Talon McMullen: 'Each game is a different and valuable memory and I'll make the most of it'

Garnering several headlines in the 2024 Asahi Pacific Nations Cup, highly touted Canadian centre Talon McMullen is enjoying a breakthrough first season in the red jersey.

Stamping his authority early in the tournament with a top-class display against Japan, including nine carries for fifty-four meters and a superbly taken try in his third test match.

Glancing back on his debut in July of this year, McMullen was reflective and passionate when talking about the occasion.

“It’s a dream come true, as cliché as it sounds,” he said before admitting the experience was not for the faint of heart. I mean, it’s like everyone’s debut. It’s scary, it’s nerve-racking, but then, at the same time, it’s an important highlight in my life.

“Growing up in Vancouver, the goal was always to get to the national team, even if the pathway wasn’t super clear to begin with.

“Being able to debut against Scotland was scary but fun, and then being able to play against Japan at home with my twin brother was probably one of the highlights of my life so far.”

Still just 22 years old, the powerful centre is very much in the infancy of his rugby career. Making his rise even more impressive is his ability to manage his commitments as a full-time student with a sports scholarship. In fact, McMullen is currently missing the beginning of his final year to be with the Canadian squad in Japan.

Peeking into the future about where his career can go over the coming years, completing his degree is firmly his priority.

“I still have another year of school to do, so I’m going back to the University of British Columbia in the fall and spring, and then from there, I’m looking to find other pathways.”

Unlike other top college rugby prospects in North America, McMullen is not ready to follow the now-standard pathway of being drafted to a team in the Major League Rugby (MLR) competition. Instead, the history major is looking further afield to become a trailblazer for the new generation of Canadian rugby players.

Delving into his plans, the introspective youngster displays a drive for self-improvement that far exceeds his years.

“The MLR is not a dead-set pathway for me right now as I’m leaning towards overseas because I feel like Rugby in North America just needs more of that. We need more players heading overseas to experience how other countries play and how they’re successful and then be able to bring it back home and integrate it into how we play.”

When pressed on where his preferred destination would be, McMullen, who is already well-versed in different rugby cultures, was unbridled by any one particular avenue. Feeling that a move to one of European rugby’s top leagues or the southern hemisphere’s Super Rugby would allow him to bring back knowledge to his home country, McMullen was cognisant of not being pigeonholed.

“Honestly, I’m at a point where any call I get, I will take.

“France is appealing even though I don’t know a lot of French, but I’m taking French in school right now, so maybe I can put it to use.

“I am open to anywhere in the world as I feel as though rugby in North America is very isolated.

“In order to grow rather than just have international players come from overseas and bolster our squads, we need to be able to head out and get experience, which will allow us to bring that back with us.”

Clearly unafraid to take a chance on himself, the British Columbia native paid tribute to his childhood as a key factor behind his drive for excellence.

“I’m the youngest of six kids; Takoda is nineteen minutes older than me. As we were growing up, we watched our oldest brother, who is eleven years older than us, play rugby, which got us into it.

“We were very fortunate that our high school coach loved the game and wanted to grow it; we actually went to school with two other guys on tour now.

“There’s the debate ‘Do you specialise in one sport?’  Or do you just play every sport? I’m very much a believer in the approach of playing every sport.

“Growing up playing soccer taught me how to kick a ball and how to run in space.

“Then volleyball taught me how to be really good with my hands, how to jump and be athletic in the air.

“Rugby then allowed me, as the youngest of five brothers, to be more brutish than I was allowed to be in soccer.”

Using this varied skillset, McMullin was one of his team’s top performers in their opening-round clash with Eddie Jones’s high-flying Japanese team.

Scoring a scintillating try from the first phase, McMullin laid the platform for his brother to secure a four-try bonus point as time expired, which was a clear display of the never-say-die attitude of this Canadian team.

They couldn’t could they… 🤔

Canada get their second try in the second half through a brilliant piece of play from the set piece 🇨🇦#PacificNationsCup | #CANvJPN pic.twitter.com/JpTlezhUFx

— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) August 25, 2024

Breaking down his thought process at the moment, McMullen recalled the play with absolute clarity.

