‘Jamie was always available to train and play and he loved it’

Of all the medals claimed, the caps won and the other accolades that came his way, none say as much about Jamie Heaslip the player so much as the pair of nominations he received for World Player of the Year.

That they came seven years apart, in 2009 and 2016, is maybe the most obvious testament to the man’s enduring excellence on the field and yet there are those who will never be convinced as to the worth of the Leinster and Ireland No.8.

Undervalued? Girvan Dempsey thinks so.