Healy keeps eyes firmly fixed on Glasgow task

Lions squad. New Ireland coach. New Leinster coach. Amlin final.

A man could find his head spinning out of control real quick if he stopped to think about all that is happening at Leinster these days but Cian Healy is adamant he only has eyes for Glasgow Warriors this week.

You can’t fault him for that.

It is, after all, just six weeks since the Scots’ previous visit to the RDS. They were somewhat unfortunate to leave that day on the back of a five-point loss and Saturday’s RaboDirect PRO12 play-off promises to be little different.

Joe Schmidt said after that one that he would be happy not to cross Glasgow’s path again this season after a contest in which the visitors led for most of the night and displayed a wincing intensity at the breakdown.

So Healy is ready. He has to be.

“They’re bruisers in the pack and they’re big hitters,” he warned. “Defensively they’re strong and their record stands up. But that’s something where we’re going to have to back ourselves too, with defence, and trying to crack theirs. I haven’t studied where any of that is yet on video but we’ll have Joe telling us and the staff filling us in and then we’ll go and look at it ourselves.”

His focus is admirable and yet there is no getting away from the fact that everything from here to June 1 will be said and done against a bright red backdrop. And Healy admits his mind drifts forward to the Australian odyssey that awaits him.

He watched the squad announcement at home with his family and, though he was happy to see tour manager Andy Irvine call his name out, he was more intent on calming his mother and sister when it happened.

“It’s not that hard (to focus) actually because the games are big and there’s a lot of work going into them, study and focus and things like that. So it’s something you can park easy enough.”

Enquiries about the arrival of Matt O’Connor as head coach are parked with a similar matter-of-factness yet Healy is more willing to peek down the road on behalf of a colleague.

With Heinke van der Merwe leaving for France and Healy likely to be given some leeway in terms of pre-season post-Lions it would appear that doors are opening up for Jack McGrath who impressed against Ospreys last week.

“He’s quality. He’s been working away with us for a long time and he’s one of those ultimate professional players. He does all his study and all his work and keeps plugging away.

“He’s putting heavy pressure on all of us. The move of Heinke this year will be big for Jack as well in terms of getting more game time and with a prop it’s not age or any of that it’s how much you play and how much you get out there.”

Healy will be doing plenty of that in the weeks to come.