Healy ready to pull the strings for Leinster

Come the summer he’ll be playing Oxegen, but today at the Aviva, Cian Healy will be gasping for it. He spoke to Michael Moynihan

THERE’S a hint of regret in Cian Healy’s voice when we talk. Nothing major, just a wistfulness at the edge of his tone, a slight regret.

The Six Nations? Hardly, given the high that ended on. The Heineken Cup? Unlikely, as Leinster have been the form team ahead of today’s semi-final with Toulouse.

No. Healy tweeted Rihanna, and fickle popstrel that she is, she’s taking her time to reply. Unless he’s just received . . .

“No, I didn’t. I’m still waiting.”

C’est la vie.

Healy is one of the more enthusiastic users of social media among Irish sportspeople, but he emphasises that it’s just a bit of fun. “It’s a pastime, just that, the music and DJ-ing are just something I’m into. It was nice to get the opportunity to try out as a DJ, and I liked it.”

Healy is kind enough to spare us the names of the hot platters of the moment (are ‘platters’ even used any more?) but he does admit to an off-season date with a difference.

“I’ve a bit of everything going on musically,” he says. “I’m getting ready to play Oxegen, myself and another guy called Gordon Johnson, we’ll be playing the dance tent there during the summer.”

Performing in front of thousands of expectant fans? Doesn’t he get enough of that pressure with Leinster and Ireland? “Ah no, it’s not like that at all. It’s something to look forward to, a bit of crack. I’ve a fair bit of rugby to play yet, we’ll think about the music when I’m on my holidays.”

Ah yes, the rugby. Today’s Heineken Cup semi final with Toulouse is a re-run of Leinster’s 26-16 loss to the same opposition last year, but Healy says it’s not a like-for-like comparison.

“Last year’s well gone, a different chapter, we’ve gone forward as a team and put a lot together as a team. Both squads have new players in and others have left, in fairness. If you look to the past you’re pulling the wool over your eyes. We’re treating this as a new opportunity, a different occasion.”

Part of that progress for Leinster has been ascribed to the arrival of New Zealander Greg Feek; the scrummaging guru’s influence has also been detected in the Irish scrum, which in the last 12 months has gone from potential weakness to more than respectable, thanks in no small part to Healy and his Leinster colleague, Mike Ross.

“It’s been great working with Feeky,” says Healy. “He’s done a good bit with us – and with me, personally.” Specifically? “He’s worked on shape in the scrum, different things I might not have known – things like the bind have become stronger in my game, I wouldn’t have been as strong on that in the past but he’s helped hugely – as has Jono (Gibbes) in fairness.”

It’s all a far cry from the beginning of Leinster’s season, when a slow start raised eyebrows about where they were going, though Healy says those doubts didn’t seep through to the team.

“It’s not as if we would have questioned our confidence in the camp, Other people would have been doing that, and we wouldn’t have been shouting about it – we just don’t pay attention to it. What’s going on in-house is what matters to us.”

Talking of the house . . . how big an advantage is home turf today? “A huge help, particularly with how we’ve gotten on in the Aviva with the supporters. But that’s not something we can rely on – we still have to work towards the biggest game of the season.”

Does that relaxed take on life apply to his own preparation this week? “I’m grand. I do my own thing, chill out. I don’t put the body at risk or anything, I’m laid back enough week of a game.”

Are those huge headphones he was recently seen in part of the chilling-out process? “No, they’re just pretty sweet headphones, I got a couple of pairs, so did Jamie (Heaslip), and now a few of the lads are as well. Good for the music, you know.”

Chilled-out or not, he’ll be ready.