The opposition may have been easier to break through than a sodden paper bag but it was fun to watch Jamie Heaslip in full flow again.
Statistically speaking, the Ireland No.8 had his best attacking game in green for almost three years.
Heaslip scored two tries, made line breaks, beat defenders and significant gains off 15 strong carries. “It’s always nice to get a couple of mince pies,” he remarked.
Given the recent criticism he has faced, including here, it was a timely reminder that ‘The Bus’ might have 89 Tests and 32 years on the clock but can still reach the higher gears.
During his chat with the press at Carton House, Heaslip spoke eloquently about how much it means to him to represent his country.
It is the same pride, he says, that will see him try his damnedest against Scotland, on Saturday, despite a third place finish being the best Ireland can hope for. He said:
“You go into everything wanting to win it, you do. But when you don’t, you are still representing a lot.
“So it’s not a case of, we can’t win it, so we go ‘right, I’m done’. We still have the chance to play at home, in front of a full crowd, wearing the jersey.
“For me, it’s ‘Right, this is my jersey for the day’, I have got to do it right.
“Yes, you might say, we’re not happy for the fact we are not playing for it [the championship]. But you have got to park that. We’ll come back after the competition and look at the bigger picture.”
Heaslip was confirmed Ireland’s 1,000th Test player when he made his Test debut against the Pacific Islands in November 2006.
Given that his fellow debutants, Luke Fitzgerald and [now retired] Stephen Ferris, both made 35 Test caps in the last decade goes a long way to prove unlucky they have been with injuries.
It also proves how fortunate – although we don’t always show it – Ireland have been to have Heaslip at No.8.
