Leo Cullen has hailed the "phenomenal" longevity of Cian Healy, ahead of the loosehead prop's milestone appearance for Leinster at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow.
Healy has been named in the starting team among seven changes for the visit of the Dragons (7.35pm), with the 36-year-old set to play his 281st game for the province, moving him past Devin Toner to the top of the all-time list.
In his 17-year Leinster career, the prop has won a staggering seven league titles, four Champions Cups and a Challenge Cup, while he is also a five-time Six Nations winner with Ireland during his 131-cap Test journey.
"It's phenomenal really, well over 400 games, and the level, and the intensity of the level he's played at. He's a remarkable individual on so many fronts," Cullen said ahead of the visit of the Welsh region.
With Luke McGrath’s being the next most experienced player in the Leinster squad on 213 games, Cullen has also warned it will be a long time before Healy’s mark is equaled.
"If he was to play around 25 games season for three seasons [he would overtake him]. That's assuming Cian never plays again, but he's still playing.
"You think of the job of a prop; the scrum part, being a front row for that length of time and the job he's done there. I think when a lot of people talk about Cian, he's an amazing individual, and the uniqueness of him as a character.
"Being able to do it the way he has done it for so long and still be going strong, sometimes when players hit these milestones you start thinking of the end... It's phenomenal, it's a while before he has to pass the baton to someone else. He's safe for a while," he added.
As well as coaching Healy since 2015, Cullen spent seven years playing alongside the Clontarf man, during which time the province won seven trophies.
And the Leinster coach recalled how Healy exploded onto the scene early in his career.
"He was a joy to play with. I scrummed behind Cian more often than not. You used to marvel at some of the things he would be able to do.
"There's the basics of set-piece play for a front row, but he was able to do some freakish things at the start. We were looking back at some of his highlights this week; he scored a try where he does someone up the sideline with s sidestep and scores in the corner. The power he shows with some of his ball-carrying. He was so devastating as a momentum-gainer for a team.
"His ability to generate momentum for the team was like nobody else, particularly in terms of front row forwards. He's been phenomenal, a great family in there behind him. I'm delighted for Cian."
Cullen has been able to include academy duo Charlie Tector and Gus McCarthy in his line-up for Friday’s clash with the Dragons, with the pair set to link up with the Emerging Ireland squad at the weekend, for their tour of South Africa.
Former Ireland Under-20 out-half Tector (below) started in the centre in last week’s win against Edinburgh at the Hive, and was one of the standout performers in the bonus-point win.
With the province already dealing with a logjam at out-half, Cullen believes the 22-year-old has a long-term future in the 12 shirt.
"With the player and coaches, we were looking where is this guy going to be best suited to? He really focused on playing 12 since we came back into pre-season and it's paid off.
"Charlie has gone well in the pre-season games and deserved his chance to start last week and acquitted himself really well in the game.
"Charlie did incredibly well for his try. It's great, you don't coach some of those skills. There's a certain decision-making as part of it, but his ability to catch high ball and back himself was fantastic. He comes up with a big moment later in the game where he comes up with the charge down on Ben Healy's attempted drop-goal, and he had lots of other moments in the game.
"It was really pleasing for Charlie. Like all the guys, you just want him to be able to kick on and he gets another opportunity.
"Nobody was talking about Charlie Tector a few weeks ago. It's great to see that people are talking about him now, but that's what you want for everybody," Cullen added.
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