Ruddock family split down middle ahead of Celtic storm

DUAL nationalities and mixed loyalties are nothing new in international rugby where Pacific Islanders can play for England and an Australian lines out for Russia but spare a thought for the Ruddock family on Saturday.

When Ireland and Wales meet in Wellington’s famous ‘Cake Tin’ this weekend, Mike Ruddock and his clan will be suspended in some sort of emotional purgatory, their loyalties floundering somewhere in the middle of the Irish Sea.

Though coach of the 2005 Welsh Grand Slam-winning side, Ruddock Snr is at the helm of the Irish U20s while sons Ciarán and Rhys play with Leinster, have declared for Ireland but speak with an accent straight out of the Valleys.

“There’s mixed emotions there,” said Ciarán yesterday. “My mother’s Irish and my dad’s Welsh but my mum and dad are half-Irish because both my grand-dads are from Wales and both my grandmothers are from Ireland so it’s a real mix. Split loyalties everywhere.”

So, who will dad be shouting for at the weekend? “It’s like I said, split loyalties. He’s half-Irish himself. He’s been over a lot, he coaches the Ireland 20s. He’s been fortunate to coach Leinster and Bective and he loves the people here. Obviously on my mum’s side of the family it’s very close because she’s one of eight…

“It’s going to be a good game either way between two good teams who have picked it up for the World Cup. Wales had a good run-in after a tough pool stages against the likes of South Africa, who they almost beat, and then Ireland are doing fantastically well. It’s going to be a great game for all involved.”

Warren Gatland has almost stumbled across his recipe for success in New Zealand, pushed and prodded by a succession of injuries to senior players towards the selection of a younger generation who seem to have energised the Six Nations side. Out-half Rhys Priestland is 24, wing George North is just 19 and captain and flavour-of-the-month flanker Sam Warburton is 22 and just three months older than Ruddock, who made just his second senior appearance for Leinster against Aironi last Saturday.

“He’s always been a very good player,” he said of Warburton. “When I was back in Wales he was in the age group ahead of me and he played with a lot of my friends in the Welsh U20s and they all speak so highly of him.”

Warburton and his cohorts in the Welsh back row are likely to have their work cut out against an Irish trio of Stephen Ferris, Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip that has been widely acclaimed as the best in the tournament. As someone who has recently made the switch from the second row into that department, Ruddock is again well-placed to adjudge how that showdown should pan out.

“They’re all fantastic players and I think it’s going to be a really interesting match on the weekend to see who comes out on top.”

He may be sitting on the fence but it is hard to blame him.