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.
This comes after Andre Esterhuizen’s success in doing just that for the Springboks 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.
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 careers, with appearances coming in dribs and drabs, as both Ireland and South Africa have had a plethora of talented centres ahead of them.
That…