Don’t tell a debutant ‘what’s the worst thing that can happen?’

It's getting on for 20 years since I was ‘invited’ into my first Irish rugby squad, writes Ronan O'Gara.

Every time Joe Schmidt announces a national squad these days, the heartbeat quickens just a tad thinking of the likes of Caolin Blade, Tom Farrell and Jack Carty — what they’re thinking, how they found out, and how they reacted — cartwheels in the back garden or a momentary and controlled internal yelp of satisfaction before putting the game face back on.