It was a special night for Cian Healy on Friday, as the Leinster prop became the province's most-capped player of all-time in a win over Dragons at the Aviva Stadium.
Healy was named to start for Friday's game, Leinster's first with the Aviva Stadium as their new temporary home ground.
Though Leinster made hard work of it at points, tries from Jack Conan, Joe McCarthy, Max Deegan, Ross Byrne, Jordan Larmour and Aitzol King helped them to an ultimately decisive 34-6 victory.
It was truly a night for celebrating one of Irish rugby's great servants, however, and a special familiar face popped into the dressing room to congratulate Cian Healy on his record-breaking 281st Leinster cap.
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Devin Toner pays tribute to Cian Healy in brilliant dressing-room speech
Cian Healy's 281st appearance for Leinster saw him now out on his own as the most-capped player in the province's history.
He had equalled Devin Toner's record of 280 caps in last weekend's enthralling victory over Edinburgh. After Healy broke his record on Friday, Toner visited the Leinster dressing room to congratulate his former teammate.
"I couldn't be happier that a more deserving person is breaking my record." 🤝
Devin Toner presents Cian Healy with his record breaking cap. 🧢💙#LEIvDRA #FromTheGroundUp pic.twitter.com/MJ3oqWeRwl— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) September 27, 2024
The former Leinster lock said that he could not be "pissed off" that his record was gone, with Healy a truly deserving candidate for the honour.
It has not been an easy road for 36-year-old Healy, who has been beset by serious injuries at numerous points throughout his career. The loosehead prop almost retired nine years ago after a serious neck injury and heartbreakingly missed the 2023 World Cup after injuring his leg in a warm-up game against Samoa.
Just as Leinster helped Healy through those injury issues, he stayed loyal to the province when big-money offers came from overseas.
It was this resilience and loyalty which Devin Toner hailed as generational in a lovely dressing room speech on Friday night:
First of all, congrats Church. A lot of people have asked me, 'Am I pissed off you broke the record?' Honestly, I'm not. I couldn't be happier that a more deserving person is breaking my record, to be honest.
I think, when you look at your career, 281 for Leinster, 131 for Ireland, throw in a couple of near-career-ending injuries with a couple of months on the sidelines. I think it's a phenomenal achievement and a testament to you as a person and a player to get to where you have and stay there for so long.
When you look at Leinster over the past 19-20 years, you've been there for all the highs but you've also been there through all the lows as well. For all the special times that have happened with Leinster, you've been there, you've been such an important part of the team.
I think it's a phenomenal achievement, it's a record I don't think is going to be broken...one of these young lads might be playing for the next 16 years, 20 games a year but it's going to be a very long time.
Huge congratulations.
When one considers the amount of injury anguish and lay-offs Cian Healy has had to endure, the numbers mentioned by Devin Toner really drive home just how phenomenal his longevity has been at the highest level.
Turning 37 next month and entering his 18th season as a Leinster player, Healy shows no sign of slowing down just yet.
