'I didn't know it was coming... my first reaction was to scream' - John Cooney on his Ireland axe
John Cooney has lifted the lid on what it was like to be one of the five players so far cut from Joe Schmidt’s training squad for the World Cup.
Ireland came into August working with 45 players, a figure that Schmidt must reduce to 31 by World Rugby’s September 8 deadline day for registering squads for the tournament finals in Japan.
Two were cut on August 5, Ultan Dillane and Rory Scannell being told their services were no longer needed, and the bad news then arrived for Cooney on August 11, the day after the warm-up win over Italy that he did not play in.
It was only three days later, on August 14, that the IRFU publicly confirmed Cooney, Finlay Bealham and Mike Haley would not be travelling to Portugal for the warm-weather camp and the disappointment has festered with the 29-year-old scrum-half who has eight caps, four coming off the bench in the 2019 Six Nations.
Speaking on the Coffee with Cave series on The Rugby Pod’s Patreon site, Cooney, who would have felt his ability to play both half-back positions would have earned him at least one Test match audition this month to show his worth, told Darren Cave: “To be honest I didn’t know it was coming.
Joe Schmidt's latest training squad cull has shed light on his way of thinking about the Ireland RWC half-backs https://t.co/TGK4lAHyRd
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 14, 2019
“I was actually watching the Gaelic football, the semi-final Tyrone were playing, and my phone was actually on silent. I went to look at my phone about 10 minutes after the game and saw I had a missed called from Joe, so straight away my first reaction was to scream.
“I knew well I was going to be cut at that stage. It was a bit of a surprise because that week I had done fitness and gym all week because I wasn’t playing against Italy. In my head the week before I thought I could be dropped.
“I wasn’t so then I thought I might be playing England, so I kind of kept the head down and got to work that week. That way it was kind of pretty upsetting that I didn’t get to play a game but yeah, I think I knew well once I saw the phone call off him that was it.
“I rang him back and he must have been on the phone to someone else so I had to wait about 15, 20 minutes for him to call me back. It was a bit of a limbo at that stage. Yeah, as you probably know yourself, once you get a phone call out of the blue you kind of know something is up.”
Having subbed for Conor Murray for the majority of this year’s Six Nations and scored a try against England following on from a first Test start last November versus the USA, Cooney felt he was in with a credible shot of challenging to go to the World Cup.
However, his hopes were dashed without any game time following a tough pre-season training with Ireland. “Personally I would have liked to have played a lot more and there has now been two Italy games that I have been involved which I would have liked to have least gotten a start or at least off the bench the last day.
Having watched Ireland get torn asunder by England, the legendary Brian O'Driscoll has stated his preferred midfield partnership for the World Cup
https://t.co/vdKfCFJhxz— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 27, 2019
“That is what hurt me the most, that I didn’t even get a chance. I don’t see why I didn’t even get a few minutes to come on even against Italy. I’m not sure why that is. Also, even against the USA I got a start and played average enough.
“But you know that type of year where you are carrying a few little niggles and stuff, I remember my AC was at me, little hindrances that sometimes if you get one soft game you don’t get to make up for it.
“Since then I thought I did quite well in the Six Nations, got to play four out of the five games. The year before my goal was to play in one of the games and I didn’t so to get four out of five the year after was huge for me.
“I thought I did quite well when I came on and obviously would have liked a bit longer, but I haven’t actually had a chance since then. In one way I’m pretty happy with how I went when I got my opportunity but then it doesn’t really do much for you when you don’t get another go.”
WATCH: The RugbyPass stadium guide to Yokohama where Ireland will kick off their World Cup campaign against Scotland on September 22
Comments on RugbyPass
Big difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
29 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
29 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
29 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
29 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
29 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to comments