When a rugby player talks about a ‘Nutcracker’ you assume he is referring to some viciously painful act of violence.
Not Donnacha Ryan, the big Munster second-row surely counting as Ireland’s least likely ballet fan.
“It’s well worth watching and going to see actually, it’s very good. Tchaikovsky is fantastic. I’d highly recommend to watch it but I don’t think spandex would be my cup of tea,” said Ryan of the Russian composer’s most famous ballet yesterday, as Ireland continue preparations for Sunday’s World Cup Pool D clash with Romania.
A damaged sesamoid bone in his foot meant the 31 year old missed almost a year of rugby with. Only returning in March, the Tipperary native did enough in seven Munster matches at the tail end of the season, plus the World Cup warm-up matches, to earn a place in the squad.
Following seven minutes off the bench against Canada, Ryan will hope to be named tomorrow in the XV to face Romania at Wembley. A veteran of the 2011 World Cup, he is familiar with squad rotation, having not got a run in the opening game against the United States four years ago.
That was not the worst thing to happen to him in sleepy New Plymouth that day, however.
“I was disappointed not to get a run and ended up getting pulled over by the cops for not wearing a cycling helmet. I couldn’t catch a break that night! I had to walk the bicycle for another 500 metres, so I got a lot of slagging.”
We wonder what Ryan watched to calm himself down after that?
