CLUBBING’S OUT FOR CIAN BUT HE STILL MAKES RIGHT MOVES

THREE weeks away from his 31st birthday, Cian Healy didn’t necessarily need to tell us that: ‘Tuesday nights at Coppers are long gone.’ But he said that this week, and as Ireland set forth into the toughest and possibly the most historic 12 months for the game in this country, Joe Schmidt, for one, might be relieved that his loosehead prop knows this for sure. Just to be doubly sure. Healy (right), of course, remains young at heart. And the man’s still a breath of fresh air on and off the field with his general attitude to the pressures of professional sport. He was a hero in green when he was a teenager and, if we get there, Healy, more than anyone else, will have piloted Ireland’s journey from also-rans to World No 1 by the close of 2019. DESPITE leading his rivals by 40 points, and winning four out of his last five races, Lewis Hamilton still wanted to ensure that people did not start to think he was losing the run of himself entirely. He had covered 25,000 miles recently promoting his new clothing range in conjunction with Tommy Hilfiger. And he also delayed his media briefing for a quick chin-wag with film star Samuel L Jackson. ‘Don’t for a second let it creep into your mind that I don’t want to win this championship!’ he then warned, probably unnecessarily.