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RORY BEST
IRELAND’S BEST
IS THE NEW CENTURION
Made all the more so because we all feel we are
sharing it with him because he’s an Ulsterman
who’s always aware of his roots, his family and
his responsibility to fulfil his potential. As not only
a rugby player but as a husband, father, son and
sibling, farmer and all-round ‘top man’.
Rory Best, captain of Ireland once again against
the touring Australians, will win his 100th cap in
Dublin, joining an unique group of centurions –
Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Paul O’Connell
and John Hayes – and he will and should be
allowed to bathe for a few seconds in what will be
a totally unanimous and affectionate glow from a
packed stadium in Dublin 4.
In his typically humble way he’ll acknowledge the
plaudits, his players will stand back to allow him
the spotlight for a moment, but he’ll want them
around him quickly, to redirect their focus on the
matter in hand: for Rory Best, nice guy truly, is a
warrior as he leads literally from the front row.
At 34 he is arguably in the finest form of a
long career, his commitment to improving
and expanding his skill levels well-chronicled,
illustrated so well by his adaptation of a cattle-
feeding machine to act as a target for his pinpoint
lineout throwing! But in the grunt and grind of the
scrum he is regarded hugely, Paul O’Connell only
last week emphasising his physical presence and
application and lauding the man who took over
the captaincy of Ireland when injury ended his
own wonderful career.
Rory Best is a class act on and off the field,
liked and appreciated in equal measure, and he
manages something of an unique trick in allying to
a genuine affability and generous nature a steely
single-mindedness and fierce determination.
Joining Ulster in 2004 and having his brother
Simon – another Ireland captain – alongside him
in the front row Rory wore the green of Ireland
a year later at Lansdowne Road against the All
Blacks. With Frankie Sheahan and Jerry Flannery
he contested the hooker’s jersey, a competition
which probably made finer all-round players of
them all.
Triple Crowns have been won, a Grand Slam in
2009 was a highlight, World Cups and a Lions
tour four years ago, close to 200 appearances for
his beloved Ulster, for the most part as skipper:
mere statistics which don’t do justice to the
character and force of will which has made Rory
Ireland’s natural leader and its finest ambassador.
Players attest to the influence he brings to the
dressing room, even with his telling silences, and
the talent he has for saying the very right thing to
the right player at the most important times in a
game.
He’s a principled man, and he carries it into
sporting battle, and only last week in Dublin
he showed that he’ll defend his players and his
position if he feels something is awry. His direct
but courteous appeal to referee Jaco Peyper to
check the legitimacy of an All Black try was born
of a profound belief that the game – and life –
should be fair and laws applied, advice sought.
He did not seek to undermine Peyper, but few
would argue that Best emerged the stronger
personality from their exchange.
Ulster and Ireland value their hooker and talisman
as a player so much that he is contracted until
2018, and the way he manages himself, and as
his wonderful impact in games increases – is
there a better man to have at ‘turnover time’, or
acting as that spiralling pivot off the ruck and
maul? – there is no reason to doubt that unless
he feels differently he can contribute even more to
the causes in white and green.
When he eventually takes his leave from rugby,
the game he’s immersed himself in since a
youngster, at school, university and at his
Banbridge club, Rory will be able to reflect
on some great achievements personally and
collectively. This year alone he’s captained Ireland
Tomorrow evening one of rugby’s most understated but highly-rated players
will lead Ireland out on to the Aviva sward and even for this most modest of
men it will be a very special moment.