Kieran Marmion is keen to make the most of any opportunities he gets in the Ireland team after a positive summer tour.
The Connacht man has stiff competition for the No. 9 jersey but after impressing during Joe Schmidt side’s tour of Japan and the US, Marmion is more determined than ever to keep fighting for his place. “I was happy with how the summer tour went. It was great to get that exposure and game-time,” the 25-year-old said. “I’ve just got to go out week to week and try and improve my game. As a scrum-half, the basics of the game are the most important – you never stop working on your passing and kicking.” The English-born scrum-half made his debut for Ireland three years ago and started the Championship-concluding win over England at this year’s Six Nations. But Marmion faces competition in the form of British & Irish Lion Conor Murray, who has been the epitome of consistency for the boys in green.
Yet the Connacht man remains upbeat and despite making all four of his 16 caps from the bench, he is eager to fight for his place. Marmion played in all three test this summer and revealed he has not given up on nailing down a starting jersey. He said: “You don’t lose heart but you know you’re up against pretty good competition. “It’s going to be tough. You’ve just got to make sure you make the most of every opportunity you get, and there are not that many opportunities when there is someone like that ahead of you.”
