Ulster’s ​Scott Wilson living the dream

The former Wallace High School front rower was expecting to see action with his club Queen’s in the second tier of the All Ireland League on Saturday but played the last half hour against Munster and received many plaudits. It has been quite the elevation for the Ireland U20s’ Grand Slam winner after having recovered from three surgeries last season.

“I found out on Monday morning, I actually missed the meeting I was training with the academy and was in the physio room getting strapped, “ said Wilson. “One of the physios came in and said ‘Have you heard the news you are on the bench this weekend?’ then I found out from Dan (McFarland) he told me what he wanted and I just went from there.

“It was a big build-up and obviously playing at 7.35 it’s a long day...I just tried to keep myself busy, I have to give a lot of credit to Iain (Iain Henderson) and Rob (Herring), they really helped me this week and helped settle my nerves and I couldn’t ask for any more.

“I went for lunch with my dad (on matchday), my granddad is home from Spain to watch the game so went for lunch with them on the Ormeau Road, got back to the house then straight back out again for a coffee with a few friends, I didn’t really want to be stuck thinking about it.”

Wilson explained his catalogue of injuries which curtailed progress as “I ruptured my UCL in my elbow, I was out between August and December, then I did my ankle and had two surgeries on it”.

Beating the URC champions and an Irish province couldn’t have been scripted any better.

“It’s crazy, it’s definitely a dream come true, it is something that I have visioned my entire life,” he said. “When I got the opportunity to come into the age grade, the U20s then I eventually came into the academy I have been dreaming and hoping my first cap was at Kingspan, so to get that opportunity at practically a sold-out stadium is pretty nice.

“I sort of expected to get 10 to 15 minutes then at half-time I was told I’m going on at 50 minutes, my heart sank a wee bit but thankfully I was going on with ‘Squish’ (Herring) and ‘Hendy’ (Henderson).

“Once I got on the pitch the nerves were able to settle the atmosphere was ridiculous I’ve never heard anything like it.

“I was slightly nervous at the first scrum but I had ‘Hendy’ behind me and Dave McCann on the flank and Rob Herring at hooker so I couldn’t have had any more in the scrum, I just went trough my processes and go from there.

“I knew it was going to be a tight physical game because that is what Munster bring and we had prepped for that...we knew we had to be physical in the carries and physical in the tackles and beat them physically and I think we definitely brought that in the second half.”