Jordan Conroy’s journey from slow starter to deadly finisher

Jordan Conroy has been a real revelation for the Irish men's sevens team this year.

After scoring eight tries at his debut tournament in Paris last month, Conroy scored four of Ireland's 17 tries at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco as Anthony Eddy's side claimed the Challenge Trophy following a 24-14 win over Australia. https://twitter.com/WorldRugby7s/status/1020792316766932992 The Tullamore native scored three of his four tries at the World Cup against Kenya, which takes him to 12 tries in 11 games for the season, but he was a late starter in rugby even if he has proven to be a fast finisher since his arrival in the condensed game.

"He did a little bit of training in mini-rugby but he didn't stay too long at it," said Denis Magner, Conroy's former teacher and coach at Tullamore College. "He went to soccer and he was a superb soccer player. He played with Tullamore, he played with Athlone Town and he played with St. Patrick's Athletic for a shortwhile. "I was teaching him in school and we had rugby at the school and I was trying to get him to play on the school team. He was into athletics, he was seriously into athletics, and he would run for the school and for Tullamore Harriers. "We were going reasonably well in our schools competition and we were in a development shield semi-final and we asked Jordan would he come to see if we could get him going again with the rugby because he had great pace. "We didn't start him in the semi-final because it would have been unfair to the other lads who had been training, but we brought him on in the end and then in the final we were up against Oatlands College and we decided we'd throw Jordan in at full-back. "It was tit-for-tat, both defences were on top, and then they eventually decided that the only way they could get into our half was to kick the ball in behind us. "They kicked the ball into the corner, he caught the ball on the right side of the pitch and he cut right back across the pitch, up the sideline and in under the posts. "He skinned everybody. Everybody. It was great and 10 minutes later he did the same thing again."

https://twitter.com/HSBC_Sport/status/1004410848733999115 The story is familiar to Michael Silke of Buccaneers Rugby. The club were first made aware of Conroy through his exploits with Athlone Town's underage sides and eventually they were able to bring him to the club after he had impressed with Tullamore Rugby club after school. The Buccaneers convinced him to come on board and he immediately impressed with his linebreaking ability notching 18 tries in 15 matches as the club won promotion to the Ulster Bank League Division 1A. Conroy was limited to just two appearances last season with the Bucs, due to injury and his commitments with the Irish sevens team, but similar stories emerge in Athlone of his ease in finding the line.

"I remember one match we had a line-out on the opposition's 10-metre line on the far side of the pitch and they were all saying 'watch the winger, watch the winger'," said Silke. "We got the ball out to him anyway and he beat three defenders with his footwork and scored. He has an eye for a gap and he just knows how to get over the line."

Conroy's athletic ability had been clear from an early age and he had a number of different avenues he could pursue with his physical talents. Athletics was there for him, as was professional soccer too with Athlone Town and St. Pats, but Magner helped convinced him and his mother, who he had moved to Ireland with from Germany when he was just 10-years-old, that rugby would be the best option for him.

"We were just wondering where he would go," added Magner. "The soccer is a cutthroat business. He played with Athlone and St. Pats but if you think of the number of fellas that go over to England and make it, it's very small. "We always thought that if he was going to make it anywhere it would be in rugby, and we advised the family that as well. "We felt that he'd be better off in rugby because it would be a better avenue for him in terms of networking and even getting some jobs through feeder clubs even if he didn't quite go down the professional route. That's where he is at the moment and he's doing very well for himself."

Conroy is currently contracted to the Irish Sevens team and his performances on the sevens circuit may pique the interest of some of the Irish provinces in the 15-man game, namely Connacht where he played with their academy side, but even if there is limited interest among the provinces for him, he's still come along way from sitting on the bench for Tullamore College in the Leinster Senior Development Shield. Conroy was a late bloomer but a fast riser, and evidently, a fast finisher too. https://twitter.com/eirSport/status/881492403684880384