LEO ‘DISBELIEF’ AT AXEL LOSS

LEO CULLEN had grown up well aware of just who Anthony Foley was.

Albeit four years younger, Cullen was also a No8 and conscious he was following the same pathway to the professional game as Foley

It was clear that sooner or later they would be playing against each other, be international rivals, they even ended up as coaching rivals.

The Leinster coach, who was beginning his second season in charge, remembers all too vividly the news filtering back from Paris that fateful Sunday in 2016.

“We were playing the day before, the Saturday, at home to Castres and were in UCD the next day, Sunday, for our medicals.

“So, I’m getting ready for that Racing- Munster game, to watch the start of it, and I remember it flashing up on the screen, seeing some of the bulletins come in, and there is that sort of sense of disbelief.

“I read it this week about it being the fifth anniversary. It’s hard to believe that much time has passed, really…”

Cullen suddenly falters, stops, and to his credit, regroups looking straight at me.

“He’s in my thoughts a lot, Axel — you’ve got me pretty emotional here now, ‘cause I wasn’t expecting this one.

“He was the No8 for the Irish Schools in ’92 whereas I was the No8 for the Irish Schools in ’96. They had gone to New Zealand on their tour and we went to Australia four years later.

“Yeah, lots of similar things that we did in terms of career. He passed away at 42 and I’m currently 43 so I thought a lot about Axel when I was 42, to understand all the pressures and the rest of it that he came under.”

Thoughts

Leinster’s taken on the Scarlets at the RDS today but there will be thoughts for those in Limerick.

“I’m sure it will be a sad day for his family just as I’m sure every day is.

“But he was also an amazing character so hopefully everyone celebrates all the good things about Axel as well and what he did for the game and for the country as well, and especially Munster.

“He definitely had an effect on a lot of us but, yeah, he was somebody I would have watched. I admired him, seeing him play his first cap for Ireland and all the rest.”