SCOTT FARDY KNOWS what losing feels like.
He has lost a World Cup final. He has lost a Super Rugby final.
With that in mind, Fardy is determined not to suffer the same fate in his first season with Leinster and, if anything, is using what might have been to keep his focus on the what could be this season.
In fact, he’s so focused on Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final with Scarlets, he forgot about his one taste of success with Australia.
“I’ve won a Rugby Championship actually,” he said this week.
“I forgot that, it was a World Cup year and we were kind of focused on something else but we did win a Rugby Championship.
“It’s what motivates you to get in here and get working. It’s something you want to do, year-in, year-out, you should be competing for trophies and I’ve been close on a number of occasions.
“I think I played [in the playoffs] in Super Rugby every year except one where we lost the last game. I’ve been close a number of times.
Obviously close is not good enough. We lost the 2013 Super Rugby final after being up by about 10 points I think. We’d a bit of a dodgy scrum decision or something and they turned it around.”
The fact his time in Ireland will be short means he knows he might not have a better opportunity to taste success than in the coming weeks.
“I definitely won’t be here for ever. I’m getting a bit long in the tooth according to a lot of people here.
“But I think it’s trying to make that shelf-life as long as possible and they’ve been doing a pretty good job of that here. Look at the guys coming into the squad now, there are a number of guys in their early 20s who are out-and-out starters in the team.”
And despite up over 1300 minutes this season, the 33-year-old has no complaints about his game time.
“I think we’re looked after, more so than any time in my career, in terms of training sessions, minutes played, it’s really well-managed here.
“I think I played 80 minutes most the games at the Brumbies, and I played most of the games, it was just the accepted thing.
“Playing toward the end of the season, it starts to take its toll. But managing the squad, using players, creates depth. You mentioned [Dan] Leavy and [James] Ryan coming through, that gives them an opportunity.”
As for this weekend’s opponents, Fardy says the weather will play a huge part in the type of game we see.
“[Scarlets] play such an entertaining brand of rugby, always on the edge of everything they do, at the ruck, set pieces, they go hard at everything.
I think it’s due to be dry and nice and sunny in the Aviva on Saturday so I think you’ll see a very quick game.
“The way [thet] play, like a Kiwi side, they play with a lot of width. It will be a very entertaining game.”
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