'He's been a legend of our squad' — Farrell pays tribute to Healy influence before landmark cap

OUT IN FRONT: Cian Healy will rack up cap number 133 on Friday. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Fifteen years to the day since he earned his Ireland Test debut against Australia under Declan Kidney, Cian Healy will on Friday night lead his country out against Argentina as his country’s record-equalling appearance maker.

And though the 37-year-old replacement loosehead prop will hate every minute of his time in the spotlight, head coach Andy Farrell was happy to pay tribute, not just to his long service at the harsh coalface of international rugby but the way he as adapted to his bench role as back-up to Andrew Porter as well as the influential role he has played in the development of those front-rowers who've followed in his footsteps.

Cap number 133 for Healy equals the milestone set by former Leinster and Ireland team-mate Brian O’Driscoll between 1999 and 2014. Farrell recalled the first time he crossed paths with the loosehead, on the 2013 British & Lions tour to Australia, when the Ireland boss was an assistant coach to Warren Gatland and the Clontarf forward sustained a tour-ending ankle ligament injury early into his second appearance in the famous red jersey in Perth.

“The utmost respect doesn't do it justice,” Farrell said. “It has been a pleasure to be able to coach him. I was thinking back this morning in regards to my time with Cian when I coached him for the first time in 2013 on the Lions tour. I was amazed at his athleticism. He would have been right in his pomp at that stage and if you remember, he got a terrible ankle injury and the tour was taken away from him.

“It was made for him, that type of tour. He’s been a world-leading loosehead throughout his career, hence why I talk about 2013 and Lions. But the transition that he’s made in the last number of years in how he’s not just accepted but relished the responsibility of being a mentor to somebody like Andrew Porter in the first instance.

"He’s probably the Cian of 2013 isn’t he? He’s probably a world-class loose-head and Cian’s part of the reason for that. He’s been selfless in that regard.

“Just watching him over the last couple of weeks, how he is with (uncapped squad member) Jack Boyle, is priceless to see. So, I’ve the utmost respect. He’s been a legend of our squad for all these years and he continues to be so.”