it. But it brings the best out of everyone as well so they're enjoyable games to play in."
The interprovincial clashes in the Pro12 has seen the young Leinster centre measured against Bundee Aki (Connacht), Luke Marshall (Ulster) and Francis Saili (Munster), so how does he think he's fared? "They are three incredible centres, two internationals and what looks like one soon-to-be international. "Playing against them was a pretty cool experience for me, trying to learn as much from the challenges they throw at you because they all have a c.v. of attributes that have got them to where they are now. I just tried to keep up with them. "You have Bundee (Aki), who is incredible this year. Playing against him was pretty tough. Luke (Marshall) is someone who has got injuries over the years that have hindered him. Now, he's probably playing some of the rugby of his life and is one of the best centres in Ireland at the moment. "He has his fullback Jared Payne, who is one of the guys stopping him from playing for Ireland. Francis, being an All Black, was tough, (but) someone I enjoyed playing against. He seems to be coming from all angles. They each pose different threats and challenge me in a different way."
Quite apart the measured progression of his game in senior rugby is the maturity with which he’s handled inquiries on a variety of topics. An example was when Ringrose was asked for his thoughts on the argument Argentina scrumhalf Agustin PIchot about changing the qualification rules on residency grounds from three years to six, specifically about how he feels as a young player who could lose out to Bundee Aki.
“There are two ways to think about it. As a player I want to be competitive and try to reach the highest point possible which would be to play for Ireland and that would be an ambition of mine. It’s going to be competitive regardless [of whether Aki qualifies].
“The other half of me is just as much of an Ireland fan as you and if Bundee Aki playing would contribute to Ireland’s success then I’d be all for it.”
Ringrose has been compared to All Black centre Conrad Smith in terms of playing style; he puts forward fullback-cum-centre and another Kiwi Ben Smith and former Leinster, Ireland and Lions icon Brian O'Driscoll as players whom he has watched closely in trying to develop his game. That's what this season has been about, playing and learning. Friday night at the RDS is another step in that benchmarking process.
