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'It's an incredible feat': Five years after nerve damage nearly ended his career, Cian Healy is about to become a Test centurion
Ireland loosehead Cian Healy is set to join Test rugby’s centurion club this five years after he was on the verge of retiring due to a nerve injury that had brought his career to a sudden halt. Having won the 2015 Six Nations, the prop went for surgery on a disc in his neck. However, the operation resulted in the complication of nerve damage that left him without the use of his right hand and considering quitting prior to England 2015.
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He managed to return to play in time for that tournament but it was only after the summer of 2017 that the player he had been pre-operation started to re-emerge and having wrested back the No1 shirt from Jack McGrath, the now 33-year-old Healy is on the cusp of joining the very exclusive 100-cap club.
Only Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Rory Best, Paul O’Connell and John Hayes have previously played on 100 occasions for Ireland, the likes of Peter Stringer, Jamie Heaslip, Rob Kearney, Donncha O’Callaghan and Malcolm O’Kelly all falling just short of appearance figures in the 90s.
Healy, though, will break the ton when he appears in the Six Nations finale next Saturday that sees Ireland travel to France. It’s a 100-cap milestone that Healy was a million miles from registering when considering retirement through injury five years ago while 51 caps.
Current Ireland skipper Johnny Sexton, who himself has 91 Test caps for Ireland and the Lions, said: “If he gets picked it is an incredible feat. You look at the guys who have 100 caps, how special players they are. You don’t get there easily.
Love this with @Paul_OConnell who ‘doesn’t have that much hair’ according to one customer. ???@Aldi_Ireland pic.twitter.com/yld5nwMMXD
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) October 27, 2020
“Every player that is in that category are legends of the game really in Ireland. He will add to that legacy if he gets that 100th cap. He deserves it. He is so professional in the way he goes about his business. He has had one particularly bad injury that he took a while to get back from and then once he did he put an unbelievable amount of work into getting himself back. I’m absolutely chuffed for him.
“I’m very good friends with him. I know his family very well and his wife, they will be so proud of him. It’s another little layer on to our story in terms of what we want if it is his 100th cap. We want to honour him in the best way possible which would be trying to win the game. It was the same with the first cappers last week, we wanted to make the day special for them.”
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Having beaten Italy last weekend in Dublin, Ireland are currently top of the Six Nations table heading into the final round and head to Paris knowing a bonus-point win would guarantee them the title regardless of what England do against Italy in Rome. Without a bonus-point win, the destination of the title will likely be decided by points difference.
Andy Farrell has been in the Ireland job for nearly a year but the next six weeks should tell us if he's the real deal writes@heagneyl https://t.co/lAGCzxWgGz
— The XV (@TheXV) October 24, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Eye gouging seems like such a strong term for what can only be described as a poke in the eye. When I think of eye gouging I think of someone trying to intentionally pop someone’s eyeball out. it’s like calling a high-tackle attempted decapitation.
3 Go to commentsGreat article. No insights to add, just wanted to say that. :)
1 Go to commentsLeinster are going to win the world cup.
13 Go to commentsSuper Rugby desperately needs to lose at least 2, but up to 4 teams. Rebels quietly going bankrupt would have made that a bit easier. Teams like the Rebels and Force serve only to weaken Australian Rugby and Super Rugby more widely. In 13 years in the comp the Rebels are yet to win more games than they lose in a season, have never finished in the top half of the competition, and have come dead last a number of times. The Western Force, barring a brief stint of mediocrity under John Mitchell from 2007-2009 have been even worse. Sadly it’s hard to see a future for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Likewise I think the writing is on the wall for the Highlanders, it’s hard to see how NZ rugby can continue to support 5 SR teams, and population distribution suggests one team in the south island would make the most sense.
42 Go to commentsNice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
42 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
3 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
6 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
42 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
6 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to commentsYou must have been watching one team, Andrew - and even then you missed the brightest star in the Chiefs pack - Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 2 turnovers, genuine line-out presence and grunt around the field, and the soft hands of a back.
6 Go to commentsHaha what a crock of sh!t these headlines are. Moorby’s best year was that first. Still doesn’t seem to have the same game about him as when he was fresh but has bounced back well this season to be playing consistent tight accurate footy
3 Go to commentsIt’s even dumber than Bernard Foley not kicking the penalty to touch in the Melbourne Bledisloe in 2022.
3 Go to commentsYes, they are traveling well but it’s early days. The Chiefs were in front with 20 to go while they snatched a last minute win v the Reds. Keep calm.
1 Go to commentsThe failure of the Irish system / rugby playing style to produce their own backs has them looking elsewhere for innovation and flair - not that Jordie has much flair. He’s a converted fullback. The Canes have plenty of other younger options.
13 Go to comments1.Watch Wallace Sititi be the wild card AB. A genuine full time no 8 2. Luke J like Sotutu has not delivered. 3. Chiefs have all the right cattle but badly miss the leadership of Webber. LJ is about as unconvincing as Sam Cane when under the pump. They had the winning of that game in the second half then fell apart.
6 Go to commentsYes the Rebels are showing signs of life because they are literally playing for their live -lihoods and thanks to their Australian attack coach. However they are still playing an essentially dull boring south african style for the rest of the time. And Geoff Parling must be the most useless lineout coach ever. Worse than Steve Hansen even. Interestingly we are starting to see more cheap shots and attempts to get away with cheating by Australian players, now they are being influenced by Joe Schmidt. It was exactly the same when Rennie started out as Wallaby coach and thru his tenure. Trying to teach Australians to play like kiwis doesn’t work, as the last 20 years has conclusively demonstrated. Especially when we are not as good at it as kiwis. Which of course is the whole idea …..
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