Cian Healy: 'I was a headbanger, I was wild, I loved it'

In 2015, Cian Healy was so close to retirement that the paperwork had already been signed.

A neck injury late in the 2014/15 season led to surgery, and when complications after the operation left him unable to use his right hand, the loosehead prop feared his career was over at the age of just 27.

Just under 10 years later, he's leaving on his own terms as the most decorated player in the history of Irish rugby.

Having signed his insurance papers in the summer of 2015, Healy never handed them in, as the feeling came back into his hand bit by bit. His career continued, or maybe his second career began.

As devastating as an injury-enforced retirement would have been, he packed a lot into that first part of his career. From his debut in 2007, up until that point, he’d played 130 times for his province and made 51 appearances for Ireland, winning two Six Nations titles, three Champions Cups, a Challenge Cup and three URC titles, a haul befitting of any professional.

The fact that he’s gone on to play another 85 times for Ireland and 147 times for Leinster, winning another Champions Cup, three Six Nations – two of which were Grand Slams – and added four URC titles to his tally, makes his career all the more remarkable.

He’ll ride off into the sunset of retirement with a pocket jingling with medals, although he has plans to add a few more between now and the summer, starting with a sixth Six Nations championship this month.

"That’s what it’s all about, trying to win another one," Healy said this week, having confirmed his retirement on Thursday.

"Just because I’ve decided to retire doesn’t mean I’m starting to think back about things and think about the past. I’m here to do a job and ideally that job is two more wins and lift a