Erin King (right) belts out Ireland’s Call ahead of last weekend’s England game
BY RICHARD BULLICK
HEAD coach Scott Bemand has vowed that Ireland will seek to tap into the special energy epitomised by their stricken flanker Erin King in Sunday’s Guinness Six Nations showdown with Wales in Newport (12 noon).
The 21-year-old loose forward underwent surgery in Dublin on Thursday on the devastating knee injury which will not only rule her out of the rest of the Championship but also the World Cup which starts in August.
“Erin doesn’t want us moping, she wants us to go out and put out a performance this weekend. We’re taking a bit of ‘Erin energy’ into training this week and we’ll take it to Wales with us,” declared Bemand.
“The girls have circled round Erin really well, she’s still very much part of this group and we all know she would want nothing more than for us to go out and get a good win in Wales on Sunday.”
This injury underlines how fickle and cruel sport can be – it is the first significant setback of influential flanker King’s burgeoning career – but Bemand is adamant that Ireland will deal well with the accompanying practical and psychological challenges.
Ireland fans will feel deflated about the loss of such a special player, especially with the World Cup on the horizon, but Erin’s own comrades must get themselves up for a tough away game against a vengeful Wales in a few days, while adjusting to her absence.
There’s a human dimension to all of this and, recalling King and Higgins having to be chased away by the referee as they comforted an injured Stacey Flood in Glasgow during the Celtic Challenge – she got back for the Six Nations after ankle surgery – is a reminder of the close bonds between the sevens contingent who have travelled the world as a tight bunch.
While Ireland have three excellent scrumhalves competing for two matchday squad spots, Molly Scuffil-McCabe’s appearance at Thursday’s press conference prompted a thought as to whether King’s great friend Emily Lane may be given this game off.
Erin King warming up before the England match in which she got injured early
While figuring out how best to replace King is primarily the coach’s problem, her misfortune is a reminder to every player that their World Cup participation could be snatched away at any moment – not least as Erin and Aoife Dalton had felt like Ireland’s indestructible duo.
“The group are close, everyone’s very disappointed for Erin, and stuff like that does affect you but there’s also an understanding that injuries can happen and put players out for a game or two or sadly longer in some cases, like Sam Monaghan,” reflected Bemand.
“Obviously what Erin brings is fairly unique. It’s the innovation of the single player lifts and the front of the lineouts. Her ability to read games, line-break, and made defensive impacts both in the tackle and pinching the ball back has been brilliant.
“But we can’t just be reliant on one player and we’ve got a few options that we can look at in the back row. Edel McMahon is back this week. Claire Boles has been outstanding through the camp and brings her own unique brand of openside flanker.
“We’ve got to keep growing the depth. We’ve got players in the background and there are girls coming through,” said Bemand, who didn’t even name-check the dynamic Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird, a player yet to feature in this Six Nations such is Ireland’s back row depth.
Unlike the anxious waits before official confirmation came of the seriousness of the injuries suffered by scrumhalf Aoibheann Reilly and her Ballinasloe buddy Beibhinn Parsons – twice – in action during the past year, the public weren’t even aware of the black cloud over King.
The bombshell dropped around noon on Thursday with a statement from the IRFU regarding the King injury including quotes from the player herself, and the news came as a shock considering she had finished the game against England last Saturday.
In fact, the catastrophic damage – she tore cartilage off the back of her patella – was done early on in that defeat in Cork, where King played through the pain barrier for the rest of the game as Ireland lost 49-5 despite a spirited performance.
One of just four Irishwomen to have played every minute of the first three rounds of fixtures in this Six Nations along with Flood, Amee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe and Dalton, King still managed to win four turnovers against the world’s top team and make 17 tackles.
It is testament to King’s incredible energy and work-rate that she currently tops the chart for both attacking ruck entries and defensive ruck entries out of all the players across the six competing countries.
