Ireland winger Robert Baloucoune is hoping his superb Six Nations campaign and the individual and team honours that came with it can be the kickstart to a long and successful career in green.
The Fermanagh flyer has had a career that’s been more stop than start since joining up with Andy Farrell’s squad as a development player ahead of the 2020 Six Nations.
Having not featured in this year’s opening round defeat to France, he made his tournament debut against Italy the next time out for what was only his fifth international cap.
Over the coming weeks, he’d play a stunning role in Ireland’s revival after that damaging night in Paris and was arguably Ireland’s second-best player of the Six Nations behind emphatic winner and Ulster team-mate Stuart McCloskey.
With the building work for next year’s Rugby World Cup set to ramp up in the coming months, Baloucoune is hoping he can put an extension on the foundations he laid February and March.
“(It) was always in the back of my mind that that I wanted to play the best that I can. I always had to have some belief in the player that I am.
Robert Baloucoune made his Six Nations debut in Round 2 against Italy
“But just being given the opportunity has been class and I suppose that’s what I needed this season, being able to back up games and that was a big focus with me from the start of the season.
“I feel like whenever I’m playing games back-to-back, I’m able to fit in and get used to having a bit of game time, and that’s what I probably lost last season and probably the years before. I’d come in a bit rusty (so) I’d be up and down.
“Hopefully it’s now an upward trajectory and I’ll try to push on from there.”
Saturday’s impressive win over Scotland earned the side a Triple Crown, and until the final seconds of France’s dramatic win over England, had looked like it could provide a Six Nations title too.
On the individual front, the Enniskillen player collected the BKT Rising Player award as the trophy remained in Ireland with Sam Prendergast winning the inaugural award last season.
“The award was a bit of a shock, to be honest – 28 and getting the rising star,” Baloucoune said.
“I’m getting slagged for it already, so I’m sure I’ll get slagged by a lot more people, but I’m grateful for it and at least people are seeing what I’ve put out there.”
“It’s been an unbelievable experience,” he added. “The group’s been massive. It feels like a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience for me because I wasn’t expecting it when I came in. So it’s been an unbelievable experience, and to finish it off like that, it’s been class.”
James Topping has shown faith in Robert Baloucoune
While not casting his eyes to the World Cup yet (“no, no, that’s next year”), the player has been able to take stock of a whirlwind few weeks and can look back fondly on taking the right turn on a crossroads in his life that could have taken him away from the professional game.
“There’s times when I got dropped from Ulster and I got an opportunity from James Topping (Ireland sevens coach).
“I was meant to be going to uni and probably leaving Ulster. I was meant to go to uni in England and that would have probably been the end of my rugby.
“So yeah, just grateful for the opportunities that everyone’s kind of helped me along the way even since school and stuff where I didn’t really know the rules of rugby. Everyone across the pathway has supported me including all the staff as well.”