Ireland captain Rory Best says that a win over Australia will cap a real turnaround for Irish rugby in 2016.
This season started on the back of the disappointment of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, which ended in quarter-final defeat to Argentina in Cardiff.
The Six Nations began with a draw to Wales and then defeats to England and France followed. But then the improvement began and Ireland rounded out the campaign with wins over Italy and Scotland.
A threadbare squad then travelled to South Africa and won the first test, the country’s first on Springbok soil, and only narrowly missed out on taking the series.
It got better as Ireland recorded their first-ever win over New Zealand in Chicago and backed this up last weekend in a narrow defeat to the All Blacks at the Aviva Stadium.
Best admits that the start of the 2016 campaign was tough, but that a win over the Wallabies in Lansdowne Road on Saturday evening would mean Ireland ends the year on a high.
“It’s been tough,” said the Ulster man, who will win his 100th cap against the touring Aussies. Best was speaking on RTÉ Radio 1’s Saturday Sport
“We started 2016 off the back of the World Cup with everyone questioning us and northern hemisphere rugby
“And then we had so many injuries so when we look back, if we can win this match it would be a pretty productive year for us
“ We came through the Six Nations with a young team, finishing it strongly, created history in South Africa and Chicago, if we can beat Australia, it will turn around as a pretty productive year for us.”
We're ready for @RoryBest2 💯!! Thank you @canterburyNZ #proudfamily pic.twitter.com/anavhR4ceY
— Jodie Best (@jodiebest2) November 26, 2016
Best pointed to the development of players like Ultan Dillane, Gary Ringrose and Jack McGrath and the new depth this gives to Ireland’s squad.
Best has 99 international caps and will join elite company when he reaches the century.
He laughs at how much more seriously he takes his rugby now and laughs at the way he used to leave so much up to his older brother Simon, who was already established in the Ireland set-up by the time Rory arrived on the scene.
“I work a lot harder on my game,” he explained. “Back then I thought training started when the whistle went and finished when the whistle again went a bit later.
“I have to do things more for myself now. I’m certainly grumpier with old age!” he smiled “When I was 23 Simon looked after me and I was very much the little brother – I went where he told me and he even looked after the match tickets, putting them in envleopes and leaving them where they needed to be left.
“I find myself doing that for the younger lads now.”
