Brodie Coughlan has taken a rather circuitous route to the verge of full international status following his selection in Steve Tandy’s first Wales squad.
His senior rugby debut came for Newport back in 2019 in the old WRU Premiership. After his first start against Llandovery the club website posted this comment on Twitter:
On his first start for @NewportRFC young @Brodcog stepped in and delivered a man of the match performance helping us secure a rare win at Llandovery. Watch this guy, he can go a long way in the game. #cotp
The post was accompanied by a dressing room picture of a beaming Coghlan, still only 18, enjoying every second of the occasion. He was a very happy hooker.
From Newport he headed north to RGC, where regular game time got him battle hardened for what lay ahead of him – another example of the Premiership, and now Super Rygbi Cymru, playing its part in the development process of Wales’ future stars.
He played for Wales U19 and was included among three hookers in the 2020 Wales U20 squad. He didn’t get a game – Will Griffiths and Dom Booth picked up the caps – but this week finds himself back in a Welsh set-up with five players from his U20 days.
Jacob Beetham, Jac Morgan, James Fender, Ben Carter and Archie Griffin were all in the U20 squad with him and both he and second row Fender are now hoping to pick up a first senior cap in the upcoming Quilter National Series matches against Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.
His Dragons debut came in South Africa against the Lions on 10 December 2022 and he has now made 43 appearances for his home region. Three games later he had a ‘pinch me’ moment when he packed down opposite his ultimate hero, the World Cup winning Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis, when he came on as a replacement for the Dragons against the Bulls.
He may have stopped short of asking for an autograph after the game, but Coghlan ensured there was a quick snap of him with Du Plessis taken post-match.
As he was cutting his teeth at the Dragons’ he had Elliot Dee and Bradley Roberts ahead of him in the pecking order. He also had to fight it out with Ellis Shipp and James Benjamin for a shot at the No 2 jersey.
Dee and Benjamin are both still around, but Coghlan is enjoying plenty of game time at the moment and did enough to impress Tandy at the start of this season to earn a call-up.
“It’s a childhood dream come true, extremely special, and my family are absolutely thrilled. It’s an amazing feeling,” said Coghlan after hearing news of his squad selection.
“Steve Tandy rang me the night before the announcement, and I wasn’t expecting it. I wasn’t sure if it was actually him because I obviously didn’t have his contact saved.
“When he said his name, I paused for a second because I wasn’t sure if it was one of my mates having me on. But then I thought ‘Oh my God, this is actually him’ and my heart absolutely dropped – I was shaking, I was really startled.
“I took it very kindly that he let me know the night before personally. It meant a lot that he would reach out to me and congratulate me on a personal level.
“I went in and told my mum straight away and she was tearing up. It was a very special moment.
“I am just really grateful to have the chance now to potentially get a cap for Wales. I can’t wait.”
If he does make the grade next month then one of the first people he will have to thank is former Wales Grand Slammer Rob Sidoli. It was the former Wales second row who convinced Coghlan to switch from the back row or prop to hooker while he was at Newport High School
His transition from novice hooker to potential Welsh international may have taken eight years, but it will be worth every ounce of sweat and drop of blood if he makes it onto the hallowed turf of the Principality Stadium next month.
“I pride myself on working really hard and just giving my absolute everything. I’m not one to back down from a challenge, I’ll fly into anything,” admitted Coghlan.