Leinster vs Edinburgh

We didn’t know
the severity of
Covid and what
it was going to
do. About two
or three months
before the World
Cup, we could see
it wasn’t going
to happen.
“The Irish and Lions lads weren’t back
yet, so it was nice for all of the Academy
lads to come in and show what we can
do in front of Leo and Stuart. It’s great
that they back the Academy lads.
“It’s something that I think is great about
this club that as a young lad you are
training with some of the biggest names.
When you are growing up it’s something
you dream of, but when you’re here you
have to get to grips with it pretty fast and
get on with it.”
Soon, Mark Hernan was training with
the same players who coached him as a
13-year-old.
Was it strange standing shoulder to
shoulder with the players you admired
for so long?
“It wasn’t weird for me, but it was
probably weird for them! They might
have felt a bit old!
“It was cool though to start training week
in, week out with the lads you looked up
to. But you can’t fanboy for too long, you
have to get on with it.”
He is definitely getting on with it, and is
making up for lost time with a good body
of work under his belt.
Having lifted the Senior Cup trophy
as captain of St Michael’s, as well as
scoring twice for Ireland in an U-20 Six
Nations game, his favourite game to
date might come as a bit of a surprise.
“It would be Leinster ‘A’ against Cardiff
in the Celtic Cup in Cardiff Arms Park,”
says Hernan after taking a moment to
think.
“It was the first step up from school that
I had. I had Irish U-19s but that wasn’t
too different to schools. But with the
Leinster ‘A’ team, I was playing with lads
10 years older than me. We won fairly
comfortably, but I remember it was a
good team to be involved in and it was a
great experience.
“It was my first adult game in a Leinster
jersey just a few months after I left
school. I remember coming off at halftime
and I was exhausted. It was about
28 degrees in August and I was blowing.
“I realised senior rugby is another step
up, but it was a great experience. It was
luck of the draw that I got to play. There
were a few injuries and Penny had gone
up to the senior team, so it was nice that I
was backed to go out and play with that
squad. It was definitely special.”
Hernan appreciates each step he makes
on the rugby ladder.
Perhaps it takes a few setbacks along the
way, but this Academy player certainly
has an old head on young shoulders.
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 93