Jack O’Donoghue is confident he can fight for a place in Ireland’s fiercely-competitive back row in the years to come after receiving his first call-up during the 2016 RBS 6 Nations.
The 22-year-old has been a standout performer for Munster this season and he was added to the Ireland squad by head coach Joe Schmidt earlier this month.
O’Donoghue has captained Ireland at Under-18 and Under-20 level and believes he can make his mark in the senior ranks, even if he admits to being nervous at first.
Find out who made the Accenture Team of the Championship!
“It was kind of a shock. I didn’t really see myself in the RBS 6 Nations mix but it came and I’m delighted,” O’Donoghue told the Irish Independent.
“When I got up there I was a bit nervous – you are thrown into the deep end.
“I was just sticking to what I do know and do well at Munster. I really enjoyed my experience.
“You see from the week with Ireland, that is the standard I need to get to and even though I might not be there physically and size-wise but at the end of the season if I can show that I can be a dominant back-row, I can push for Ireland in the next year or so.”
