NEARING THE END GAME
Triggs is a proud Blue as he lines up exit...
HAYDEN TRIGGS’ days at Leinster may be numbered, but, whatever happens, at the end of the season he will look back fondly at his time with the province.
With Australian forward Scott Fardy set to join the Blues next season, Triggs may find himself packing his bags and setting off in search of a new challenge, admitting that there is ‘a good opportunity for me and my family’ on the table.
Speaking in Leinster HQ, he certainly doesn’t seem like a man worried about what the future holds.
‘[Fardy is a] good signing for Leinster. Good for the club. He’s a good player. Even for an Aussie I enjoy watching him play,’ the New Zealander laughs.
‘But for me personally there is nothing finalised or anything. There is an opportunity on the table, so without going into it there’s an opportunity for me and we find that out soon.’
With his future undecided, Triggs’ main aim is to finish the season with a trophy in order to make up for the lack of success last year, including that disappointing Pro12 final defeat to provincial rivals Connacht.
A few months ago, he described Leinster as being ‘the best club I’ve ever been to’ — the 35-year-old’s CV also includes Super Rugby’s Hurricanes, Highlanders, Chiefs and Blues — and he says one of the most striking things about rugby in this part of the world is the level of support behind the team.
‘First thing when I first signed here last year, at first me and my wife noticed that back in New Zealand you wouldn’t really see, like, a little kid wearing a Blues’ jersey. Every now and then you might but here you have everyone, kids, men, women wearing Leinster gear, beanies, scarves etc... maybe that is not a lot to some but to us it was “what the hell is going on?” and it happens every day!’
He also finds that fanatical support one of the most striking things about the Six Nations, and the former army mechanic admits he is baffled by criticism from the southern hemisphere about the quality of rugby on show in the tournament.
‘I loved it. When I read the criticism down home, because they have Super Rugby — they probably have ‘Super four or five teams’ that play good rugby down there.
‘Look, you look at the crowds [in the Six Nations] which for me is the number one judge — international stadiums in four different countries sold out every weekend. They got 100 minutes worth of rugby at the weekend. That’s value for money [Wales v France]. There’s too much criticism from down south and I’m sure the coaches from down there would not have a problem watching Six Nations rugby.
‘It’s intense. It’s a real supporter’s game. Because there’s not 40 points being scored it’s considered a kick fest so it just shows me you’ve got to be good to score tries, and the defence up here has probably dominated the Six Nations this year, so probably for the tournament’s sake the best defensive team won.
‘The Kiwi public is probably too bandwagonish I guess. If they make the semis, the finals it [stadiums] will be full but up until then it is just the loyal die-hards that are there every week.’
On Saturday, Leinster are back in action in front of their own diehards at the RDS for a Pro12 clash against Cardiff Blues, with Triggs hoping to keep his place in the starting 15 after forcing his way back into Leo Cullen’s plans following a three-week suspension for making contact with the eye of Montpellier’s Nic White.
‘Towards the start of the season I had hardly been in the team at all. I’ve had a few opportunities lately bar my own indiscretions but we have all had a chance now and every day is an audition, it is not just this week.
‘So whatever I do today [in training], whoever they put out against Cardiff, you know they have done their best to earn their job.
‘It is not about me, it is [about] what the club are going to try to do,’ he added.