Rory, me, and a bottle of whiskey, sorting Irish rugby

At times, only a bottle of whiskey on a bar counter stood between Rory Best and myself sorting every ill there ever was in Irish rugby, writes Ronan O’Gara

The new Irish captain ticks every box — grafter, leader, the ability to overcome adversity — and then some. He’s a good man for a laugh, but he’s very passionate about his work.

Himself and Denis Leamy would be very good buddies. And when the pair of us got together, we could end up locking horns at the bar counter, trying to sort out the problems of how the Irish team could get better. And maybe there’d be a drop of whiskey firing up the debate. That’s what I love about Rory Best — hard as nails and old school, yet hyper-professional if that doesn’t come across as a contradiction.