Only England captain Zoe Aldcroft has had more lineout takes in this Six Nations than the athletic King’s tally of 19, illustrating her value to this improving Ireland team now ranked fifth in the world.
So this untimely injury is not just a heartbreaking nightmare for the young Wicklow woman herself but a terrible blow for Ireland considering the astonishing impact King has made in the green jersey since winning her first cap just last autumn.
Despite having played more than 100 times in the World Series for the Ireland sevens team at the age of 20 ahead of last summer’s Paris Olympics, rookie King had very little XVs experience at adult level before being brought into Bemand’s squad.
But the athletic ability and power which were showcased at the Olympics when King’s spectacular lift of team-mate Lane went viral, shone through in her dynamic cameo appearance off the bench in September’s 36-10 thumping of Australia at Ravenhill.
King famously scored two tries off the bench 15 days later in Vancouver, with Dannah O’Brien’s conversion of the second of them clinching Ireland’s stunning upset of world champions New Zealand on a 29-27 scoreline.
An injury to Ireland skipper McMahon gave King her first Test start against hosts Canada in the next fixture and she then won Player of the Match in the victory over USA which clinched runners-up place for Bemand’s side in the top tier tournament.
Named in the BBC’s Team of WXV along with fellow loose forward Aoife Wafer, King went on to become the first Irishwoman to win an individual gong at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco at the end of November when named Breakthrough Player of the Year.
After featuring for the Irish sevens side in the first two rounds of this season’s World Series in Dubai and Cape Towe, Erin focused fully on the Celtic Challenge and started all but one of the 10 matches for Wolfhounds as they retained their title.
Adaptably playing across the back row, King’s XVs rugby knowledge and nuts-and-bolts game grew by the week and her stats were extremely impressive – a trend that she has carried on in the first few weeks of this Six Nations as outlined above.
With the world-class Wafer nailed on for a place in the back row, King’s selection against France came at McMahon’s expense and then Ulster powerhouse Brittany Hogan was benched for the Italian job having started all 13 matches under Bemand up until them.
Ireland have an embarrassment of back row riches and, with McMahon fit again after missing the England game, Bemand can revert to the formidable trio who started in those notable wins over Wales, Scotland, Australia and New Zealand in the past 12 months.
With Grace Moore, who also provides second row cover, preferred for the bench, formidable Munsterwoman Nic a Bhaird hasn’t even made a matchday squad yet in this Six Nations so will be straining at the leash.
Erin King on the charge against Italy in Parma during her first Six Nations win
Olympian Boles from Fermanagh is a deserved inclusion in Ireland’s Six Nations squad after a fantastic Celtic Challenge, captaining champions Wolfhounds in all 10 matches, while English-based Shannon Ikahihifo featured in the green jersey last spring.
Munster back five forward Jane Clohessy was also named in Bemand’s preliminary panel of 40 ahead of this Six Nations while the equally versatile Faith Oviawe is an exciting talent who should have a bright future and the same applies to the US-based Ivana Kiripati
Although no longer contracted by the IRFU, a fit-again Maeve Og O’Leary may sense a fresh opportunity this summer, though Ulster’s India Daley – who is in a similar boat – is still rehabbing following a cruciate rupture.
Within the current Irish squad, lock Dorothy Wall cut her teeth as a blindside flanker for Ireland and has played some in the back row in her first Premiership Women’s Rugby campaign for Exeter Chiefs so could be another option if and when needed.
So Ireland certainly aren’t bereft of back row resources but the hugely-energetic, compelling, irrepressible, relentless King brought her own unique vibe and an exuberant energy which epitomised the ‘green wave’ which she, almost more than anyone, loved speaking about.
A personable, charismatic character with a beaming, winsome smile, King has proved as comfortable fronting up off the field as on it with her endearing appearances on Tommy Bowe’s Ireland AM show on Virgin Media or the Late Late Show on RTE coming to mind.
