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to a Test win in South Africa for the first time,
skippered his country to historic victory over
New Zealand at the aptly-named Soldier Field in
Chicago.
His ambition for Ireland and Ulster is undimmed,
and Australia vanquished, a resurgent Pro 12 and
European campaign, then Six Nations success in
the New Year will be quietly on his list of targets.
That 100th appearance for Ireland tomorrow will
be absorbed and also filed for deeper reflection
later, the appreciation of the wide rugby public
gently accepted, but under the Aviva Stadium
lights he’ll concentrate on his job, giving his all,
leading by example, providing compass when
sometimes others lose direction.
In the summer there is the Lions tour to New
Zealand, and he’ll let events take their course but
it’s not just in this country that good judges think
Rory Best is not just the player needed to take the
battle once more to the All Blacks but to lead the
squad Warren Gatland selects. For one of Best’s
great qualities is the way he brings different
personalities and cultures within sides together,
he’s not given to parochialism, his interests are
broad, and the affection and, significantly, respect
in which he’s held is just as wide. English, Welsh
and Scots they may be, players and individuals
with common cause they would be with Best at
the helm.
But that’s for another day. Let’s celebrate a
remarkable personal achievement for one of our
own, and show how much we know he has still
to give to his country and to the Ulster club with
which he’s won silverware and craves more. For
his wife Jodie and his three young children there’ll
be a very special pride as tomorrow evening
unfolds, and it’s to his family he’ll return at the
weekend, the same good, caring and committed
man who – for a significant while – brought his
values to the international top table.
Rory Best will live his life, play his rugby, in his
own particular, honest and engaging way. He’s
his own man, but he’s ours too. A century in
green, box ticked.