HEINEKEN CUP INTERVIEW WITH CIAN HEALY:CIAN HEALY was two years of age when Nick Popplewell was first capped by Ireland and 11 when the Ireland and Lions prop won his 48th and final cap for the national side.
During the week a reference was made to the similarity in playing styles; both strong, quick and with a skill set properly appreciated when contrasted with traditional frontrow chores.
When apprised of the comparison, Healy smiled and offered an apologetic shrug. “My dad slagged me but that’s about it. You glance at those (things) but you have to leave them aside especially in a week of a Heineken Cup (match). You can’t really get caught up with any of the media stuff . . . no offence, lads.”
When the laughter had subsided, an inquiry as to whether he remembered Popplewell in his playing days was greeted with a quiet ‘no’. It reinforced in an instant his youth (21) and how much progress he’s made in a relatively short time from schoolboy phenomenon to a player who has become a mainstay of the Leinster frontrow in recent times, starting their last five matches.
Healy prefers to root himself in the present, a cherished virtue in coping with the demands of a professional sporting career and one that betrays the impatience of the young. He has already squirreled away a kit-bag full of honours in both rugby and athletics but has no intention on dusting those down until he has finished playing.
While others marvel at what he has achieved in a short space of time in such a physically demanding position, he refuses to be distracted by the plaudits. He doesn’t see his age as a barrier. His aptitude for absorbing instruction and innate footballing ability are the qualities that have fast-tracked his development.
He doesn’t mind being the poster child for future of propping in Ireland; he doesn’t view it as a burden. “No, not really, it’s more people just saying it. I don’t look on it as extra pressure. It might even help a bit in the sense that I better not let all these people down. I am just sticking to what I have been doing and hopefully continuing to progress.”
He is quick to pay tribute to the coterie of coaches and players that have furthered his education. In recent weeks he has acquitted himself capably against a former Springbok tighthead, BJ Botha, and Ireland’s tighthead colossus, John Hayes. “It’s a testament to all the coaches, Jono Gibbes and Cheiks and the lads as well, Stan (Wright), CJ (van der Linde) and Ollie (le Roux) have done huge work with me and helped me out this season. They have picked me up from where I was and taken me two steps above it. I owe an awful lot to those guys for that.”
There is no time for reflection as on Sunday Healy will take his place in the Leinster frontrow when the Irish province squares up to Harlequins in a Heineken Cup quarter-final at the Stoop. He’ll oppose Cork-born Mike Ross in a direct contest, one given a certain resonance by the fact that they’ll be team-mates next season at Leinster.
That certainly won’t be a consideration on Sunday. The ’Quins pack has earned a formidable reputation at scrum time and Healy has been dutifully diligent in research.
“They are a solid scrum (and) we are coming on as a solid scrum so I think it is going to be a really, really good challenge. Fingers crossed if I am selected to be involved in that challenge it will be the biggest so far in my career. In games they are getting pushover tries and stuff. That’s something that hasn’t happened to us this season – and won’t happen to us this season.
“I don’t think we are only looking to hold their scrum this weekend. We are looking to put them on the back foot and get ball for our backrow and nine and 10.”
Healy doesn’t place any store in the abstract, dismissing any talk that the euphoria of Ireland’s Grand Slam would permeate through to provincial level. “Not really other than for the personnel involved in that win. They are still on a very big high. We’re focusing on ourselves, not looking at what’s gone by; it’s what’s in our future.”
His looks especially bright and Sunday would be a good time to pen another chapter of success.
CIAN HEALY
Club: Clontarf
School: Belvedere College
Leinster A caps: 1 (v Munster)
Ireland A caps: 5 (v England x2, USA, Argentina, Scotland)
Ireland Under-20 caps: 4 (v France, England, Scotland, Italy). Member of 2007 Ireland Under-20 Grand Slam-winning squad.
Leinster Under-20 caps: 4
Ireland Under-19 caps: 7
Ireland Under-19 A caps: 1
Leinster Under-19 Schools caps: 4
Ireland Schools caps: 3
Leinster Schools caps: 4
