![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/94188_2909158.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIt’s a huge blow for a player who had a spectacular debut Six Nations campaign, scoring three tries in four games<\/p>\n
2026 Guinness Six Nations Championship Round 5, Aviva Stadium, Dublin 14\/3\/2026
\nIreland vs Scotland
\nIreland’s Jamie Osborne, Tommy O’Brien and Robert Baloucoune celebrate with the Triple Crown trophy (Image: \u00a9INPHO)<\/p>\n
Robert Baloucoune will miss the next three months following picking up an elbow injury in Ireland’s victory over Scotland last Saturday.<\/p>\n
The damage requires surgery and will see him sidelined for, approximately, the next three months.<\/p>\n
This will leave Ulster planning for their European Challenge Cup Last 16 game against Ospreys (Apr 4th) and a prospective home quarter-final to Newcastle or La Rochelle (Apr 10\/11\/12) without him. The Challenge Cup final is May 23rd.<\/p>\n
Domestically, the last of the URC leagues rounds is May 18th with a significant gap to the knockouts which is clearly where Richie Murphy will be hoping he can slot his man back in.<\/p>\n
The URC quarter-finals are scheduled for May 29\/30\/31, the semi-finals for June 5\/6\/7 and the Grand Final for Saturday June 20th.<\/p>\n
It’s a particular blow for a player who had a spectacular debut Six Nations campaign, scoring three tries in four games, picking up the Six Nations Rising Star award alongside winning a Triple Crown.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been an unbelievable experience,” said Baloucoune of the international campaign. “It\u2019s something I wouldn’t have expected and I\u2019m just grateful to actually getting here.<\/p>\n
![\"Robert](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0_inpho_02888804.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nRobert Baloucoune (Image: \u00a9INPHO\/Ben Brady)<\/p>\n
“I’ve been in before where I haven’t played and done that so, yeah, I’ve been able to finish it off with a trophy and being part of the group has been really special.<\/p>\n
“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 and to finish it off like that, it’s been class.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe award was a bit of a shock, to be honest – 28 years-of-age and getting the Rising Star,” he says good naturedly clutching the big silver trophy nonetheless.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
But then life’s full of surprises for the Enniskillen-born star, doubling his Ireland caps from four to eight, a Six nations debut, a Triple Crown and a Rising Star award.”<\/p>\n