“He’s certainly done that, taken the jersey and he’s reluctant to let go of it.”
A centre by trade, O’Loughlin has been making his name on Leinster’s wing of late. His debut and run of 11 appearances so far this campaign are thanks to some excellent summer form that forced him into Cullen’s thoughts.
“He’s carried on his momentum,” the head coach said after the New Year’s Eve win, “trained really well in pre-season, performed well in the pre-season games.
“Like, the window’s there for all players. We used a lot of players in pre-season, the window’s there for guys and he’s someone who has taken his chance. He’s gone from strength to strength and I’m delighted to see him score twice.
Source: Gary Carr/INPHO
“The try he scored in the first half is an outstanding individual effort. He’s working hard and it’s great to see.”
The try Cullen mentions is a strong contender for Leinster’s try of the season. O’Loughlin burst onto Ross Byrne’s pop pass and scorched through the Ulster defensive line. Once through the gap, his brain and feet kept working.