AW, MATE. HOW do you not know that?
Nah, it’s an old school tune.”
Hayden Triggs went through the last step of his induction to Team Leinster on Friday night after opening his try-scoring account within 10 minutes of kick-off against Zebre.
The Kiwi is four months into his stint with the eastern province and doesn’t skip a beat when calling the RDS and Dublin home. However, there is one alien concept that the one-time military mechanic is struggling to get his head around.
In the southern hemisphere, the closest he would come to the situation would be when clubs in the ITM Cup welcome excess All Blacks back into their ranks. The black and white jersey leaves little room for grey areas: you’re either in the national squad or out.
Up here, it’s a whole different ball game.
Over the past two Six Nations weekends provinces have waved goodbye to key players on Sunday night, prepare for a Pro12 game without them, but then find them parachuted back into matchday squads by the end of the week.
Ireland’s back-line injury crisis then led to a bizarre occurrence where Fergus McFadden trained with Leinster last Monday, Ireland on Tuesday and was then named to wear number 23 by both teams on Thursday.
It may help the national team to keep men on the fringe game-ready, but Triggs has seen the chopping and changing take its toll on players:
“I want to say it’s bizarre, but the boys over here have done it for so long.
“I don’t how, as a player, how I would be able to deal with it mentally.
“We’ve got lads who didn’t play full games or didn’t play in the Test match back at training today. How do you flick that switch from international to club footy?
As management and players here, you want them to come in with gusto and excitement, but sometimes it’s just not the case. Especially the way Ireland’s results have been going.”
For Triggs’ head coach Leo Cullen, managing the process is relatively new too. Although he has seen it at close hand for long enough to know his way around it. Having helped Cian Healy and Mike Ross back to fitness over recent weeks, he’s ready to lose them to Carton House until late this week, when they will return with reinforcements for Leinster’s visit to Cardiff.
“Which is great on paper,” says Cullen, “but the fact that they’ve been managing double environments… it’s important to get that balance right between what we’ve been doing here and what’s in their heads from a different environment.”
That means different line-out calls, first phase moves, set-play roles and defensive shapes. Maybe even a different directive around the offload.
Players train so that these things become instinctive, but after the ego has been bruised by stepping outside the Test squad, re-training those instincts can be difficult.
“Some guys have already floated in this morning. We’ll have conversations with them and see what they’ve done over the past number of weeks and what sort of shape they’re in, then we can make some calls about the weekend.
“It’s about making that you’re as organised as possible with the messages that you give, and be ready for a few contingencies along the way. Because things can change.
“It’s important we don’t compromise the preparation of the team, because that’s what’s most important on my end. We need to make sure we have guys that are in the right headspace to be able to put in a real good performance. So if we get any inkling that they’re not, we just opt for someone else.”
With two games under his belt after an injury kept him out over Christmas, Triggs will certainly be present in Cullen’s tight five in Wales on Saturday. For him, and many of the Leinster regulars who have impressed on the home front this season, the hymn sheet will be the same.
Which reminds, Hayden: talk us through that try of yours… and this classic Kiwi tune you belted out.
“I’ve got to add something, mate,” jokes the 33-year-old lock.
“It was a good moment. The start of the game so I couldn’t get too overwhelmed.
“Then I had to sing a song in the shed, so I don’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.”
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
