There is a reason why Jamie Heaslip has been at the top of the international game for a decade.
Heaslip made his Ireland debut in November 2006. Also making their debuts that day were Stephen Ferris and Luke Fitzgerald.
“You are running around like a chicken who has just got his head cut off,” Heaslip recalled. “The whole day is a bit of a blur.”
The Kildare native has gone on to represent Ireland 85 times, captain his country and make five Test appearances for The Lions. Ferris is two seasons retired and Fitzgerald’s career has been blighted by injuries.
Neither of those men could ever be accused of shirking training duties, or extras, but Heaslip has often gone even further, and further still.
Speaking to him last year, Heaslip told me that there was nothing he could do about avoiding ‘trauma injuries’ in modern rugby. He added:
“The best you can do is, any niggles you get, you address them, nip them in the bud early doors by doing a lot of pre-hab and strengthening.
“You have to work hard on it, in terms of preparing yourself, eating right, recovering right, finding what works for you. That is where the experience comes in.”
Heaslip now revels in the fact that he is looked upon as an 80-minute man. He no longer loosens the belt too much in the off-season and takes one day a week to completely shut himself off from rugby.
In an interview with David Kelly in the Irish Independent, however, the 32-year-old revealed just how much of a personal sacrifice that dedication to training can be. Heaslip had to decline an offer to be groomsman at a good friend’s wedding so he could train. He comments:
“It’s a bit of a switch from the mainstream way of thinking. I’ve had to do it. I couldn’t go to a best mate’s wedding, there have been numerous others…
“My thinking would be different. I wouldn’t be comfortable with who I am [if I missed training for the wedding].”
Heaslip is expected to start in Ireland’s No.8 jersey for Saturday’s first Test in Cape Town.
Other players may drop out as the series, and a 12-month season, draws to a conclusion. Do not be surprised if caps 91, 92 and 93 are racked up in South Africa.
