Ulster Rugby vs Zebre

IRELAND’S BEST IS THE NEW CENTURION

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.

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

RORY BEST

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