Ireland debut worth the sweat for Horgan

THE irony for Anthony Horgan is that he wins his first Irish cap tomorrow morning in the most demanding sweatbox in world rugby.

With his fair complexion the Cork Constitution winger has been sweating barrels in Samoa while most of his team-mates are dripping buckets.

“As you can see I’m absolutely soaking up the weather, the sweat’s pouring down my face,” Horgan said. “I’ll throw on my factor 60 before the game and fly away ...... and then re-apply it at half time!”

Conditions notwithstanding, Horgan is genuinely delighted to be pulling on the Irish senior jersey for the first time. Earlier in the week, when the team were running through their lines for the Samoan game, Horgan was once again lining up on the defensive side, shadowing his opposite number as they worked their moves and ran their lines. It looked like the Munster winger would be one of the few on tour who would not get to break sweat in anger but before training yesterday morning the team was announced and he was in it. Horgan readily admits it came as a shock.

“I thought I’d be more or less on holiday out here,” Horgan said. “I didn’t expect there’d be too many changes from the side that played on Saturday and when my name was called out I was a little bit shell-shocked. I thought things had been going well in training. I came out here a little unfit, I haven’t played many games this season and I was probably a bit overweight too. But I’ve lost six kilos in the last two and half weeks so I’m feeling fit enough. Hopefully that will stand to me.”

Not that his debut isn’t before time. On the back of a number of eye-catching seasons with Munster, Horgan has been in and about the fringes of the Irish camp for the last three years. He’s made quite an impression when he’s pulled on the shirt with the A squad, but each time that opportunity came knocking to take the step up to the highest level, fate somehow managed to get in the way.

“Two days before the European Cup final last year I broke my hand, which then ruled me out of the tour to New Zealand where people were saying I probably may have got capped. I have been kind of riddled with injuries and they’ve come at the wrong time. Those things do get you down and there were times when I wondered even if I’d get back in the Munster side because the people who were filling my shoes were doing very well. Certainly, I wouldn’t have looked at getting capped at the end of this season.”

Irish assistant coach Declan Kidney, who has coached Horgan since his schooldays at PBC, believes fortune has not been on the winger’s side, saying: “An opportunity has come up for him and he’s now getting his chance to show himself. He’s had injuries during the year and at some stages he’s shown some good form in his career but he’s been one of those fellas who’s picked up knocks at bad times.

Horgan comes across as genial, one who wouldn’t let nerves bother him before the big occasion.

“I’m not one really to get nervous but I presume I will for this,” he said. “Before games, I’m generally a bit messy. I’ve been around for seven seasons with Munster and before the really big games you do get the nerves. But I tend not to go in on myself like a lot of people would do. I like to keep it the same way I’d be every day rather than tensing up.

“This is an opportunity I didn’t think would come and it has, so it’s totally in my own hands. I’ve been selected, so I’ve got to go and prove myself.”

It’s in his hands now. And Lady Luck owes him a favour or two.