Cool Jack McGrath relishes No1 role with Ireland

Jack McGrath insists being Ireland’s No1 brings more pleasure than pressure.

Barring a late injury today, the Leinster prop will have started all five of Ireland’s Six Nations games this year, keeping club mate Cian Healy on the sidelines, and reinforcing his progression to one of Joe Schmidt’s core players.

The loosehead prop has been the most-capped player of the Schmidt era, and shows no sign of looking back now that he’s made the shirt his own, following Healy’s injury hell.

“My mindset hasn’t changed with being No1, no, no,” he said.

“I think myself and Cian have a good thing going. We swap in and out when we’re training and we’re doing it when we’re playing. I’m pretty happy with where we are at the moment. I could play 50, he could play 30. It doesn’t really bother either of us. We’ve a good little rotation going.”

Healy has made just four starts for Ireland since the 2014 Six Nations success, with a serious hamstring injury followed by neck surgery. Other players may have struggled to come back from such setbacks, according to McGrath, but he insists he’s not worried about Healy’s ability to return to his best.

“No, he’s proved that, that he has that durability,” McGrath said.

“A lot of players wouldn’t have come back from the injuries he’s had. They’re two pretty significant injuries. It just shows the manner of the guy and how much he wants to play for Leinster, play for Ireland, and get back playing at a high level.

“He worked damn hard to get into that World Cup squad and no one can take that away from him. He’s a guy that you’d definitely take inspiration from.”

Healy was selected ahead of McGrath for last year’s World Cup quarter-final with Argentina, as well as last year’s Six Nations decider against Scotland.

McGrath admits he wasn’t too pleased to be benched but, ahead of his 30th cap, admits he has grown to accept those calls.

“It was tough (to be dropped against Scotland) but I think in the context of the game and what we needed out of it, it was probably the right call at the time,” he said.

“I’ve known Joe for six or seven years, I owe a lot to him as a player so when he tells you that you have to work for something, or he’s not picking you for this or that, I would take it because you know it is for the greater good of the team.

“Thankfully we went on and won that day and ended up winning the Championship so you can’t be that annoyed about it. It was annoying but I could see the thought process behind it.”