Jamie Heaslip pleased with his performances despite Ireland's disappointing campaign
By Tony Curtis - Follow me on Twitter: @SkysportsTC
Friday 22 March 2013 16:44, UK
Ireland captain Jamie Heaslip insists he is happy with his form despite coming in for criticism during the RBS Six Nations.
Focus
Heaslip had gone into the championship as the leading contender for the No 8 jersey for British and Irish Lions tour - with head coach Warren Gatland even name dropping him in terms of the captaincy.
However Toby Faletau, Ben Morgan, Tom Wood and Johnnie Beattie were among those who strengthened their own claims.
And Heaslip, who has been capped 60 times and toured with the Lions in 2009, insists that with such strong competition across the back-row all he can do is work hard over the last few weeks of the regular season for Leinster.
"There are so many really good back-row players across Ireland and Britain," he added.
"You can't really think about it, you can only focus on yourself and your own game and then hope that your name is read out.
"It is obviously my aim to go on the tour and I will be doing my best to do so. Hopefully I will get picked - I will be bitterly disappointed if I am not."
Jamie Heaslip is the brand ambassador for FirstCape, the leading South African wine brand and sponsors of the upcoming British & Irish Lions 2013 Tour of Australia. Jamie was at St Michaels College, Dublin, to launch the FirstCape rugby coaching master class competition exclusive to Tesco Ireland.
