During the New Zealand game I picked up an injury, nothing though that will hold me back too much for which I’m thankful. It was a scary few moments when I didn’t know what had happened to my leg, but I’m grateful to our medical and support team and the very neat stitches I received from the on-site doctors who looked after me.
There were plenty of other sore bodies. It was a very physical game. Thankfully it’s not keeping me out of selection for Sunday, so I can be out there fighting with the girls. Wearing the green jersey and being out there with the team, representing the Emerald Isle means the world to me, to everyone. This is a World Cup quarter final so we will leave no stone unturned.
Bus etiquette. The layout is important. Individuals usually flock to similar spots. If you’ve been on one team bus, you’ll understand the format. The coaches and backroom staff sit up the front, the middle is for those seeking a bit of quiet for a chat. You can still hear the music from the speaker down the back, but it’s not overpowering and it’s possible to drown it out if you want to listen on your headphones to something else.
The back is where Noddy (Niamh O’Dowd) is the DJ, playing hardcore rave music for the most part, which is very much enjoyed by those in that area. We’ve spent a lot of time on buses during the World Cup, going to and from gyms, training sessions, matches and in swapping Northampton for Brighton and now this week for Exeter.
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Picking our way through the streets of Brighton last Sunday for the New Zealand match it was difficult not to smile at the 40 shades of green; past players, provincial players, club players, our families, our friends, all incorporated in one green mass of Irish supporters. We felt that support, the Green Wave.
Obviously, the result against the Black Ferns wasn’t what we wanted as a team, but there are days like that and you can’t dwell on them. You have to take the lessons and move forward. We wanted to be in a quarter-final, and we are, against France, who beat us narrowly in the Six Nations. That’s our all-consuming focus, to work hard all week.
The morning after the game, before we said goodbye to Brighton, we spent some time with family and friends and wandered up and down those laneways that house so many gems that we have come to appreciate in our time there.
It’s then that you really appreciate the support. We were stopped dozens of times by supporters, to chat about the game and ask how we were feeling mentally and physically. It was nice to have a little time away from rugby and being able to relax before turning our attention to the trip to Exeter and what the week would hold.
We had heard nothing but good things from teammates who play their rugby at Sandy Park, the venue for Sunday’s game. Two buses were required to transport team Ireland, lock, stock and barrel, to Exeter. I was on the boujee one, tables with chairs rather than seats and an ice and compression machine to soothe aching limbs.
Those who chose the back of the bus thought they had struck gold with a round table and what looked like comfy seating, but apparently the fact that it was directly over the back wheels made for a bit of a bumpy journey. We broke up the long trip in Ringwood, a place I wouldn’t say we will ever pass through again.
The bus also provides the backdrop for a tradition that is commonplace in rugby circles. If there’s a new cap or a personal milestone in a match, then the person is required to stand at the front of the bus and sing.
Common sense will tell you to pick a song that everyone knows on the basis that they will join in. People are occasionally left hanging for a little while; this is usually on the bus home from games.
Our kicking coach Gareth Steenson hadn’t sung for us since being involved and so he was summoned to perform. He wasn’t fazed, going through a full routine without batting an eyelid. He probably drew on his playing days. We knocked some good fun out of it.
On the pitch, the focus is singular. This is knockout rugby. We know what France will bring, but to be honest it’s about owning what we want to do at Sandy Park on Sunday. We’re aware that the Green Wave will have swollen again, colourful and loud as it’s been for previous games.
It means so much to the team, something that we want to reflect in our performance. A lunchtime kickoff brings its own demands. Allez les verts might be the new anthem that rings our around Sandy Park.
