Varley meets competition head-on

WHO would be a hooker with Munster? With Jerry Flannery out indefinitely and Mike Sherry missing for the next six to eight weeks, it’s not been a good time for the doughty men whose skills are so vital at set-piece time.

Still fighting fit though, and mustard keen for action after spending the last few weeks as cover for the Irish squad at the recent World Cup in New Zealand, is Damien Varley.

First though, a word of sympathy for the man whose shirt he takes.

“Jerry has been extremely unfortunate with injuries,” he said.

“Him getting injured with Munster initially was my first break and then going to the World Cup and getting injured again — yeah, I do, I feel very sorry for him. It’s a tough blow but at the same time it’s a cruel sport at times and injuries happen. That’s the nature of the beast.

“I’m sure one day injuries could happen to me and someone else will come in. That’s just the way it is, that’s just the cycle of rugby.”

But he’ll need to be ready with a hell of a tough schedule facing Munster.

“Yeah, we have 13 weeks straight in the next phase and you know, they are massive games.

“We have big points to prove in the Heineken Cup, we have our biggest rivals Leinster on Friday week [RaboDirect Pro 12 League]. They are two different competitions and big, big games, with a lot of points to prove.”

It kicks off this Friday against Italian side Aironi in Musgrave Park, followed by Leinster, then into Heineken Cup action.

In itself that’s an attritional schedule but given the attritional nature of Damien’s position it’s unlikely, much as he’d like to, that he’ll play every minute of those games.

Fortunately hooker is a position in which Munster is well served and while Damien is now the undisputed number one in the number two jersey, he knows he’ll be put under serious pressure when Mike Sherry returns, while Seán Henry and Denis Fogarty are also pushing for game-time.

“It’s tough, but that’s part of the Munster environment for the last couple of years.

“In an awful lot of positions right across the board, there are great players coming through. It’s just something to deal with and if anything it adds an extra incentive because they’re pushing you, you’re pushing back, you’re trying to push yourself.

“It can only be beneficial when you have that level of competition. No matter who’s there ahead of you, in a competitive environment you’re going to be trying to get at him, to try and improve yourself beyond him, to try and put yourself into the number one position.

“I think the perception of who is number one and who is number two, is exactly that, a perception, and it’s not always reality within the squad – that’s where the competitive environment comes in.”

Apart from the fact that he never got to tog out for a game, the New Zealand experience was mostly positive for the former St Munchin’s star.

“I suppose, from a personal point of view, I’m disappointed I did not get to be involved in a match-day 22 but nevertheless it was an unbelievable experience to see how a national side prepares for a World Cup tournament and going into each game it was great experience.

“The level of support following the Irish team, it was amazing, and the atmosphere at the games. I certainly never experienced any like it, apart from the atmosphere in Thomond Park, it was close to that.

“We had a lot of guys from Australia in camper vans following us around and providing a really good atmosphere. Particularly after the Australia win, they were definitely getting behind us.

“It was disappointing getting beaten in the quarter-final but we’re back at home now and we’re all happy to be here and looking forward to the next few weeks when we have a few big games coming up in two different competitions.”