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ULSTER backrow David McCann has found the transition from schoolboy rugby to the professional ranks a steep learning curve.

McCann captained RBAI to a Schools Cup semi-final in 2018 and also donned the skippers armband for Ireland at U19 and U20 level.

McCann also led Ulster at A level but has had a battle to secure a place in the provinces backrow which includes South African World Cup winner Duane Vermeulen (below) and Ireland grand slam winner Jordi Murphy.

The flanker has started Ulsters last four games at blindside and has featured in 12 games already this season - his best return in a white shirt since making his debut against Benetton in October 2020.

Its weird being one of the biggest at underage stuff and then you go in and youre the smallest, so you get bullied and thrown about, recalled McCann.

Its good to experience it and it brings you down to earth a wee bit and then slowly youre building up the physicality, size and then experience and thats the big thing - it takes a couple of years for some people. Look at Harry Sheridan, hes fine, other people it takes a bit longer so its an individual path.

Its not a great sensation or feeling when someone is throwing you about, so you need to go and work a bit harder.

Its a good blend of experience and less experienced (in the backrow), but also vying for the same position, its good because it pushes you on and if I start looking behind me thats not going to help me get into the team.

So Sherry (Harry Sheridan) is obviously pushing and there are people in the Academy as well in the back-row who are working hard to get in the team and arent far off and then the likes of Jordi who has 30 caps for Ireland or whatever its hard to get ahead of him and then he obviously pushes you in training.

Playing for his club Banbridge in Division 1B of the All Ireland League has toughened the 22-year-old up for the rigours of professional rugby.

Its definitely a different pace but it gives you an opportunity to work on basic elements of your tackling and your ball-carry, he said.

You might not be getting the same exposure to the pace of the game and lineout etc, but basic things like hitting people hard and getting your entry right, thats pretty valuable.

McCann recently penned a new contract to stay at his childhood club and now after experiencing a European knockout game against Leinster he wants to help Ulster end their long 17 year wait for a trophy by winning the United Rugby Championship.

Obviously growing up watching Ulster and sitting in the stands or on the terrace and then getting the sensation of actually playing its kind of just chasing that for the next two years. But the Leinster game down in the Aviva was a special experience so just representing the team youve watched for your whole life is good, he said.

Weve got a good balance of older guys and younger guys coming through so I dont think anyone would be sticking around if they didnt think there was a chance of winning.

Leinster, its definitely quite a moment to get your first start in Europe and youve got to separate the result sometimes from what the actual experience was like.

The bigger the game, you get a taste for it, and then you just want more and more, he added.

Having experience of that you dont ever want to step back but keep going and building on that and win stuff ultimately.

Link:
Duane Vermeulen and Jordi Murphy inspiring rising Ulster star ... - The Irish News