'Every player dreams of it' - Jamie Osborne set for Lions debut

RTÉ News​

a day ago

Just over 12 months on from making his Test debut for Ireland in the cauldron of Loftus Versfeld, Jamie Osborne is about to become a British and Irish Lion.
The 23-year-old starts in the centre as the Lions take on the First Nations and Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday (11am Irish time), as Andy Farrell's side play the final mid-week game of their Australian tour.
The Leinster man linked up with the squad in Brisbane just over a week ago, drafted in as injury cover after Blair Kinghorn and Garry Ringrose picked up injuries, travelling straight to Australia from Lisbon where he had been due to play for Ireland against Portugal.
Named in Paul O'Connell's starting team a couple of days out from that match, his plans soon changed when he saw Farrell's name pop up on his phone.
"It was out of the blue," Osborne (below) says, ahead of joining the exclusive list of players who have worn the red of the Lions.
"He [Farrell] didn't say anything to me, but I was just in Lisbon and I got a phone call on Thursday at 11 o'clock and saw his name and thought: 'This is probably good'.
"I was in a taxi. We were actually all going to a barber. There was five of us there so it was good fun.
"The lads were probably celebrating more than myself. Craig Casey, Cian Prendergast, Jack Crowley, I don't want to forget lads, Darragh Murray too."
Flying from Lisbon to Dubai and then on to Brisbane, plenty of the travel time was spent cramming as he got up to speed with the Lions playbook.
But with his Leinster and Ireland team-mates and coaches dominating this Lions tour, he was able to adapt quickly.
"You're definitely nervous but I think it gets a little easier the older you get but it definitely helped that there's a lot of Irish players and Leinster players in camp, and the coaching staff, most of whom I've worked with before.
"That definitely helps and I would say that I was less nervous than maybe a few of the Scottish lads who have come in recently.
"The terminology is different but there's a lot of similar stuff, so it's just getting your head around that, and then a few different plays, but a lot of it similar enough and it takes a day and a bit of a walk through to get your head around it."
The Leinster and Ireland link obviously helped, but the Naas man's versatility is also a major factor.
Standing 6ft 4in and weighing in around 100kg, he made his early impressions as a powerful inside centre, but starts this game at 13, the same position he lined out in during Leinster's URC BKT URC play-offs.
When he made his Ireland debut away to South Africa last year, it came as a shock to see him put in at full-back, where he also looked comfortable, while he's also featured for Ireland on the wing.
That versatility can often be a double-edged sword, with the multi-purpose backs often having to contend themselves on the bench.
"I said this a couple of weeks ago, it can feel like a good thing when you're getting picked, and it can feel like a bad thing when you're not.
"I suppose it's about turning it into a strength rather than a weakness, and if the time comes when I'm finding myself settling in a position, so be it.
"I can really go for that, but at the moment, the versatility is probably a factor as to why I'm here. You can't knock it."
But when the Lions come calling, Osborne is willing to play anywhere.
"I think every player dreams of it. I probably didn't have much hopes for it after the initial squad announcement. I wasn't really thinking about it but it was amazing to get the call.
"You don't know if you're going to get another opportunity to play but it's an unbelievable experience to get out here. Not every player gets to do it so definitely enjoy it and work hard."