{"id":242246,"date":"2025-12-20T05:15:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T05:15:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/242246\/"},"modified":"2025-12-20T05:15:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T05:15:29","slug":"while-ireland-switches-off-for-christmas-rugby-players-switch-on-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/242246\/","title":{"rendered":"While Ireland switches off for Christmas, rugby players switch on \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christmas<\/a> for most people in Ireland is a time to switch off. For rugby<\/a> players, it\u2019s time to switch on. Throughout my career, it always has been.<\/p>\n

The interprovincial series<\/a> is a brilliant end to the rugby year. There\u2019s a festive mood, the crowds come out for the games and there\u2019s always the notion over the few weeks that you are playing in Irish trials.<\/p>\n

You are up against guys who you have lived with in the Irish set-up for a good part of the year. But the rivalries are back up and running again. Even when I had over 100 caps last season, it was an opportunity to face those players who I knew were competing against me and for the eye of Andy Farrell<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It also feels busy because the games arrive after the intensity of the November international series of matches and the opening rounds of the Champions Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So, there is interest and no better time than now for players to make their international shout. Everyone knows the Six Nations<\/a> squad is announced early in the new year and there are always new faces and players with ambition.<\/p>\n

If you take the scrumhalves, Jamison Gibson Park<\/a> has a hold on the 9 shirt for good reason. He\u2019s been world class for a long time. He\u2019ll be fully aware that Craig Casey<\/a>, Caolin Blade, Ben Murphy and Nathan Doak will see the matches as a litmus test for them, especially if they play against him.<\/p>\n

They will gauge themselves in how they perform against the Irish 9. Their mindset will be \u201cif I play against him and perform, it\u2019s going to look well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Munster’sMunster\u2019s Craig Casey. Photograph: James Crombie\/Inpho <\/p>\n

Therefore, it\u2019s an opportunity for them to take a step towards the Irish jersey as well as a challenge for Jamison to keep reminding them just why he is the number one.<\/p>\n

It is the same for the outhalf, although it\u2019s slightly different from the scrumhalf battle because the position hasn\u2019t been nailed down. Sam Prendergast<\/a> and Jack Crowley<\/a> are still tussling to start, but now I think Harry Byrne<\/a> is worth talking about.<\/p>\n

He went on a loan spell to Bristol Bears and it has done him a lot of good. He\u2019s always been a talented player but hasn\u2019t had the opportunities.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Gerry Thornley: Things have truly become nonsensical in the Champions CupOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Going away, maturing and coming back to Leinster was a brave move and he has returned with a new lease of life. Leinster<\/a> are backing him more and Leo Cullen<\/a> started him last weekend against Leicester, which was a big hat tip to show that he was trusted in such an important game. <\/p>\n

He is 100 per cent in that outhalf conversation now with Prendergast and Crowley, and I would be looking for Harry Byrne\u2019s name to appear on the Six Nations training squad when Andy announces it in January.<\/p>\n

Players will tell you they are focused on performance, over these weeks, they are aware that Andy, or one of the other Irish coaches, are in the stands watching. <\/p>\n

At times when there\u2019s a break in play and Andy\u2019s image is flashed up on the big screen, it\u2019s difficult not to look up because he gets a huge reception. <\/p>\n

\"Leinster’sLeinster\u2019s Harry Byrne in action against Leicester Tigers on December 12th. Photograph: David Rogers\/Getty <\/p>\n

Although you know he is there, when you see him, it reminds you the next thing you do better be good. You know he\u2019s watching every move with a keen eye.<\/p>\n

So, there are subplots to the matches, which are consequential to the league table, with Leinster\u2019s visit to Limerick next week one of the biggest.<\/p>\n

It couldn\u2019t be better timed because their 31-14 defeat<\/a> to Munster<\/a> in Croke Park in the United Rugby Championship<\/a> in October was hugely important for the rivalry to ignite again. Leinster had been dominant for too long. <\/p>\n

Munster had some wins under their belt, but Croke Park was different in the way they won the game. They showed better physicality, which was critical because Leinster have bullied Munster in recent times and that has been a bitter pill to swallow. The manner in which Munster won was important. <\/p>\n

Leinster will have kept that defeat in their locker and they\u2019ll bring it with them on December 27th when I fully expect them to throw a few punches.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve never viewed these matches as tough or missing out on the festivities. If you\u2019re playing just after Christmas, you know you can\u2019t go out and meet friends in pubs, but you know they will all be at the game and you will be playing in front of them. <\/p>\n

\"TempersTempers flare between Munster\u2019s Dan Kelly and Leinster\u2019s James Lowe at Croke Park in October. Photograph: Tom Maher\/Inpho <\/p>\n

For that reason, my mindset was always to make sure I played well. <\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not as though you can\u2019t have a big Christmas dinner. You can. There\u2019s lots of good stuff in there and you must eat a lot before a rugby match anyway. But you steer clear of the cheeseboard and selection boxes because you don\u2019t want to feel sluggish.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Leinster looking to make up lost ground as Ulster come a calling with big ambitionsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

In the broader scheme of things, a rugby career is a narrow window, and for me Christmas has always been an easy sacrifice. <\/p>\n

Because of the IRFU\u2019s player welfare scheme, the international players are also given a rest for one of the matches and some players may even get a chance to relax abroad in some winter sun. <\/p>\n

Ultimately it is about the different rivalries between provinces, four local teams competing in front of full houses for points and an international examination in the background. It\u2019s definitely a time of year to switch on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Christmas for most people in Ireland is a time to switch off. For rugby players, it\u2019s time to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":242247,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[127444,16838,23199,41599,87379,18,97446,19,17,73724,103112,12861,12311,2525,40692,132,23200],"class_list":{"0":"post-242246","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-ben-murphy","9":"tag-christmas","10":"tag-connacht-rugby","11":"tag-conor-murray","12":"tag-craig-casey","13":"tag-eire","14":"tag-harry-byrne","15":"tag-ie","16":"tag-ireland","17":"tag-jack-crowley","18":"tag-jamison-gibson-park","19":"tag-leinster-rugby","20":"tag-munster-rugby","21":"tag-rugby","22":"tag-sam-prendergast","23":"tag-sports","24":"tag-ulster-rugby"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115750196584985281","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=242246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242246\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/242247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=242246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=242246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=242246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}