Stuart McCloskey is open to the idea of playing in the forwards and becoming a hybrid player for Ulster and Ireland, but has some work to do if he is to convince one coach.<\/b><\/p>\n
This comes after Andre Esterhuizen\u2019s success in doing just that for the Springboks<\/a> in 2025, with the centre repeatedly coming off the bench for South Africa and featuring at flank despite playing his entire career in the midfield.<\/p>\n McCloskey and Esterhuizen are of a similar build, both standing at around 1.93 m tall and weighing north of 115 kilograms. Furthermore, they share similarities with their international<\/a> careers, with appearances coming in dribs and drabs, as both Ireland<\/a> and South Africa have had a plethora of talented centres ahead of them.<\/p>\n That all changed for Esterhuizen<\/a> in 2025 when Tony Brown tabled the idea of experimenting<\/a> with the Sharks star as an option in the forward pack as well as the bench. Knowing that this could improve his chances of more regular appearances for the Springboks, the 31-year-old jumped at the opportunity and added 10 caps to his name in 2025, having earned 19 appearances between 2018 and 2024.<\/p>\n While McCloskey<\/a> started all five of Ireland\u2019s Six Nations matches this Championship, thanks in part to both Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw being absent at the start of the campaign, he has previously struggled to lock in a regular place in the matchday 23 and if he is to copy his South African counterpart\u2019s ploy, his argument to forward\u2019s coach Paul O\u2019Connell will need to be more convincing.<\/p>\n McCloskey\u2019s hybrid bid<\/p>\n The powerhouse centre discussed the prospect of becoming a hybrid player when the question was posed to him by Springboks legend Jean de Villiers on the Verdict podcast.<\/p>\n \u201cAndre Esterhuizen is covering the flank and midfield. You certainly come into that category as well. Is that something you\u2019d consider?\u201d De Villiers asked.<\/p>\n \u201cAndre does it pretty well now. I don\u2019t think it will ever be at his level,\u201d McCloskey replied.<\/p>\n \u201cI keep joking to Paul O\u2019Connell that I should do it, and he laughs me off. He doesn\u2019t really give me much time.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, I don\u2019t think I\u2019m on his radar, but listen, I\u2019d never say no. I don\u2019t know what role that\u2019ll be.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m 117 kilos, surely I could get the maul all going at that point.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is massive,\u201d De Villiers quipped.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could definitely do a job there. You\u2019ll get into the Bok pack with that body, speed and skillset.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExactly!\u201d McCloskey replied with De Villiers adding: \u201cYeah, come on Paulie, give him a go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Give me a go,\u201d the Ireland star said.<\/p>\n Rating every Ireland player from the 2026 Six Nations: \u2018Video game cheat code\u2019 provides career defining contribution but there was also a \u2018horrible experience\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Perhaps O\u2019Connell\u2019s hesitation stems from McCloskey\u2019s previous admission though, as the centre said he is reluctant to get stuck into the coach\u2019s breakdown and forwards sessions.<\/p>\n \u201cHow is Paul O\u2019Connell in that environment? Because he\u2019s an absolute legend of a man in my eyes,\u201d De Villiers asked earlier in the podcast.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s great, he\u2019s probably not quite as intense as he was as a player, thankfully,\u201d McCloskey replied.<\/p>\n \u201cHe does breakdown and forwards, neither of which I try to take too much part in.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s funny he\u2019s coaching the breakdown now, but some of his breakdown clips from maybe 15 years ago, you would have got red-carded and banned for about 10 weeks every game \u2013 that\u2019s how the times have changed.\u201d<\/p>\n