As someone can readily switch between grizzled game-face and girlish grin, or go from pumping iron in the gym to flashing her fancy nails at the camera, Erin is a captivating young woman with a sunny disposition, who radiates vibrancy and vitality.
King has really been enjoying the roller-coaster ride of the past 15 months – starting with that historic triumph for the Irish sevens side at the World Series tournament in Perth last January – while working hard to keep improving and be the best she can be.
And in her statement announcing the injury, to her great credit King struck a balance between acknowledging the enormity of the blow while expressing gratitude for her recent experiences and still somehow imparting positive vibes and being generous.
“I’m heartbroken to have suffered a serious knee injury that means I will miss the rest of the Six Nations along with the Rugby World Cup,” began King.
“It feels very unfair right now but I’ve had the best few months with this team, and I can’t wait to support in every way I can from the sidelines.
“It will be a long road ahead, but with the support I have from family, friends and team-mates around me, I will learn to accept that everything happens for a reason, and if I stick to the process and rehab programme set out by the medical team, I’ll be back better,” she vowed.
Our thoughts go back now to King gingerly going down for treatment in the early stages against England as Murphy-Crowe and Higgins celebrated dragging an English opponent in touch after chasing a kick from O’Brien that bounced high on the 22.
But a more uplifting image from Saturday came during the pre-match anthems as the television camera went from a shot of Erin’s mum Joanne in the crowd, to one of the packed stand that the team were facing, to a close-up of King, gumshield in and belting out Ireland’s Call with a characteristic huge grin on her face. Stirring stuff.
Like King generously acknowledged, it’s great that she has got to experience such highs so early in an exciting career which should have so much more to come for the sky seems the limit for such a dynamic young athlete who only turned 21 late last October.
Along with next year’s Six Nations and the 2029 World Cup in Australia, it was interesting that the IRFU statement made reference to the inaugural women’s British and Irish Lions tour among things for King to work towards. Interestingly, there was no mention of sevens.
The topic of Sydney-born King’s injury was inevitably top of the agenda when Ireland boss Bemand addressed the media at a scheduled press conference two hours after the news broke and he empathised with the player along with acknowledging what a loss she will be.
“For a young player who’s still got the world at her feet, who has come in and made a real impact – last autumn and at the start of this competition – we’re gutted for her and gutted to miss out on having her available and bouncing around the pitch for us,” he reflected.
“These things can happen, and sometimes you’re dealt a tough hand. But, fair play to Erin, her attitude is ‘right, I’m going to come back better’. She’s already looking at coming back, looking at the bigger picture of what she can add to her game. Undoubtedly, we’ll miss her.”
Bemand explained how the injury had occurred after just seven minutes against England, before really flaring up after the game, and observed: “It’s quite an unusual injury to some degree.
“She was like, ‘well I wasn’t going to stop!’. Erin’s full of bounce, she’s full of grit and endeavour. She told me she’s never missed even a session before, so it’s the first time she’s had an injury. Professional sport can deal you these hands at times.
“But she has got great people around her. People are looking after her, they will recover her, they will rehabilitate her and she’s already looking at bits she can add to her game,” reiterated Bemand.
In light of King’s injury, McMahon being available again after having to sit out the England game is a timely boost and Bemand acknowledged what the very experienced Exeter Chiefs flanker brings to the table.
“You have to make decisions around whether you can push someone into a game. There’s bigger pictures at play. Edel just didn’t quite recover from the Italy game in time for England but she’s back available this week and in the melting pot for selection.
“She brings some bang with her tackles, and she brings an added component of leadership back to the group. Any game where you’re travelling away to Wales, having an extra bit of leadership in the group is a good and important thing.”
Ireland’s Erin King (third right) during the anthem before last month’s Italian game
Erin King’s injury could open a door for her Wolfhounds captain Claire Boles (left)
Ireland flanker Erin King reads the match programme ahead of the England game
