United Rugby Championship: Ulster vs Ospreys
Venue: Kingspan Stadium, Belfast Date: Friday 18th October Kick-off: 19:35 BST
Coverage: Live audio and text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app. Watch the highlights on the BBC Sport website and app.
Bad memories in sports tend to stick around, and John Cooney is no exception.
After 13 years in professional rugby, he is doing quite well.
Cooney, of course, had many accomplishments including winning the Pro14 (as it was then called) title with Connacht and being named in the United Rugby Championship Team of the Year no fewer than five times.
But the Dublin-born scrum-half is best remembered for his starring role in Ulster’s 32-27 win over Connacht on Saturday. In his second run-out of the season, Cooney contributed 12 points, including his second try of the game, and was named Man of the Match.
However, the ease with which he got through the difficult times suggests that he prefers to keep those memories in mind as a form of motivation.
He mentions a few things in particular – being dropped from the Ireland Under-20s squad, being substituted at half-time on his Leinster debut – but being dropped from the 2020 Ulster Pro14 final. It’s also notable that he hasn’t been name-checked, including when he was substituted at half-time on his Leinster debut. Join the Irish national team.
There was a low point when the Marches lost to the Sharks, and after that, Cooney was so generous with his self-evaluation that he even questioned his abilities.
“My entire career has been full of adversity, but I have worked best through it,” Cooney says.
“That’s what drives me to try to get better every day. I love it and it works for me.”
“Sometimes you have to figure out a way to motivate[yourself]. Sometimes I don’t like being told I’m doing very well. I want to be fired up. That’s how I am, and maybe We (Ulster) are now driven to prove people wrong. ”
“I can’t accept being a national team player.”
Whether you like listening to it or reading it, Cooney is actually doing quite well.
His continued high level achievements mean he remains one of Ulster’s key players and a true darling of the Ravenhill faithful.
Over the past few seasons, he has faced stiff competition from Nathan Doak for the No. 9 jersey. Cooney is 34 years old, 12 years older than Doak, but he bristles at the word “veteran” and thinks about the idea of being left behind because he feels he still has a lot left to do. He frankly declares that he is.
“I’m not the type of player to accept being an international player,” said Cooney, who has played 144 games for Ulster, starting 122 of them.
“That’s not in me. I’m too competitive and too into training and the physical side of rugby. I love playing for this team and I want to play as much as I can. I like it.”
“I don’t like being rotated, I don’t like not playing. That’s who I am as a person. I want to play in every game. Physically, I feel great and I don’t like not playing. I want to perform to the best of my ability.”
He added: “If the day comes that I sit in the back and accept that, it’s probably time to quit rugby. But I’m always trying to work with the young players. Me and Dawkey have a lot of fun on our days off. We always work together,” he added. We’re passing and kicking, and just like Shanaz (Dave Shanahan), I’m always going to do the best I can to make him better. ”
For Cooney, like many Ulster players, recent months have brought challenges and change.
Cooney lost a long-term halfback partner with Billy Burns’ move to Munster, but the scrum-half quickly struck up an effective understanding with Aidan Morgan, who will partner him for the third time in Friday’s game against the Ospreys.
He is also relishing the opportunity to work again with Richie Murphy, a coach he has known for half his life.
“He probably knows me better than any other player on the team,” Cooney said.
“I’ve worked with him throughout my career, he developed me in the Leinster academy and worked with me through Ireland.
“He knows exactly how I should play, what I’m good at, what attracts me, what motivates me, so (for him) he pushes my buttons. It’s easy sometimes. I enjoyed working with him.
