"It's hilarious, really, what goes on in rugby, isn't it?"
It was a moment in time.
Chasing their first Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam in over six decades, Ireland trailed Wales by a point at a fervent Millenium Stadium.
Camped deep inside the Welsh half and with seconds tumbling away, this was Irish rugby's seminal moment. The moment that many had waited a lifetime or more to see. A moment for a generational player, in a generational team, to grasp.
And look, it's not that Rory Best falls outside the category of a generational player, it's just the sight of the Ulster hooker moving into the pocket 10 yards from the Welsh sticks with it all on the line still sucks the blood from most of our extremities a decade later.
"Rory would practice drop goals in training and he'd fancy his left peg!"@RonanOGara10 on how @RoryBest2 almost stole the drop goal v Wales in 2009. 😂
Watch ROG's Grand Slam, this Monday at 6pm on Virgin Media Sport. pic.twitter.com/XKWhAj3Q5f— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 9, 2019
In the end, it all worked out alright. Perhaps the only Irishman not to see Best was Peter Stringer. And thank Christ.
Back the ball went to ROG and the rest, as they say, was history.
The Munster legend relived the heart-stopping moment in an interview with Virgin Media Sport as part of a documentary the broadcaster is airing on Monday night - ROG's Grand Slam.
The Cork man chuckles regaling how Ireland's now captain used to "practice drop goals in training".
He'd fancy his left peg and stuff.
Because I'd be close to Rory, I'd know him well. He's a good guy, a really good guy.
He obviously could have caught the ball and I think he tooked it..
His story for the after-dinner circuit is 'I'd have slotted it as well', you know.
And Ireland's record points-scorer doesn't doubt he would have.
"His skill set would probably allow him to. Imagine if he did. For a Grand Slam drop goal. Rory Best."
You're alright Ronan, we'll stick to what we got.
