Healy’s normal default setting when the microphones are switched on is Teflon:
Concerned by a bad result? ‘Not really.’
Room for improvement? ‘A few little things.’
Under pressure, Cian? ‘Pressure makes diamonds.’
Before boarding the plane to Paris for Ireland’s season-defining Six Nations title decider against France, Healy was much more of an open book than usual.
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48 hours earlier, Healy’s direct opponent for tomorrow’s game, Nicolas Mas, stormed out of a press briefing complaining ‘this is not funny’ after questions about the French set-piece turned to farce. It’s a situation which can go one of two ways. Either Mas digs deep and, driven by the stinging words, suddenly begins to dominate scrums under the new laws; or his confidence takes a knock and two or three head-to-heads with Healy will turn him to mush.
“You never know with the French lads,” says the loosehead with battered and bruised ankles.
“They can come out fairly fired up in a game and that could be fuel to the fire they need to come into the game. Anything like that wouldn’t be a case for me to let my guard down. He’s a tough opponent and I’m going to have to be well fired-up for him and work pretty well in the front row as a unit.”
Ireland have travelled across the English Channel with confidence before, but whether it’s the current stuttering nature of France’s first XV or the constant reassurance of Ireland’s attention to detail, this trip feels different. The confidence feels more assured and less of a defence mechanism.
Intensity within each player is a must, but as a genuine world class prop, Healy is emblematic of the trust this side have in their own game.
“We back ourselves completely in everything we’ve done. Emotion is natural to an Irish team and when we have that tied in with being well-drilled and being accurate in everything. That is our way of breaking them down. We don’t have to go in with mad, aggressive heads, trying to beat people up. It’s all about being accurate and being ‘on the ball’ all the time.”
He added: “This is a well-drilled, accurate team that’s focused on every aspect of the game. We have been playing well enough to be able to go over feeling good.”
Healy was cool and calm before leaving Dublin, before heavily taping up his ankles one last time in the Six Nations. While earlier encounters with the Leinster man found a closed book, this time Healy seemed fully at ease with himself.
“Early seasons I was building myself up from the Tuesday. It’s good to be relaxed now at the moment and not letting myself run away with it yet.”
Not even with a trophy on the line?
“I treat all games the same. It’s fairly chilled out up until the morning of the game and I start loading up on my coffee, listening to my music and getting in the zone. It’s the right routine to have myself in the right head space going into a game.”
Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
And while Healy will look for the pockets of green in Stade de France that will no doubt have Brian O’Driscoll at the centre of their gaze for most of the 80 minutes, he reminds us that ‘head space’ does not include going out to ‘win it for BOD’.
“Every game he plays now is his last he plays against someone,” jokes the prop, “we’ve had that for a while but it is something you have to park.
“You can’t let emotion like that take you over. We’ve to be clinical going into this game and we rely on being well-drilled, not being fired up just to give Drico a send-off.”
France may be unwilling to shed their stereotypes, but Ireland are fast becoming a side who rely as much on clinical precision as passion, pride and Paddy’s Day.
Of all the players on the Irish team, I think Cian Healy is the one who terrifies me the most seeing the way he knocked Richie McCaw aside or dumped Quade Cooper. If I was running towards him with the ball, I’d drop it and sprint to the sideline.
Just remember New Zealand V France at the last World Cup…….3 weeks before the final France are beaten by Tonga and then arguably should have win the final. France have also only lost 3 time in Paris in the last 12 years so it’s not only us that have difficulty there!
I hope Ireland can do it, I think we have the best set up and cohesive group of players in the tournament.
Ireland need to start well, get points on the board, establish a lead early.How many times have we gone to Paris and been blown away early in the game ?
Glad to see Madigan on the bench, as well as providing more cover he is also a bigger threat to the French than Jackson .
Look Madigan has got talent, but he’s nowhere near international level at the minute. He can’t even start ahead of a (with respect) journeyman Kiwi who came from the mighty Newcastle falcons
That ‘journeyman kiwi’ is a damn good outhalf who has proved to be an astute signing by Leinster.And Madigan has started ahead of him.
Madigan has shown far more promise already than Jackson and deserves his spot on the bench.
I agree he’s been an excellent signing and probably has surprised people this season. Yes Madigan has at times started ahead of him, but gopperth has got the call for most of the major/crunch games.
Jackson has got about two years on Madigan and has already played in a Heinekin final, starts all the ulster games and directs the game management excellently. Last year his kicking came under criticism but has vastly improved this year. Jackson is the better out half
If Ireland go after them in the first half and accumulate points then the french will be frustrated come the 2nd half. If the french are within a score in the last 20 mins, then they will back their flair to win.
I disagree, I think the selection of Madigan shows that Schmidt intends to play an expansive rugby game. I expect us to hold the ball for as much as possible and try to play as much rugby as possible, reckon it will be close for 60 minutes with us gaining an advantage in the last 20 as France have looked poorly conditioned throughout the tournament thus far.
