Holland misses out on his last hurrah for Munster

IN 1998 New Zealander Jason Holland had put all thoughts of playing representative rugby out of his mind.

But what started out as an overseas working holiday turned into a life-changing adventure that propelled him from an enthusiastic amateur to an accomplished professional.

The thousands of Munster supporters have now seen the last of Holland who, after 100 appearances for the province, has been forced to miss the remainder of the season, just weeks before his planned retirement from representative rugby.

Holland sustained a knee injury that will require surgery and he will watch the remainder of Munster’s Celtic Cup campaign from the sidelines.

He hopes to spend one more year in playing gear following his recent appointment as player-coach to Midleton, but regrets missing out on an opportunity to finish the Munster career on his terms.

“It’s a bit of a disappointment; a shame that I will never wear the jersey again because these last six seasons have been so rewarding in many ways,” he said.

Yet he has no real regrets. “The time had to come. I decided I was going to finish up this season anyway, even though I had an option to carry on for another year.

“Basically, the body was beginning to struggle. I was suffering a bit in training and I felt it was time to go because I knew I might not be able to play as well as I should.”

Holland arrived in Ireland in November 1998 with the intention of playing rugby for Midleton and doing a bit of travelling. A year later he was pulled from the lower reaches of the AIB League and offered a Munster contract by Declan Kidney.

Given the frustration he felt before leaving New Zealand - he admits that he was going nowhere fast - it was a remarkable change in fortunes.

“I was in back-up squads for the Hurricanes in the Super 12 for a couple of years but I really got no chance of game time.

“I needed a change of scene and it just happened that Damon Urlich had gone to Midleton before me. I had played in teams with him and he suggested coming to Ireland.

“On a personal level, the last couple of years have been a bit frustrating because I wasn’t making the starting team on a regular basis, but the whole Munster scene has been fantastic.

“Even then, there were compensations because the atmosphere within the squad is so good.

“It has been great to be a part of it all; the involvement with a thoroughly intense professional outfit that, at the same time, allowed everyone have a bit of craic. It has been something really special.”

Tonight at Thomond Park, Holland will be rooting for his colleagues as they face Edinburgh for the second time in a fortnight.

He is conscious that the Scottish side pose a huge challenge but is confident that Munster will go through to the last four of the Celtic Cup.

“This squad deserves to win a trophy and they have their sights set on it. It’s not the Heineken Cup but it would be some consolation for the frustrating exit from Europe,” he said.

International Simon Taylor will be in the Edinburgh team, with Dougie Hall taking over from Andrew Kelly at hooker.

EDINBURGH: H Southwell, C Paterson, M Di Rollo, B Laney, S Webster, P Godman, M Blair, A Jacobsen, D Hall, C Smith, N Hines, S Murray, T Blackadder (captain), S Taylor, A Hogg.

Replacements: A Kelly, A Dickinson, A Kellock, S Cross, R Lawson, B MacDougall, M Pyke.