GAVIN CUMMISKEYtalks to Isaac Boss who believes Leinster will help him achieve his goal of more Ireland caps
“I HAVE always wanted to play for Ireland, a lot of people probably don’t realise that, especially growing up in New Zealand.
“I never had an interest in playing for the All Blacks. I was an All Black triallist. I was never going to play well for them anyway because I didn’t really have a desire to. I wanted to play for my province, Waikato, and Ireland. When I got to my mid-twenties I realised I had to go make this happen.
“Coming to Ulster I played my best rugby when I first turned up. It took me a while to get into it but it was that change that sparked it. I’m disappointed I haven’t got more caps. I’ve got about 12, I think, but haven’t played for them for a couple of years now.
“You know, that’s really disappointing. I have got a desire to play for them. The current team picked to go to New Zealand, I’ll be back on holiday when all the boys are playing – salt in the wounds. I will probably use that as fuel for the coming seasons.
“Playing for Ireland is a dream come true for me. Hopefully I can get that chance again.”
Isaac Boss – June 2010
And we presumed the short, stocky Kiwi was just another blow-in. A typical nomad with Irish ancestry looking to prolong a rugby career when opportunities dried up back home.
Turns out Isaac Boss would rather stare down the haka on November 20th than perform it.
Boss is 30 years old now. He moved from Belfast to Dublin this summer in search of a “spark” to propel him to more Irish caps. Maybe he saw the imminent arrival of Ruan Pienaar as a hint, although that theory is somewhat scuppered by the presence of Eoin Reddan (currently second in line for the Irish number nine jumper) at Leinster. Either way, after five years with Ulster, Boss believes Leinster was the best place for him to achieve this aim.
Ideally, some day he will return to the agricultural region of Tokoroa, New Zealand, and set up a dairy farm, but the short-term career priority is to be down there in 12 months’ time for the World Cup. Presuming he gets the nod over Reddan for Saturday’s showdown and Tomás O’Leary starts for Munster, it will represent the perfect opportunity to force a recall to the national camp ahead of the November Tests.
“Look, hopefully I am starting – everyone wants to start – I’ve just been trying to push hard these last few weeks. Hopefully I’m in the 22 to start with, I won’t take anything like that for granted and we’ll go from there.”
The Ulster versus Munster collisions have hardly been meek affairs but this fixture is different. It commands 50,700 (and counting) spectators and simulates Test-match intensity like no other provincial meeting.
For now, like the rest of us, he is preparing for the real start of the Irish rugby season. Talk is cheap this week so Boss kept it brief and simple.
“We’re going to have to be pretty physical up front, and the backs as well, especially for the first 20-, 30-odd minutes and right through the 80 minutes. It’s just going to be body on body and everyone flying into things. It will be a war of attrition and hopefully we’ll come out on top.”
