'Ultimate speed bump': The John Cooney reaction to TV pundit praise

John Cooney has celebrated the painful lengths he will go to to help Dan McFarland’s Ulster achieve success. The effort of the 33-year-old scrum-half was pivotal in his province’s New Year’s Day URC win at Leinster and he has now reacted on X to that body-on-the-line, one-point RDS victory.

It was Bernard Jackman, another former Ireland international, whose comments on the inspired Cooney resulted in the No9 commenting on social media.

Following the 22-21 rain-soaked contest, which put an end to Leinster’s nine-match winning streak this winter, Jackman posted a clip from the game that showed Cooney making a try-saving tackle when it seemed certain that Dan Sheehan was about to score following some maul chicanery.

Jackman said: “Great win for Ulster in the RDS and Billy Burns was superb. I know he got his head on the wrong side but this is some tackle by John Cooney to stop Dan Sheehan scoring in the corner.

"Especially as he would have seen him late with the NFL-style obstruction from the maul.”

Delighted that his successful last-ditch tackle has been highlighted, Cooney replied: “I’ve had three shoulder surgeries and neck disc damage, but I would still dive in front of anything for this jersey! I’m the ultimate speed bump.”

The victory lifted Ulster into fourth place on the URC table, six points behind leaders Leinster with nine of the 18 regular-season fixture rounds played.

They now have a break from league action until the middle of February, with the focus shifting to their upcoming Champions Cup games at home to Toulouse and away to Harlequins.