DAMIEN VARLEY SAYS he is determined to take his unexpected shot at World Cup glory.
The Munster man was told he’d be flying out to New Zealand tomorrow after provincial teammate Jerry Flannery was ruled out for the rest of the tournament.
Flannery cruelly injured a calf in squad training early this morning. But coach Declan Kidney moved quickly in an attempt to fill the hole in his squad.
Varley this evening told Robbie Irwin on told RTE‘s Drivetime that he was ready to go.
“It’s an exciting day, I didn’t think I’d be getting this phone call when I woke up this morning certainly, but I’m really looking forward to it now.
“I read Jerry had sustained a slight strain in his calf and I thought no more about it until an hour or two later Declan rang me and told me that he was inviting me over to join the squad. So I jumped at it while trying to contain my excitement.
“It’s obviously sad to hear that Jerry has sustained another injury and I feel sorry for him but at the same time I have to grab this opportunity with both hands.
“I’m heading to Dublin in the morning and will fly out from there tomorrow evening.”
Varley knows Flannery well and though feeling sorry for his Thomond Park colleague, says he’s focused on making the most of his unexpected chance.
“That’s the nature of professional sport – one man’s disappointment is another’s gain. That’s how the rollercoaster goes.
“I’m excited, I’m delighted that I was fourth in line and I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity at showing what I can do and hopefully playing down there.”
Varley will arrive in the Ireland camp by Saturday. Earlier, Ireland team manager Paul McNaughton said “With the fact that he is out for four to six weeks, we needed to make the decision to fly Damien Varley down as soon as possible.
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