The new thing in Irish rugby is all about complimenting a GAA upbringing. Sure isn't that how anyone got anywhere. Whether you are a veteran like John Muldoon, a maverick like Ian Madigan, or just from the deep countryside like Sean O'Brien, the new in-thing is to talk about how the GAA honed your skills.
But of course, Robbie Henshaw made this popular. Sure, there may have been some of it when Shane Horgan was climbing highest in Croke Park, and there are many minor GAA stars on the Irish rugby teams of old - but Henshaw was the cool new thing when he credited that try against England to his GAA past.
But it does seem that Henshaw has a real fondness for the sport. He still tries to help out his old school GAA team in Marist in their attempts to win a first Leinster schools title. He went so far as to get Brian O'Driscoll to wish them luck in their third and most recent final appearance.
Henshaw excelled at all sports at school. He sights winning the All-Ireland soccer title with Marist as his best school sporting memory, and captained the rugby team to the Connacht Senior Cup.
See Also: 12 Photos Of Robbie Henshaw Doing Miscellaneous Things
It wasn't for a lack of talent that he couldn't help Marist end their provincial drought at football either. In Henshaw's three years at schools football, they were twice knocked out by St. Mary's Edenderry. In 2012 he faced Kildare footballer and former AFL star Daniel Flynn. According to Marist senior football manager John Parker, Henshaw played Flynn off the park that day:
He played at midfield for us against Edenderry in the Leinster senior championship and he was the man of the match on the day. Edenderry went on and won the All-Ireland after but he was certainly the best man on show. And Edenderry had an excellent midfield pairing that day, but he took both of them out of it. He was just an excellent footballer.
So what does Henshaw take out of these days? Is it just his aerial skills?
Not at all:
The GAA would have helped my aerial skills and kicking skills, fitness and footwork. If you’re able to catch a rugby ball over your head in rugby it’s a great skill to have in your game. Not many players can actually do it. The chest catch in rugby is a bit different, you have to time your run precisely and attack the ball upwards where over the head in GAA you have more time to get your leap and you can run back towards the ball. I think the margin for error is less than in GAA.
The kicking, being able to punt the ball in a straight line like a simple kick pass in Gaelic, that was another big skill that crossed over.
Take note next generation. Get to your local parish, whether you are the next Aidan O'Shea or Robbie Henshaw - your local GAA team needs you.
See Also: Robbie Henshaw Credited His Try Against England To His Gaelic Football Skills
See Also: Ian Madigan Had Some Kind Words To Say About Kilmacud Crokes After That Cross Kick
Picture credit: Paul Mohan / SPORTSFILE
