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'My career has always been about making the most of what I have - there has been a lot of overcoming adversity'
Rory Best has admitted he will jet out to Japan on Wednesday buoyed by the endorsement of his under-fire captaincy from Saturday’s raucous standing ovation at the Aviva Stadium. Best signed off in Dublin in style by helping steer Ireland to No1 in the world rankings with a 19-10 victory over Wales in his final Test match on home soil.
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The 37-year-old will hang up his boots after the World Cup, and he and departing head coach Joe Schmidt were afforded heroes’ acclaim at the weekend’s final whistle. Best considered resigning the captaincy after public criticism for attending the rape trial of Ulster and Ireland team-mates Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding in early 2018.
Jackson and Olding were acquitted of all charges but sacked by Ulster, while Best and Ireland produced a Six Nations Grand Slam triumph in what proved a stunning 2018 on the field. The evergreen hooker’s stewardship came under scrutiny again after Ireland’s record 57-15 loss to England at Twickenham in last month’s World Cup warm-up clash.
After mixing turbulence with glory in three years as skipper, Best conceded that Saturday’s rapturous reception has added a fresh spring to his step. “Whenever you play the sport and you have the highs alongside the lows, you do know what a great reaction or reception is like,” he said. “And you always want to try to leave or walk out on your own terms.
“A lot of good friends of mine I played with at the top level never got the opportunity to walk off the pitch at home under their own terms and get that kind of reception. I’ve been able to do that now with Ulster at the Kingspan against Connacht, and now with Ireland at the Aviva.
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“In the last year or so it’s become quite important to me that I make sure I go out at the top and go out with people remembering me as a quality player and person and not somebody that hung on a year or two too long. That is the kind of gamble you run when you get a little bit older. So I’m very happy for that to have come off the way it did. That reception, ultimately, that’s as good an endorsement of what you’ve done over a number of years as anything.”
Best assumed the captaincy in 2016 after Paul O’Connell’s injury-enforced retirement. The farmer’s son from Banbridge has steered Ireland to their maiden two wins over New Zealand to sit alongside the 2018 Grand Slam, and now that first-ever status as the world’s No1 ranked Test team.
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Ireland will now bid to move past the quarter-finals for the first time at a World Cup, with Best insisting leadership pushes him to new heights – both on and off the pitch. “My career has always been about trying to make the most of what I have, and there’s been a lot of overcoming adversity,” said Best, speaking as a Specsavers Hearing ambassador.
‘I remember as a kid having vague recollections of police checks and border controls, so the thought of going back there feels as though it's such a step back in time’
– @BrianODriscoll talks to @heagneyl about Brexit, @IrishRugby and @rugbyworldcuphttps://t.co/jHOw9x5HfE— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 1, 2019
“There have been some very, very tricky times along the way, but the way I’ve responded to that, I’d like to think that says a lot about me as a person not just as a rugby player. In my time as captain, I would like to think the greatest emphasis has been on the team, and that has been important to me right from the start.
“It’s about making sure that the people around you can feel comfortable enough to produce their best. It’s also something I like doing, and I feel it brings the best out of me, captaining the side. Once we fly out we’ll finally be able to focus solely on Scotland.
“It was important we got a few things together in the last couple of games. But we’re still nowhere near where we feel we need to be. We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but it’s nice getting on the plane with a bit of confidence back. Part of that is improved performances but another part of that is we know how much more we still have.”
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– Press Association
WATCH: The RugbyPass stadium guide to Yokohama where Ireland will open their World Cup campaign against Scotland on September 22
Comments on RugbyPass
Pretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
3 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
3 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
3 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to comments