MY RUGBY WORLD

THE FORMER LIONS FULL-BACK IS ENJOYING THE TRANSITION FROM PLAYER TO PUNDIT

- ROB KEARNEY

What was the first game you attended? It was Ireland versus Scotland in 1992. My dad was a big rugby man at Dundalk RFC and did all the fixtures for them throughout the year. And because he was the fixtures man, he always got access to the tickets that Dundalk got at the time. I was always spoilt with international tickets.

Ireland lost 18-10 to Scotland that day. They had it tough against Gavin Hastings and the Scots for a while in the 1990s.

Who were your childhood heroes and did you ever get to meet them? My rugby heroes were Jonah Lomu, Simon Geoghegan, Keith Wood and Brian O'Driscoll. I never got to meet Lomu but did meet the other three, fortunately or unfortunately!

Geoghegan was the shining light. He had the blond hair, the speed, try-scoring and he was tough as nails. He was a real cult hero in the 1990s.

As a player, what was your match-day routine? I never really had any pre-match superstitions. I was always conscious that superstitions are great if you're getting something from it, but what happens when things start going wrong?

I did have a few routines, though. I always had a shower five or ten minutes before the bus took off from the team hotel. I had some clothing preferences, like undershorts, but I never had anything I was too dead-set on.