Seeing Sean O’Brien as he struts around the Tullow RFC clubhouse is to see a man well and truly at home.
The Carlow native stands in a room packed with local school children after a training session and photo-shoot with teammates Rob Kearney and Robbie Henshaw, and Ireland Women’s star Sophie Spence.
He chats with some of the children, fetches Mi Wadi from behind the bar, point to the roof that will be replaced before the year is out and nicks a chocolate biscuit off a fold-out table.
A function will take place in the main hall, under the old roof and a nifty disco ball, but we wait for our turn to speak with O’Brien in the bar. On each and every wall there is a picture of ‘The Tullow Tank’ at some stage or other of his impressive career.
His Leinster, Ireland and Lions jerseys are framed and hang alongside some handy swaps O’Brien got on his travels – Sam Warburton [2011 World Cup] and Richie McCaw [2012 November Series] the stand-outs.
Nearby, Kearney takes in the surrounds. The fullback has been coaxed to Tullow on a few occasions in the past – prize-givings, fundraisers, fun-days – so he is nigh on an expert on the clubhouse. He remarks:
“It’s a shrine to Sean O’Brien… created by Sean O’Brien.”
This would be the day when O’Brien would back up some earlier criticism of the British & Irish Lions management team but, when I chat to him, there isn’t a apple-cart in sight. He is upbeat and content to be sheltering from the rain by a stove, rather than surfing and grabbing coffees with the Leinster lads in South Africa.
“I’m down here once a week,” he says. “It’s the norm for me. Anything I come down here, there’s never anything said to me or anything. It’s a nice place to relax the head and switch off. There’s nothing expected of me when I come down here.”
Asked about his donations to the clubhouse, he says:
“Some of the jerseys hung up here have been, I suppose, goals of mine – World Cups, playing against the All Blacks [for Ireland] and Lions jerseys. It’s decorated the clubhouse a bit anyway.
“I brought back a Lions jersey from Australia and another one from New Zealand for the end of season awards. That one will probably go up at some stage too. It’s nice for the club and for people to come in and see them too. There’s no point in having them at home in the press!”
O’Brien featured in all three Tests after excelling in warm-up victories over Crusaders and the New Zealand Maori. He finished off one of the all-time great Lions tries against the All Blacks in the First Test and, for the first time in eight attempts, finished an international match against the Kiwis on the winning side.
Than Wellington victory was followed up with a draw at Eden Park that saw the series end level at 1-1. Ahead of that match , O’Brien had told the press, “They’ll be coming to try and hurt us, won’t they? To try and physically impose themselves on us.”
So it played out as a brutal ruck clear-out by Jerome Kaino effectively ended O’Brien’s involvement in the decider [he played on until half-time].
Kaino and O’Brien did catch up after that game and their conversation shows a clear, mutual respect. The flanker tells us:
“He’s one of the lads I’d speak to more so than other lads. Jerome is a really nice guy and a really hard player; tough.
“We had a bit of a laugh at the end, “You got me!” I said, and he got me good and fair. It was a tough one but he’s a nice guy and I made sure to talk with him after. I talked to another few of the [New Zealand] boys after too. It was all good.”
In November of last year, before Ireland beat the All Blacks in Chicago, Kaino – clearly a fan of O’Brien – had expressed his surprise that he would not be playing at Soldier Field. He said:
“I thought Sean O’Brien was… he’s had a few consecutive games with Leinster and he got that Leinster ‘A’ game under his belt and I thought he was looking pretty good. Sean and Peter O’Mahony were a huge threat for us when you look at 2013 when we just beat them… Sean O’Brien was the spearhead of their physicality and their contesting at the breakdown.”
Game respects game.
Most Irish rugby players, O’Brien included, have only experienced New Zealand in the depths of winter and with a mighty challenge against the All Blacks looming. O’Brien likes the sounds of heading back there for a stretch, and for their summer.
“I’d visit again, definitely, in years to come. I’d love to travel around a bit and see the country.”
O’Brien was joined by Sophie Spence, Rob Kearney, Robbie Henshaw – and fans Roisin Kinch & Will O’Toole – to help announce the renewal of Bank of Ireland’s sponsorship deal with Leinster Rugby