“My favourite part of rugby is the set piece because, as a twelve, I am often the first option from line-outs and scrums so it’s very much my bread and butter.

“The funny thing is, typically, I’d try to run over that winger, but then at that moment, I was like, I can’t just rely on that anymore; I have got to try to get around people because that’s the next step for me.

“I’m confident in contact, so it’s about starting to develop those other areas where it can be a multi-use weapon rather than just a battering ram.”

Aiding this development, McMullen paid tribute to the environment which has been cultivated under the Canadian coaching staff led by head coach Kingsley Jones.

“It’s an environment where it’s that stereotypical just be a sponge and take as much of the knowledge as possible, and then experiment with it.

“Phil (Mack) is unbelievable; he’s got so much experience as a backs coach and as a player. So, it’s a case of me bugging him all year with questions just trying to identify these little spaces that’ll make a difference at the next level.

“Then defensively, John McFarland is a very good coach who constantly comes up to me and Takoda with things to work on.”

Revelling in the opportunity to be surrounded by top-quality rugby minds 24/7, the centre admitted that he still catches himself being somewhat star-struck by both opponents and teammates that he grew up watching, such as fellow British Columbia University man Ben LeSage, who arrived in camp fresh off helping the New England Free Jacks secure back-to-back MLR titles.

“I’ve been watching the likes of Japan and Tonga for years, especially players like Ben Tameifuna. I probably watch every Bordeaux game, and so it’s been kind of cool to, like it was with Ben LeSage, turn this superstar into an actual person in front of me.

“It’s always kind of an interesting feeling to have that big name actually turn into someone you can talk to and interact with. He has been unreal as a resource and teammate, helping me to constantly keep working on my game.”

Touching on the dynamic between himself and brother Takoda, Talon’s demeanour clearly shows how much pride he takes in lining up in the national colours alongside his twin.

“We’re about as identical as it comes with being together; the longest we have been apart is a handful of days or a week.

“When you have a twin brother, everyone’s like, ‘Oh, do you guys just read each other’s minds?’ but it’s honestly more that we have practiced around each other so much that he knows where I’m going, and I know where he’s going.”

Operating at the first-choice centre pairing for their college team, the topic of Takoda’s role within the national set-up has been a talking point for Canadian fans throughout the Pacific Nations Cup. Offering his view on where his brother is best suited, McMullen acknowledged that at this stage it is very much situational given the quality of players across the Canadian backline.

“Right now it’s on a game by game basis and I know there’s a bit of difficulty. I know Takoda likes thirteen, but Ben LeSage is a very solid player so why would you take Ben off when you can put Takoda on the wing.

“The weird thing with us is we’re identical but I am an inch taller and twenty-five pounds heavier so that’s why I have benefitted with just being a centre.

“He could put a few pounds on and be a very good centre, or he could stay athletic and be a winger. He can also play fullback, so he has to make a decision, ‘what do I want? Where do I fit best into teams?’

“At university, it was me at twelve and him at thirteen, and from my nonbiased perspective, it was a lot of fun.”

Shifting tack towards the future, a philosophical McMullen would not be drawn into notions of grandeur; instead, he remained grounded in the reality of the challenges facing a tier two nation such as his.

“The difficult thing with Canadian Rugby is that it’s kind of hard to look down the line, because we have to worry about actually making a living.

“It’s just about working together and it’s exciting having a young squad but at the same time it can be frustrating at times because of the lack of experience.

“In four years from now, I’ll probably say something completely different. I loved being in the young squad because it gave me a shot to get on the field a lot earlier than I would’ve otherwise.”

As the curtains draw to a close for Canada in the 2024 Asahi Pacific Nations Cup, McMullen was able to take a moment to reflect on what has been a whirlwind start to what promises to be a fruitful career with many more campaigns to come.

“It’s one of those things where I like to look back on once I get home, and I think, damn, I got to go to Tokyo, and I got to play Japan at home in front of my family and friends.

“That’s one of my favourite things about rugby. It’s been able to take me around the world and has given me a multicultural perspective, which I think gives you a better outlook on life.

“Each game is a different and valuable memory to me, so even if I played badly, I’ll make the most of it.”