95 caps later, five Lions appearances, Grand Slam success, captain’s armbands and the World Rugby Try of the Year, Jamie Heaslip did alright.
It’s scary how many of the planet’s top sportsmen are told that they’re not going to cut it.
The annals of history are filled with some of the best footballers and rugby players given the arm around the shoulder but basically on the way out of the camp. They’ve had coaches come up to them to say that they’re good, just not good enough.
Roy Keane was turned away by Aston Villa and a whole heap of other teams. Too small.
The list of Gaelic football legends who never made their minor team is shocking.
And one of the country’s most distinguished forwards, Jamie Heaslip, also had to endure setbacks – even after breaking onto the Ireland team.
The three-time European Cup winner sat on The Late Late Show couch on Friday night and gave an interesting interview.
From what the Irish jersey means to him, to retirement, to the fallout for rugby in the wake of the Belfast trial, it was a fascinating 15 minutes.
Of all that has happened to him though, being snubbed by Eddie O’Sullivan still remains one of the strangest things.
“You’ll have to ask Eddie if he liked me or not,” Jamie Heaslip laughed when asked why he wasn’t picked.
“His team were going well at the time and he had his players. They had a lot of success. But it was frustrating because I thought I was good enough, he thought otherwise.”
It was the cold feedback which O’Sullivan is said to have handed the Leinster man that was jarring.
“I wasn’t fast enough. I wasn’t big enough. I wasn’t strong enough,” Heaslip was told.
“I disagreed with him and told him so but you’re not going to change the coach’s mind.
“He told me I also shouldn’t wear white boots. That’s why I wore white boots ever since then, just to prove a point.
“In fairness, my dad doesn’t like me wearing white boots.”
"The jersey's not yours, it's the nations"@jamieheaslip on the the responsibility he feels when putting on the Irish rugby jersey.#latelate live now pic.twitter.com/DlSIVlvYMp
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) May 11, 2018
