ON RUGBY:Game for anything at Quinlan's stag but anything for the game in camp with Ireland, writes BOB CASEY

AS THE plane taxied in from the runway in Cork airport I began to appreciate how much I was looking forward to catching up with old school friends at David Quinlan’s stag. It was a two-day affair and I was arriving for the second leg, so to speak. As I pointed out in a previous column I generally miss out on these occasions so if anything it makes you appreciate it more when you can make it.

There were about 25 of us and it’s amazing how quickly you slip back into the ebb and flow of banter. It didn’t take long to work out who’d be there from the night before, the pasty faces, the overpowering aftershave and the scrubbed, shiny faces a giveaway.

One of the highlights was Liverpool’s victory over Manchester United. The lines of demarcation were drawn, about half supporting each club, with the odd Leeds – and there’s no other word to describe them – fan thrown in. I must confess I know all the Liverpool songs and chants so the bar/restaurant was rocking.

Unfortunately, we hadn’t noticed a couple trying to enjoy a romantic meal until near the end of the match but in fairness to the four Quinlan brothers, they went and sorted out the couple’s bill.

I got a lift back to Dublin with Ciarán Scally and it reminded me just how tenuous a professional sporting career can be.

Skids was a brilliant scrumhalf at school, chosen ahead of Peter Stringer at various national age grades only to have his career ended by a knee injury; really before it had begun. Without wishing to sound too maudlin it does provide you with a sense of perspective and a reminder how misfortune can whisk away a career in an instant.

Still he’s happily married with a child and certainly doesn’t carry any scars.

He dropped me off at the Killiney Castle as I had been invited to spend time training with the Ireland squad. I knew I wouldn’t be involved against Australia but it was great to be included. Obviously I was in camp for the November Test series last season and also played during the summer tour but I was once again struck by the professionalism and how well the balance is struck between working hard and having some fun.

The coaching set-up is phenomenal; particularly the attention to detail, and that applies right across the backroom team. In training we wear heart-rate monitors and GPS software designed in Bessbrook, Armagh, that measures how well a player trains. We get a read-out that details how fast you ran, the number of metres covered but more importantly, whether you were doing the work at the optimum level to reap the benefits.

The heart-rate monitor also allows them to identify when fatigue begins to kick in and it’s an important tool in the prevention of injuries. I can remember the days when we used to train for two and a half hours. You’d be trying to take about 25 minutes for stretching, there’d be a fair amount of messing and it lacked structure. There’s no slacking off now: training is short, sharp, intense, specially tailored, with everyone tuned in.

Then there is the analysis which again is unrecognisable from what it was. There is no hiding place and just as you have so much footage of individual opponents and also the team you’re playing against, the thought occurs that the teams you face are going through the exact same process.

The other thought that struck me about being home was the sense of pride in the national rugby team. They are the best in Europe and so many people are looking forward to these November matches. I believe if the tax incentive was not there then a fair portion of the current squad might be playing overseas.

The fact the top players remain in Ireland is a massive factor in allowing the IRFU to control the playing itineraries of their top players and ensure they get the right rest periods.

The English RFU are trying to catch up, having reached an agreement with the Premiership clubs this season. Ireland’s status as the best team in Europe validates the system.

It wasn’t all work in camp as we headed for the O2 arena to watch Russell Brand. Now I wouldn’t have been a fan but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. My last trip to the arena was in its days as The Point and I think I went to see a Metallica concert, circa 1983.

My involvement with the national squad on an occasional basis over the last year or so means I no longer have the compulsion to introduce myself to some of the younger players: I’m pretty sure Jonno Sexton and Cian Healy know who I am, even if they don’t show any respect for age.

Last Thursday I had the chance to pop back to the family home – my mother immediately went into baking overdrive – and reacquaint myself with nephews and nieces. Then there was a meal with Dave Chalke and his girlfriend and once again I was struck by how small Dublin is compared to London. I can go out and about and you’re sure to bump into someone you know whereas in London you might never meet anyone you know.

I watched the Ireland game with a few friends and I thought it was a superb effort considering the team hadn’t played together for the guts of six months. The lineout was superb, both in terms of dominating our own throw and disrupting theirs: it was important because it denied them a platform from which to launch their attacks.

I thought Cian Healy had a superb debut. The one thing that concerned me prior to the match was how we’d fare in the final 20 minutes against a team that had been together for the last five months. We finished remarkably strongly and I think that’s a testament to the strength of character as well as the obvious ability this Ireland team possesses.

The fact that Jerry Flannery and John Hayes came through 80 minutes is another huge plus. There’s a lot to look forward to over the next fortnight on the evidence of yesterday’s display.