Fairytale endings don’t come often in rugby but one hopes Jamie Heaslip gets to say his goodbyes on the pitch and not months removed from his warm-up injury at the Aviva Stadium.
Not every player gets the fanfare farewell that was bestowed on Brian O’Driscoll in 2014. Some would shy away from the idea but even getting that lingering wave amid the cacophony or that final walk down the tunnel would be a cherished memory.
Heaslip’s journey in professional rugby began in March 2005 with his Leinster debut against Ospreys. His longevity and ability to put in wire-to-wire, 80+ minute performances was part of Irish rugby lore until Pascal Papé’s knee to the spine, back in 2015, put him out of action for a while.
Papé got a 10-week ban for the offence, which saw Heaslip suffer fractures to parts of three vertebrae in his back. The Leinster No.8 returned a month later to finish out that Six Nations campaign and has made 25 Test appearances since but his back has caused him no end of grief since then.
The end for Heaslip could have occurred in the most innocuous fashion.
During warm-ups for Ireland’s 2017 Six Nations finalé againd Grand Slam-hunting England, Heaslip seized up and had to be pulled from the team. Journalists at the Aviva Stadium that day were first told Heaslip may have rolled an ankle and then that there had been hamstring issues.
It eventually transpired that his back had seized up. It was unclear at what time he sustained it [whether it was in a previous match, training or the warm-up] but he had suffered another rupture [herniated disc].
The initial concerns were that Heaslip would miss Leinster’s Champions Cup quarter final with Bath but he ended up missing the rest of their season. He was then expected to lead Ireland on their summer tour to America and Japan, after not being named on what would have been his third Lions Tour, but he did not make the squad.
There had been surgery on his damaged back, soon after the Six Nations concluded, and recovery was taking longer than expected. He attempted a comeback in pre-season but he broke down and was back to square one.
Heaslip has been a fine ambassador for Leinster Rugby since being ruled out – he is a visible presence at Autograph Alley at The RDS and at fan functions – but he has chosen his media appearances wisely and bided his time.
Now, as reported by Des Berry, Heaslip is heading in for a second surgical procedure on his back. Leinster backs coach Girvan Dempsey says the problem with Heaslip’s back has been identified but any time a surgeon opens an individual up there are repercussions. Back surgery is rarely a simple procedure and should never be taken lightly.
Heaslip could easily step away at this stage of his highly successful career. He has been a pro rugby player for 13 seasons, has a rake of silverware to show for it, the respect of his peers, the rugby public and he is turning 34 this December. He is involved in a number of promising and profitable business ventures outside of the game.
He has done enough andcould walk away with his head held high.
“This bus don’t break,” Heaslip once declared when asked about his ironman reputation.
The bus is in a bad way now but Heaslip has taken the incredibly tough decision to fight on. He has done enough but he’s not done yet.
