Bit of banter keeps the blues away

When the lads were asking me on the way back I didn't want to say `no way' in case any of the officials were looking so I just said I didn't think so. But had I not seen it again, had there been no such thing as replays, I really wouldn't have known. I didn't know myself. But in hindsight I don't think so. Yeah, okay, it might have been a bit dubious but if the fifth official wants to give it to me I'd be stupid not to take it.

I didn't realise until later that no downward pressure was required. I'd say not a lot of people know that. It just shows that nobody really knows all the rules.

I was having a laugh during the replays. After the cheer for the first replay I gave my try-scoring signal below camera level and there was another big roar. That was funny. I would have done it after the try but I didn't know if it was a try, and I didn't want to look like a muppet. That would be like Robbie Keane doing a back flip and then no goal. But I'm never going to reveal what that gesture means. Then again, never say never.

New year - old acquaintances

(Euro warm-up Munster v Leinster, January 5th) THE last time I'd played against Munster was right after my first cap against Australia at the start of last season, when Leinster played them down in Con. This season I was pulled from the one in Musgrave Park at the last minute and I'd missed the one in Donnybrook last November, so it was great fun to play against Rog (Ronan O'Gara) and the boys. There was plenty of chat and a bit of tripping here and there. As Rog said, though, if it was a serious game things could have got out of hand. I guess it just shows the competitive edge in us all. I was taken off at half-time and I was a bit annoyed about that but it was probably the right decision because I started stiffening up pretty quickly.

Throwing it away

(Leinster 34, Edinburgh Reivers 34)

WeE threw it away. A depressing night. I got a bit of a bang in the head and I was in ga-ga land for about 30 seconds. "How many fingers am I holding up, two or three? Hang on, I'm fine here." I actually felt grand. I wasn't a happy camper about that second half, though. Chris Paterson broke my tackle for one of their tries. Horrible. I don't know what I did, I went in to hit him and the next thing he just slipped out.

The following week on a quagmire away to Biarritz, anybody who was fast was slow and Leinster backs rely on that, their strong point is their speed. Had we beaten Edinburgh we would have made the quarters. Biarritz would have had to hose us, and with them playing a different game there would have been opportunities. So we knew it was a serious missed opportunity against Edinburgh more than Biarritz.

I damaged my shoulder late on against Biarritz. I started making really good progress but then it stopped improving. Eventually it was decided that in everybody's interest I'd miss the Italian game. I've only played 13 games this season. If I was in England I'd easily have played at least double that at this stage. I'd be cabbaged. I feel revitalised. There's a fine line between being match hardened and feeling fresh. You do need a certain amount of freshness to have a spark again.

Tennis with George and Brent

I was in the RTE studios for the Italian game. Different. I was very nervous. In hindsight I'd be so much more relaxed, and I'd know how to answer questions instead of rambling on. In general it was grand and it was nice to do something different like that. I played a bit of tennis at stages as the two boys played off each other. I went home with a big crick in my neck that night.

An encore with the French

In the weeks building up to this game I was pretty much inundated with requests for interviews. Before I'd have said no to them, as it was too much pressure but I think I've come to terms with it a bit more. I tried to please as many people as possible because they're going to be writing about you no matter so you might as well have some influence over it. So the Tuesday before the game was a bit mad, I couldn't believe how many interviews I had to do.

I was looking forward to the French game more than anything else, to see how it was going to differ from last year. It was more excitement than pressure. It helps that we have such a good laugh together and I'm one for having a bit of banter on the pitch, especially if there's a break in the play. There's no point in talking tactics, tactics, tactics the whole time on the pitch. If you're not having a giggle and it's all serious that's not for me. That's generally not a problem with the Munster boys either!

When I went in at half-time I was a little bit disappointed given the amount of ball we had. People didn't realise that there was a fair old wind out there, and I thought we were going to have it very tough in the second half. But we went out and Rog knocked over another penalty, then we got the try and then another penalty. That 15 minutes or so was fantastic, the best rugby we've played in a long time.

I don't think we stopped playing then. They started playing French. I thought Maggsy did well when he came on, setting targets, which was what we needed. The last five minutes were savage.

Although it went very well for the team and for me personally I was a bit worried after the game that perhaps I held on to a bit too much ball because there really wasn't much of an opportunity to spin it wide and break them. They always seemed to have man for man so I thought why throw it out to another man and get Denis to go into a ruck when the forwards had to go further to him? I thought why don't I bury my head and let him (Denis) go in and ruck on me? I looked at the video and thought it was grand except for one time when we made a turnover, I was penalised for not releasing. But you're going to get one in a game.

The next few days were a little bit mad. I went into town on the Sunday and people in cars were rolling down their windows, or giving me the thumbs up. It was just weird. I'm happy being in the public glare on a rugby pitch, but I like to keep my privacy just that, private. It's fine people recognising me and having something nice to say, once you don't get too carried away with it, but not when people want to know more than is their business. Judge me on my rugby. But I'm getting used to it more than I was a year ago.

I was talking to Hendo (Rob Henderson) recently and he told me a journalist came up to him and asked him if I was cocky and Hendo said: "No, he's just someone who's extremely confident in his own ability." And I'm kind of getting a consensus now that a lot of the journalists think I'm cocky. I'd dislike being perceived as cocky. I may be cocky on the pitch, but that's healthy, once you don't have cockiness off it. As for the team being nothing without me, that makes me want to cringe and fold up into the foetus position. That's nothing short of embarrassing when somebody says something so ridiculous.

Moving on

It was a good win against the French, but it's no good if we don't beat Wales. I saw them against the Scots. They're good. When Neil Jenkins plays well they play well. They'll be tough to beat there.

But when you're playing in great stadiums like that you don't think of it so much as being away. The crowd is enclosed which makes for a great atmosphere, which you can thrive on. It's just a fantastic stadium and a great pitch. But it's still two sets of posts, two sidelines, two try lines, two dead-ball lines. No reason not to play quality rugby.

(In an interview with Gerry Thornley).