High cost of ill discipline forces Quinlan back on side

FOR all his undoubted class on the field and delightful good humour once the final whistle has sounded, there have been times when you could easily have given Alan Quinlan a good kick in the backside.

When 10 metres were awarded against his side for back chat, the referee’s finger invariably seemed to be wagging in Quinny’s direction. When the yellow card was waved, you sensed Alan was the one on the way to the bin. No sooner had he come on as a substitute against New Zealand last summer than he was making his way off again, his head shaking in disbelief and

embarrassment.

Few teams can afford to play Test matches against the All Blacks with 14 men, even for 10 minutes. Just as other coaches had berated Quinlan for incurring the ref’s wrath, so too was Eddie O’Sullivan less than impressed with what happened at Eden Park.

The player himself realised that if he didn’t mend his ways quickly, his international career might well be over.

Once the new season began, it was clear a new Alan Quinlan was emerging. True, he still gave away a few penalties, and a couple against Gloucester in the famous Heineken Cup tie could have proved costly, but he was less and less the subject of the referee’s attention. And as he prepares for his third start in the Six Nations Championship at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, Quinlan is satisfied this trend will be maintained.

“I suppose discipline has been a problem for me, but it’s something I’ve worked hard on. And while I can’t claim I’ve got it 100% right just yet, I’ve shown a lot of improvement,” he insisted. “I’m an aggressive and in-your-face kind of player. There’s a fine line and everyone is different. Lack of discipline has affected me in the past and I don’t want to go back down that road again.

“I’m pushing on a little bit now. I’m 28 and I’d like to think I’ve become a bit more mature. I’ve improved on my fitness and my strengths and I’ve been happy with my form. I suppose when you’re a happy player, you play well. But I’m under no illusions. I can’t get complacent. I just want to keep playing well and enjoying it.”

Quinlan was educated at Abbey CBS and played his early rugby with Clanwilliam, a club to which he still owes a deep allegiance and loyalty. He moved on to Shannon and enjoyed all their great days in the All-Ireland League before graduating to the Munster scene and enjoying further memorable times in Europe.

He made his Ireland A debut against Canada in 1998 before coming on as a replacement against Romania in the 1999 World Cup to win the first of his 12 caps to date. The number would almost certainly have been even greater were it not for

interruptions caused by a series of frustrating injuries. Not surprisingly, his sympathy for Victor Costello, whose place he takes against Wales on Saturday, is patently

sincere.

“His misfortune is my good luck but I feel sorry for him, especially because he has been playing so well and showing some outstanding form throughout the campaign. I wouldn’t dwell on my own past injuries, I’m just looking at the present and really happy to be part of such a good squad. “There is a different kind of buzz about a Six Nations match, especially as the championship is so compressed nowadays. There’s a lot of intensity, you don’t have much time to recover and relax. I definitely think I’m in the most competitive area of all in the team. I’m really lucky to be in the 22. Just look at those behind me ... Eric Miller, Simon Easterby, Kieron Dawson, Aidan McCullen. “As you know, I’ve played all over the back row and playing six on Saturday shouldn’t be a problem. It’s a position I’ve played more than seven, where I’ve played for Munster when David Wallace was

injured.

“I mentioned a lot of guys already, but Wally is another who is obviously going to come back into the fold. So I won’t be

getting complacent.” Quinlan is satisfied the three changes from the French game, two of them enforced, won’t interfere with the cohesion of the Irish side, saying: “We are all familiar with the game plan and the way we want to play so it won’t be a problem and won’t

upset the balance of the team.

“I don’t think there’s a whole lot of difference mentally between starting a game and sitting on the bench because you must be prepared in case you have to come in

after two minutes.

“As for Wales, we can’t underestimate them. I’m sure they’ll target this game as one they can win. they play France in their last outing and that’s going to be very difficult for them. They’ll be very determined in front of a passionate home crowd, and remember, they actually played very well against England the last time at the Millennium.”

Quinny talks like he’s something of an old man but in reality he is, of course, approaching the best years in his career. Whether it’s Shannon, Munster or Ireland, his company will always be cherished. His club-mate and Irish manager Brian O’Brien laughs loudly as he tells you: “He’s a natural MC. You want to hear him on the bus ... he catches everybody, they all have to sing. As a player, he has always been wholehearted and has a lot of talent.”