THE FORMER IRELAND, ULSTER, SARACENS AND DUNGANNON LOCK

PADDY JOHNS

WHEN you get one cap you just want to get another, and then another, so to get 59 in my career and to captain the side 10 times is an honour beyond any words. I’m certainly not one to grumble although my appendix did once, on the eve of a France game, and that cost me the chance of making it to 60!
In the era when I played for Ireland, 1990-2000, there were no Grand Slams or anything like that. We maybe had 12-13 quality players, not quite a full XV; there were always a couple of weak areas and at that level you get...