MICHAEL BENT’S WEEK began on a farm in Taranaki and will end as part of an Ireland squad that is aiming for a first series win in New Zealand.
Along the way there were five priceless minutes in a green shirt, the first time he had worn one since 2015, long after he ever considered it possible to do so again.
At 36, he is semi-retirement, still playing for Taranaki in New Zealand, but convinced his international, indeed his Irish rugby days, were behind him, for it was this time last year when he left Leinster to return home.
End of the Michael Bent rugby story then? Not quite. He toiled away for his province in Taranaki and with 360-cattle to take care of, reinforced the old view that you get as good a work out on the farm as you do in a gym.
Still, the last thing he was expecting was a call from Andy Farrell, but that was what was needed when Ireland had a prop crisis two weeks ago, following Cian Healy’s ankle injury, Jeremy Loughman’s concussion, Finlay Beaham’s positive Covid case and Ed Byrne’s delayed flight into New Zealand from Ireland.
That’s how he found himself in Eden Park, as Farrell quickly realised it was easier to get an Irish qualified prop who was in New Zealand than it was to get someone from across the world, when he had just 24-hours notice.
Named as the 24th man for that Test, Bent presumed his duties were finished when Byrne’s flight finally arrived, Healy’s ankle cured, Bealham came out of isolation and Loughman became available again.
But no. On Monday he got another call. “Can you get to Wellington?”
Not so easily as it turned out. He had to get people in to help out on the farm. “I actually missed the flight because we were so busy,” he told Stuff, a New Zealand website. “But I got on one on Tuesday morning and ended up training a bit with the test squad just to get up to speed.”
Farrell clearly thought he was shaping up well because again on tour, this time against the Maori All Blacks, he was 24th man, there to help with the warm-up, there if called upon. And he was, as Finlay Bealham hurt his calf, Bent getting on the bench, and then with five minutes to go, on to the pitch.
“What a story,” Farrell said afterwards. “He’s hugely popular fella with the rest of the lads in the squad.”
There's only one Michael Bent! 😍#TeamOfUs | #NZTour2022
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) July 13, 2022
That can be seen in the dressing room footage the IRFU released as Bent walked in after Tuesday’s 30-24 win over the Maoris, the hollers and the backslaps from team-mates who were thrilled to be eyewitnesses to this Cinderella story. And it still isn’t over, Farrell asking him to hang around for the rest of the week.
“It’s just been bloody good coming into this squad,” Bent says. “Andy Farrell is doing an amazing job.”