I’LL BE BACK Heaslip relief after major op saves his rugby career
JAMIE HEASLIP is targeting a pre-season return but will spend the summer embracing life as a rugby fan again.
The Leinster flanker jetted off to Boston yesterday to participate in a four-day course in the Business of Entertainment, Media and Sport at Harvard.
While there he will continue his rehab at the university – and hopes to also wangle his way in to use the Boston Celtics’ facility for a session – but he misses Ireland’s Test against America in New York due to family commitments.
Prior to departure he spoke of his make-or-break back surgery – without getting into the nitty gritty.
“Nothing personal, I just like to keep my medical history to myself,” Heaslip smiled. “It was pretty serious, I didn’t realise how severe it was and how potentially long-term damaging it could have been. That’s why when the problem arose we had to act quite quickly.”
The 33-year-old suffered the injury in the warm-up to Ireland’s final Six Nations win over England and was replaced by man of the match Peter O’mahony.
Social media conspiracy theorists claimed it was all a ruse to flummox the Grand Slam chasers.
“I was laughing,” said Heaslip. “People have got to fill columns, everyone can say what they want on social media too but I knew how severe my injury was.
“I decided not to tell anyone what was wrong. I understand the need for fresh news, content and information but some things I like to share and some things I don’t.”
Heaslip will have been out six months by the time of his return – the Naas man’s longest break in 12 years as a pro. “The way the surgeon described it was that I had a very good chance of making a very good recovery,” he said.
“However, if I didn’t have the operation, the likelihood of doing some long term damage that would impact playing drastically increased because I was in a bad spot.
“It was pretty much, ‘Do you want to play or don’t you?’. That’s how I saw it. So yeah, ‘No problem, let’s go’.
“We could’ve passed the point already of doing permanent damage but I’m progressing well.
“I’m very lucky to do what I do so I don’t take it for granted but you realise that at some stage you’re going to finish.
“You could control that to a certain degree and go out on your terms. Most of the time that doesn’t happen for a rugby player.”
The good news is that the No8 will start the new campaign fresh and hungry.
“I watched Leinster, I started watching the odd other game and it was really good,” he said. “It was really nice to become a fan again. I’m really excited actually about the Lions tour coming up.
“I look forward to reading and listening to the different opinions, becoming a fan and having my own opinion on it. When you’re playing there’s just too much stuff going on.”
While Billy Vunipola will miss the Lions tour through injury, Heaslip feels CJ Stander still faces an uphill battle to wear the No8 jersey for the Test matches.
“I’d love to see all the Irish guys start,” he said, “but that’s not going to happen.
“I’d love to see all the Leinster guys start and it could happen. It would be unbelievable for the club – five go over, five start the Test but it’ll be tough. Guys get injured and the group you’re picking from can change dramatically.”