All Blacks head coach Robertson 'emotional' as he recalls his Irish past

While this is Scott Robertson's first time bringing his All Blacks team to Ireland, the country had a formative influence on his career, both as a player and a coach.

Robertson was 18-years-old when he arrived at Ards RFC in County Down in 1993, and while he only spent six months at the club on his travels, the mention of his old life in Ireland 31 years ago brought a slight crackle to his voice when he spoke to the media on Wednesday evening.

"Ooh, a bit emotional actually," he said, when asked if any of his old Newtownards friends had been in touch this week.

"There’s a family there that I lived with when I was a young fella, the Herons. I came over here at 18, played a bit of footy in the All-Ireland League.

"It was a great moment for me growing up and this is a proper chance for me now publicly to thank them for how they helped shape me. It was a great time in my life and it will be good to see them."

Five years after playing AIL rugby for Ards, the back-rower became an All Black and would win 23 caps for New Zealand, before being appointed head coach of his country this year.

And the 50-year-old (below) says his time in Ireland 31 years ago had a big impact on his career.

"I came down to watch a lot of the Five Nations games here in Dublin, so I understand how passionate they are.

"It was a great chance for me, it brought a lot of belief in how I could play. Going home, it really set me off to make sure I could get an education and then I wanted to play rugby at the highest level.

"So, it was good, it gave me a lot of confidence, like I said. It helped me grow up a little bit, get away from mum's dinners, look after myself and I made some really good friends. It was a great time in my life."

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