I think it will be a great game, that being said a 3-0 win would feel like a great game.
Poorly conditioned?? They won the games against England and Scotland at the very death! If the plan is to win when France get tired we need to go back to the drawing board! For what it’s worth I think a territorial game with pressure high up the field will lead to sufficient penalties for us to win this game but our own discipline must be perfect!
I think if you watched the England game, France were very lucky to get the winning try, one player with a break away try does not make your team conditioned. Fair enough they beat the scots at the death but that is not something I’d give any team too much praise for. France have looked sluggish and out on their feet at times late in the game this season.
Also I didn’t say the game plan was to beat France in the last 20 minutes, I don’t know what it is but I suspect it will be to play as much rugby as possible and expect to French to tire from it. Not much point arguing though as we will find out tomorrow
I think we will try and do what we did to Italy, run them ragged. The French aren’t as fit as us. Having said that we can’t afford to give them lose ball by way of bad kicking. They’ll be at their best off the cuff and unstructured.
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Of all the players on the Irish team, I think Cian Healy is the one who terrifies me the most seeing the way he knocked Richie McCaw aside or dumped Quade Cooper. If I was running towards him with the ball, I’d drop it and sprint to the sideline.
Scary stuff indeed.
Hopefully some French players are browsing on here and come across this, they’ll be up all night, petrified out of their skins.
That McCaw fly swat was one for the ages. First time ever NZ commentators took us seriously as a team.
Just remember New Zealand V France at the last World Cup…….3 weeks before the final France are beaten by Tonga and then arguably should have win the final. France have also only lost 3 time in Paris in the last 12 years so it’s not only us that have difficulty there!
I hope Ireland can do it, I think we have the best set up and cohesive group of players in the tournament.
Tear ‘em a new one!!!
“Cool and calm”… my god
Ireland need to start well, get points on the board, establish a lead early.How many times have we gone to Paris and been blown away early in the game ?
Glad to see Madigan on the bench, as well as providing more cover he is also a bigger threat to the French than Jackson .
Look Madigan has got talent, but he’s nowhere near international level at the minute. He can’t even start ahead of a (with respect) journeyman Kiwi who came from the mighty Newcastle falcons
That ‘journeyman kiwi’ is a damn good outhalf who has proved to be an astute signing by Leinster.And Madigan has started ahead of him.
Madigan has shown far more promise already than Jackson and deserves his spot on the bench.
I agree he’s been an excellent signing and probably has surprised people this season. Yes Madigan has at times started ahead of him, but gopperth has got the call for most of the major/crunch games.
Jackson has got about two years on Madigan and has already played in a Heinekin final, starts all the ulster games and directs the game management excellently. Last year his kicking came under criticism but has vastly improved this year. Jackson is the better out half
“calm Cian Healy” yeah I know him… Isn’t he the guy that stamped on Dan Cole? lol
Good man Cian Maher. Always a d*ckhead.
Is it not true??? The point is Healy is not the calm one of the bunch
If Ireland go after them in the first half and accumulate points then the french will be frustrated come the 2nd half. If the french are within a score in the last 20 mins, then they will back their flair to win.
Ireland will choke again
Won’t be a pretty game. Lots of kicking and pressure from ireland.
Pictures aren’t on score lines though!
I disagree, I think the selection of Madigan shows that Schmidt intends to play an expansive rugby game. I expect us to hold the ball for as much as possible and try to play as much rugby as possible, reckon it will be close for 60 minutes with us gaining an advantage in the last 20 as France have looked poorly conditioned throughout the tournament thus far.
I think it will be a great game, that being said a 3-0 win would feel like a great game.
Poorly conditioned?? They won the games against England and Scotland at the very death! If the plan is to win when France get tired we need to go back to the drawing board! For what it’s worth I think a territorial game with pressure high up the field will lead to sufficient penalties for us to win this game but our own discipline must be perfect!
Matthew why would you play a kicking game against the French?that doesn’t make any sense
I think if you watched the England game, France were very lucky to get the winning try, one player with a break away try does not make your team conditioned. Fair enough they beat the scots at the death but that is not something I’d give any team too much praise for. France have looked sluggish and out on their feet at times late in the game this season.
Also I didn’t say the game plan was to beat France in the last 20 minutes, I don’t know what it is but I suspect it will be to play as much rugby as possible and expect to French to tire from it. Not much point arguing though as we will find out tomorrow
I think we will try and do what we did to Italy, run them ragged. The French aren’t as fit as us. Having said that we can’t afford to give them lose ball by way of bad kicking. They’ll be at their best off the cuff and unstructured.
Ummmm…..
To put pressure on the defence and exploit the spaces behind them.
You do understand the concept?