PADDY McALLISTER PROFILE:THE TEMPTATION to decry what is perceived to be a shallow reservoir of indigenous young props in Ireland is a familiar refrain of long standing but one that appears misplaced on closer examination. Ulster's Paddy McAllister and Balbriggan-born and Connacht tighthead Jamie Hagan are the latest tyros to challenge the dog-eared assertion.
The 23-year-old Hagan, a former Grand Slam winner with the Ireland Under-20 team (2007), produced another powerful performance for Connacht in Monday’s narrow defeat to Munster at the Sportsground in a season when the consistent quality of the tighthead prop’s displays demonstrate his capacity to deliver on his potential.
Hagan has been touted as a player of some promise from his days in the Leinster academy and is maturing into a player who may rise above the provincial ceiling. He possesses the skill set to excel in all facets of the game.
McAllister’s progress is equally striking. The 21-year-old from Markethill, Co Armagh, was awarded a development contract with Ulster at the start of the season and has shown his aptitude in playing 260 minutes, spread across 12 appearances for the first team that included four starts and three cameos from the bench against Aironi, Biarritz Olympique and Bath in Heineken Cup matches.
He acquitted himself reasonably well at scrum time on Monday night against Leinster’s Mike Ross, one of the best tighthead prop’s in European rugby. It’s McAllister’s dynamism and work-rate that are arguably the most striking characteristics of his first season proper in senior rugby.
A pedigree that included representing Ireland at schools, under-19 and last season under-20 levels – illustrates the potential of a young player who only took up the sport as a 14-year-old on returning to Ireland.
Although born in Armagh he spent most of his early life in Africa; his parents worked as missionaries in Kenya.
McAllister recalled in a recent interview: “I have inherited a very passionate temperament from my French mum and my Irish dad. I was brought up in Africa where I learned very early in life how privileged I am as I saw people suffering because of wars and many local issues. I think that my life in Africa has taught me to be open to change and be non-judgmental but has also given me the desire to achieve my dreams. I still have many good friends in Africa who I will always be in contact with.”
His time there fostered a desire to pursue a primary interest outside the sport as he revealed: “I love animals and have always had lots of pets. In Africa, I had dogs, cats, chickens, goats, crocodiles and snakes. This passion is in me and I very thankful to Gary Longwell and Hamish Adams for helping me find a way to help out at the Belfast Zoo.
“This year I will also study animal management part-time and I am really looking forward to that. I am also very active in my church and love talking about my faith to young people in various youth meetings.”
Given the frequency with which he has made Ulster match squads this season he’s probably had less time to pursue those ancillary distractions. His second start for the province – he made his senior debut when coming on against Bath in a pre-season friendly – was against Munster at Ravenhill in October when he packed down against Irish centurion John Hayes. McAllister was one of the few players to rise above the torpor of the home side’s performance that night.
He possesses a mature attitude that belies his tender years and a pragmatic appraisal of his current standing. “In pre-season I had a few goals and I was very focused and motivated on what I wanted to accomplish this year. I’ve been working very hard and trying to get as much game time as I can.
“It’s opportunities like this when the internationals are away that I can get a start, and I just have to continue to work hard. It’s not really until you get older that you start peaking so I’m doing the hard work now. This is where I want to be.
“I’m 21 and working hard to be a sub for a team where the guys in front of me are internationals and one is a World Cup winner, so I don’t want to be anywhere else. I’m learning everything I can off them and hopefully one day I’ll take their spot. I’m living the dream.”
A shoulder injury that necessitated surgery and saw him sidelined for a year while at school has perhaps helped to shape his attitude to enjoy every minute of his rugby. He’s also perfectly placed to benefit from the guidance of BJ Botha, Tom Court and Ulster forwards coach Jeremy Davidson.
For props like McAllister and Hagan it is the exposure to high-level game time that will aid their development and as they both demonstrated again this week, there is much about which to enthuse.
