The turning of Paul Kimmage's attention towards the sport of rugby has certainly been interesting. Kimmage has admitted his knowledge of the sport is less than exemplary but he has nonetheless been garnering plenty of attention with what he has to say and once again he has given us something to talk about.
This time, however, it has nothing to do with performance enhancing drugs. Instead, it is a rather more lighthearted insight into how Brian O'Driscoll felt when he first recognised the emergence of Robbie Henshaw in the Irish set-up.
According to the former cyclist's column in today's Sunday Independent, O'Driscoll and Kimmage, who was intended to be O'Driscoll's ghost-writer at the time, were having dinner when the Ireland centre was going through something of a rough patch.
No longer captain, he had missed the 2012 November internationals and his commercial appeal was waning. A 39 strong panel had gathered in Carton House ahead of the 2013 Six Nations and among them was a 19 year old Robbie Henshaw.
Somewhat jokingly, but with more than a slight hint of sincerity, O'Driscoll's response to Kimmage at the time puts into context just how much the Ireland great was feeling his age. Although to be fair, he was only turning 33 at the time.
Do you realise how old that makes me feel? I mean, what do we have in common? What are we supposed to talk about? 'How did you get on in the Leaving?
According to Kimmage his response was something akin to polite platitude.
I smiled and pretended I understood but, to be honest, I was struggling. 'Who's Robbie Henshaw?' I wondered.
We know now.
The rest of Kimmage's article is a bit of a 'man who would be king' job so, all in all, no pressure Robbie.
