World Cup axe a shock but I had to move on TONER ON REFINDING TOP FORM AHEAD OF 2020 SIX NATIONS

CHAMPIONS CUP

RUGBY UNION

Under and beaten the All Blacks in 2018. He hadn’t seen it coming. “I was pretty confident in going, which is probably a bad thing as well,” said Toner, speaking publicly about his omission for the first time.

“I should probably have kept on my toes a little bit more. I wasn’t 100 percent confident but I still thought I would’ve been needed for the lineout calling structure, which is maybe a bit naive.”

The recently-qualified Jean Kleyn got the nod instead.

In his book, Schmidt also referred to a potential citing hanging over Toner for a high hit on Wales’ Rob Evans.

“The conversation I had with Joe was I wasn’t going because they needed a tighthead lock and I didn’t show enough in the pre-season games,” explained Toner. “Then coming to the tail end of the conversation, he mentioned something about a high hit. But he never used it as an excuse that I wasn’t going or why I wasn’t getting picked.

“So when I saw that, to me that’s maybe an excuse. When Joe mentioned it, I didn’t know what he was talking about. I didn’t remember a tackle.” He added: “I think Mary was a bit angrier than me! I was telling her to calm down. I didn’t vent. I texted a couple of people, didn’t really let it get to me that night, then let it kind of fester the next couple of days.

“It was more shock that first night. The next day it started eating away at me.

“But obviously I was bitterly, bitterly disappointed. There was probably anger for a day or two but I got over it. It sunk in that I had to move on.”

Former Ireland star Ronan O’gara was among those to offer support and Toner is still determined to pull on the green shirt again.

He said: “If I get picked for the Six Nations, I’ll obviously grab it with two hands. But if I don’t I’m safe in the knowledge that I’m playing good rugby. The decision’s in their hands.”