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18th December 2019
12:48pm GMT
(Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile)[/caption]
On Ulster's recent form, inspired by the likes of Cooney, Jordi Murphy, Marcell Coetzee, Matt Faddes, Iain Henderson and Stuart McCloskey, Murphy says, "They look like a machine right now.
"John Cooney is probably the best player in the country at the moment, winning games for them. And I loved when they got the bonus point (against Harlequins) and he was straight off the pitch."
While Murphy shares the views of many Irish rugby supporters, and pundits, that Cooney has done enough to be a starter for Ireland in the Six Nations, Trimble and Flannery are not so sure. That is not to suggest they don't feel he merits the No.9 jersey, it is going on his recent involvements with Ireland and the fact that they may be starting the Six Nations without Johnny Sexton. Trimble says:
"Cooney thrives when there are people talking about him and there are high expectations. A lot of what Ulster do revolves around him. He's the centre of everything. In those circumstances, he grows and looks more confident and capable." "I'd be interested to see," he adds, "that, say we get to the Six Nations and Farrell doesn't pick him, would that knock his confidence?""I understand that he'd get a knock-back," Flannery says, "but he knows he's playing well. You don't need to get picked by the national coach to know you are playing well, and he's playing outstandingly. Trimble's somewhat pessimistic take is couched more in realism:
"Cooney is playing out of this world right now... but it's still Conor Murray."Conor Murray has been Ireland's starting scrum-half for eight years now and he has been in the world-class bracket for seven of those years. His 2019 may not have hit previous highs but Farrell may well stick with him for the start of the Six Nations, especially as Sexton may not be back in time and changing up both half backs could be a move waiting to backfire. "Pragmatically," says Flannery,"if I was picking an Ireland team in the morning, I'd start Conor Murray and go with Cooney on the bench. And if Cooney's delivering... listen, there's still a good way to go [to the Six Nations] and I wouldn't write Murray off."
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