Jack McGrath: Ulster coach Dan McFarland says prop is 'my kind of player'

A thumb injury he sustained in November has restricted McGrath's Ulster career to 10 games but already he has made a big impression for Dan McFarland's squad

"Jack McGrath's my kind of player. I like those nasty fellas," smiles Ulster coach Dan McFarland.

As a few of us have found out, when we've been slightly loose (guilty!) or possibly even inaccurate with our language in reporting on him and his players, McFarland doesn't suffer fools.

Though invariably a very civil interviewee, Jack McGrath is wont to make similarly forceful and direct interjections when the occasion warrants it in a rugby context and McFarland loves having him about the place in Ulster.

"Off the pitch Jack says it how it is," said the Ulster coach this week.

"He doesn't care what people think of him and if it needs saying, he'll say it. There aren't many people like that.

"You can't underestimate the power of that when it is backed up by his credibility and the legacy he has in rugby.

"I knew Jack before he came here and I had a lot of time for Jack as a person.

"Jack is a competitor. I'm not even going to talk about what be brings on the field because we all know what he brings there, his scrummaging, his size, his muscularity, his physicality."

McGrath a believer in 'constructive criticism'

From the outside looking in last year, Ulster could have been interpreted as taking a bit of a gamble in signing a 29-year-old British and Irish Lions prop whose career had stalled somewhat both at Leinster and with Ireland amid a long-term hip injury.

But some 18 months on, it looks like a smart piece of business by McFarland and Bryn Cunningham with Ulster moving fast to secure him for two more years when handing him a contract extension back in March.

A dislocated thumb suffered in a Champions Cup game against Clermont-Auvergne in November meant McGrath has made just 10 appearances in his Ulster career but already he has put his imprint on the province by helping them reach knockout stage in Europe in addition to being on the brink of a semi-finals place in the interrupted Pro14 campaign.

For his part, the 56-times Irish capped prop admits he is a believer in "constructive criticism".

"There is no point in bigging people up if they haven't done something right. You need to call them out. That's the ruthlessness of the sport that we are in.

"If you want to get to the next level you can't leave any stone unturned and that's what we're trying to do here, push each to the next level every time we train.

"It's been an enjoyable process for me. Probably a little bit different from what they were used to before."

Dan McFarland says he admires McGrath's "tells it as it is" mentality

'We're building up nicely'

McGrath's assertive role within the group no doubt meant that he remained a vocal presence during the squad's regular remote lockdown get-togethers.

"We would have stayed in contact as a team a lot and spoken of the goals we wanted to get to when we came back to training and playing together," adds the 30-year-old.

Now that that time has arrived as Sunday's Pro14 game against Connacht looms, McGrath appears quietly confident that Ulster will be ready to hit the ground running despite their six months of competitive inactivity.

"We're building up nicely. We don't want to be playing the game early in the week," said McGrath after Tuesday's training session.

"We had a good training day today, we're in tomorrow and then we're off Thursday so we know how much is on the line for us at the weekend."

The physical exertions of scrummaging are something even rugby team-mates can have no real concept of but McGrath says he has prepared as well as he can given the circumstances which entailed non-contacted up until comparatively recently and no warm-up games.

"There was a day there last week where we were able to do a few scrums and I was feeling it after that. The bones were rattling a bit.

"We've a fine bit of work in now. It shouldn't be an issue for the weekend."

'It's nice to get outside the Dublin bubble'

McGrath's propensity to give the occasional bit of direct advice hasn't stopped him from becoming a popular member of the squad.

"It's been unbelievably enjoyable. The lads have taken me in. The guys are unbelievable craic. It's just a good group of lads and an enjoyable place to come into every day.

"It's nice to get outside the (Dublin) bubble as well and to test yourself somewhere else.

"It's a different culture and stepping outside your comfort zone is a massive thing but it's been great.

"All I can say is that it's been positive for me. I've loved every minute of it.

"It can be difficult at times when you are away from your family but at the end of the day, it's only two hours down the road."