Healy hoping to send Drico out on a high

The next three months could well be dominated by two words: thanks, Brian.

The Brian O’Driscoll farewell party is in full swing, even though it has not been confirmed that the centre will be retiring after the Lions tour this summer.

If this is the end then how better to bow out than with victories in the Amlin Challenge Cup and RaboDirect Pro 12 with Leinster, followed by the tantalising possibility of a victorious Lions tour after three successive defeats?

It is a question that comes up in every interview, and Cian Healy knew what to expect.

Yet that didn’t make his words any less heartfelt or sincere.

The prop has spent the past six years laying the platform for O’Driscoll to weave his magic, and he may well only have a maximum of 12 games left — if both play in every match of the Lions tour — alongside the great man. There are others who will be leaving Leinster, too, notably Joe Schmidt and Jonny Sexton.

So as Healy prepares to say his goodbyes he wants to make sure he helps them all go out on a high — with both the Lions and Leinster.

“There is a lot going on at Leinster with people moving on — a lot of big, influential people,” said Healy. “It’s been a tight-knit squad, so we want to do well for each other and have success. The best way to finish the season with Leinster is success, and we hope to send the lads on their way with two titles.

“As for the Lions, it would be awesome to win a tour for Drico. We know what he has done for rugby, he’s been the player of the decade. It would be nice to win the series for him, and we’d want to make it as memorable as possible. Brian is a team man, a squad man. He throws himself into things and you pick up things off him such as how you should carry yourself and embrace things that are going on.

“He’s been through so much in rugby history it would be nice to be on a winning tour with him.”

There is much work to be done before Australia are defeated, though perhaps the most nerve-wracking was discovering Healy was even in the squad.

“I was at my parents’ house in Clontarf and my family all went into different rooms as it got near the time,” laughs the 25-year-old.

“I had a cup of coffee and tried to act relaxed. The hardest thing was calming my mother and sister down. My folks will go out for the Tests now.

“I have an auntie and uncle over there and a few friends who made the big move to work in Australia, so hopefully I’ll get an opportunity to meet up with them too. Someone said the best thing to do on a Lions tour is do as much as you can. I will go in with that idea in mind. It’s the same as any tour, it’s about getting in the mix and doing as much as I can in the group.”

That begs the question of whether DJ Church — Healy’s DJ name — will be making an appearance Down Under. The prop has appeared at festivals in Ireland, but although music is an integral part of any Lions tour, he feels that might be a step too far. “I don’t think I’ll be packing my turntables,” he laughs.

“I haven’t done it in a while as I was doing too many late nights. If you do too much of it then it reflects on you.

“I’ve been a bedroom DJ for a while and that’s as much as I’ve done.”