McCloskey's Viral Tackle Highlights Ireland's Record Win at Twickenham
During Ireland's historic away victory over England at Twickenham, Stuart McCloskey's tackle on Marcus Smith quickly gained widespread attention online.
Throughout the Six Nations, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell utilized 35 players, but only two featured in every match. One was captain Caelan Doris, and the other was Stuart McCloskey.
Following an injury-affected autumn season, McCloskey delivered an exceptional championship performance, playing a key role in Ireland's Triple Crown success.
He led Ireland in several key metrics, including carries (74), offloads (eight), try assists (six), defenders beaten (20), and post-contact metres (105). One of the tournament's standout moments was his chase and tackle on Marcus Smith during the victory over England.
In the final moments of Ireland's record 42-21 win at Twickenham, McCloskey sprinted back and forcefully pushed the England back into touch, a play that attracted significant online attention.
The 33-year-old admitted it was difficult to avoid seeing the clip or receiving messages about it in the days following the game.
"It was hilarious, after my phone has never been buzzed as much in my whole life," he told the Ireland Rugby Social podcast.
"I had a few messages for the quarterback offload to Rob [Baloucoune for Ireland's third try in their win over Italy] the week before but the chase down of Marcus went viral, you couldn't not see it for three or four days!"
McCloskey's Consistent Presence in Ireland's Six Nations Campaign
McCloskey started all five of Ireland's Six Nations games as they secured the Triple Crown.
His resurgence at the Test level has been a gradual process. The Ulster player made his Ireland debut in 2016 but had to wait patiently for a sustained opportunity at centre, with established players like Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw ahead of him.
However, with Aki suspended for the first three games and Henshaw facing injury issues, McCloskey seized the chance he had long anticipated.
"I didn't think it would take to 33 to get to five games in a row in the Six Nations," he said.
"I never thought I was too far away from actually playing and, not being arrogant, but I backed my ability that I still thought I had it and was a pretty good player.
"Testament to Faz who kept me wanting to do it, it's easy for lads to get disheartened when not playing but it was a good environment to be in."
From Rivalry to Friendship: McCloskey and Aki's Relationship
McCloskey and Bundee Aki engaged in a playful exchange when Ulster defeated Connacht 29-24 in December.
While they are now friends, McCloskey acknowledged that during their younger years, their relationship was less amicable due to competition for the same position.
"In our younger years there was probably a bit more friction and we didn't get on that well, we wouldn't have been as friendly," McCloskey admitted.
"But now, as time has gone on, we've spent so much time in the squad together we are quite friendly now.
"It wouldn't have been a bad thing, we were both really competitive. I was trying to get past him when he was nearly world player of the year one year and Robbie was there, we've all been there for the guts of six seven years, it's a good relationship.
"We're all as happy as we can be when the other is playing and going well. There's a bit of jealousy, I'm sure the lads would have loved to play this tournament if Robbie hadn't been injured or Bundee having the small ban."
Memorable Moments and Mental Strain of the Tournament
When asked about personal and team highlights from a Six Nations in which he excelled and Ireland narrowly missed the championship, McCloskey highlighted the NFL-style try assist to Rob Baloucoune against Italy and the post-match celebrations following the England win.
"I probably liked the quarterback one to Rob more, it was a bit different," he explained.
"The Marcus Smith one is there and will always be there as a nice moment to have, but those offloads are a bit different and showed my game.
"As a team, probably England and celebrations after. It's hard to decide which was better but at the weekend [after beating Scotland] sitting having a few pints with the lads and properly cheering on England, living on every drop ball.
"It was great but I was mentally drained watching.
"It will be a Six Nations they'll remember for a long time. The weather was good for a lot of it, format was good, some of the new rules made more open play so it all culminated in a great tournament."
Stuart McCloskey: Centre of Attention
