Jared Payne battled through the pain barrier to just about make the starting XV against Australia last week.
A dead leg and back pain, revealed by Joe Schmidt after the game, was threatening to rule Payne out of the final Test of the November series but, credit to his toughness, the Ulster back lined out for Amhrán na bhFiann at the Aviva Stadium.
Payne only lasted 40 minutes against the Wallabies but you’d be hard pressed to find a better shift put in by the 31-year-old in an Irish jersey.
But Schmidt will be without the seemingly impervious-to-pain Payne for the beginning of the Six Nations as the IRFU confirmed in a statement on Thursday that he would be missing for “at least three months” due to a kidney injury he picked up in victory over Australia.
The Tauranga native showed unparalleled grit and desire to even make it on to the pitch last weekend but, even though he doesn’t call Ireland his home country, he’s always there when the green jersey needs him so it came as no surprise.
Jared Payne's importance to Ireland should not be underestimated, writes @conandoherty https://t.co/gcpOawXKVc
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 8, 2016
Battling through agony is becoming a theme of Payne’s performances for Ireland as, in February, he suffered on with a Grade One hamstring tear against France as though it was no more than a spot of pins and needles.
Nobody is more in awe of Payne’s ability to bite down on his gumshield and drive forward than Schmidt, who praised the desire of his centre after the Australia game.
His loss will come as a huge blow for Ireland’s Six Nations squad depth and it appears as though we’re now set for the all-Leinster partnership of Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose for the tournament opener against Scotland.
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