Scotland's Ben Healy reflects on 'great time in his career'

PASTURES NEW: Scotland's Ben Healy lines up a conversion. Pic: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Eight months since news of his switch to Edinburgh hit the newsstands. Two weeks later and he was called up by Scotland. There was a Test debut on St Patrick’s weekend, a first start at the end of July, and then his name appeared in Gregor Townsend’s World Cup squad three weeks ago.

Cut that any way you like but Ben Healy is having a moment.

South Africa await his Scotland team in Marseille on Sunday and, while the former Munster out-half is playing understudy to Finn Russell, he will get his opportunity to show his worth on the global stage long before this competition is through.

“It's really exciting. It flies by, it just all passes so quickly,” he said after training in Nice on Tuesday. “Sometimes you get a chance to reflect but every week there's a new challenge and something to look forward to and that's what your focus is on.

“But it is nice to look at the big picture every now and again to see where you have come from and where you are going. This week we have the world champions in the opening game of a Rugby World Cup, so each week there's usually an individual focus, but when I do look back it will be on a great time in my career.” 

Healy only turned 24 over the summer. The starting line to his professional career is still visible over his shoulder as he builds up momentum but he is absolutely entitled to take pause now and then to get his head around 2023.

On Monday he was part of the Scotland team and wider delegation that was presented with their World Cup caps and specially-made medals and there seemed to be a sense of wonderment about him as he stood there on the stage with his new teammates.

Go back a little over three months and he was coming off the bench for Munster as the province clinched that URC title with a brilliant win against the Stormers. It doesn’t seem all that long since his major role against the Bok ‘A’ in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

He's come a long way since you know where.

“When I look back on it I say, 'wow', it's a big change. It is a long way from Tipperary, it's what has presented itself week to week or day by day. Something presents itself and the answer is right in front of your face and you just roll with it.

"When you get to a situation like this, you do go, 'wow', it's a big change but a year or two down the line I'm sure I'll be saying the same thing again because things change a lot and very quickly in rugby.” 

If it all seems to have gone from zero to 60 in the blink of an eye then there were still times when he had to drive with L-plates, not least when he first linked up with the national squad and got accustomed to what they were doing and how they were doing it.

That done, he felt ready to bring something of his own to the table but he has been challenged too by a coaching staff that could be tailor-made for a man looking to make it as a top-class playmaker.

Townsend and his assistants Brad Mooar and Peter Horne all played ten in their time on the field and the former Glenstal Abbey student spoke of how blessed he has been to have so much knowledge of that calibre at his disposal.

“They were keen for me to challenge the line a lot more. In the ten position at Munster, particularly last season, I think I got quite used to that and good at it towards the end, but it's a bit different with Scotland and probably a lot more variety.” 

Munster worked off what he described as a very clear system that had been rehearsed endlessly in pre-season, perfected, and then utilised game after game through the campaign. It's not meant in any way as a negative.

“There is more variety here [with Scotland] but a lot of the teams that you face in the URC are all a bit similar whereas in international rugby you are playing against teams from every corner of the globe.

“Each week you are challenged differently. That's something I've found with international rugby. That's what makes it a bit different to what I was used to in the URC.” 

Every day something new. He's well used to that now.