The clear messaging is do not start the Irish thing with Bernard Foley. Today the Australian outhalf is passing on the softening-up process. Ancestors, second cousins, great uncles, and a father called Michael, maybe it’s too early in the day to warm to chat about the Cork family tree.
One of the first things that former Australian coach Michael Cheika did when he was in charge during the last Rugby World Cup was to introduce a culture of what it meant to be a Wallaby international on and off the pitch.
He asked the players to look into their heritage so that they could understand each other’s backgrounds. Still, drilled out of his hotel bedroom for a 7.30am half-light press conference, who could blame the 33-year-old.
“No, I haven’t had any reaching out yet! No long-lost cousins, unfortunately,” says the squat number 10. “You’d have to ask my dad. He’s a bit more well versed in history.”
Walking through the door of the Dublin hotel together with Nic White, Foley is no taller than his scrumhalf team-mate, a few inches under six feet. Then again, his game is not all about physicality.
In a way this tour, and especially seven days ago in Florence, has broken in Foley’s favour or at least highlighted the importance to Australia of his kicking game. Replacement Ben Donaldson hit the post with the last punt of the match against Italy. Inches one way and Australia would be in Dublin with two wins from three instead of two defeats.
‘The thing about Johnny is, he’s ultra-competitive and he must be doing everything right to keep himself on top of his game – looking after his body. He’s still got world-class game management and skills’
“It’s probably unfair to put that loss on him,” says Foley in big brother mode. “I think he came on and made a difference. He had some classy involvements in the start of [what], I hope, will be a really long Test career.”
Foley is known for a number of things. His coping with pressure off the tee is one of them, enough at least to give him the nickname “Iceman”, although White cheerily calls him Bernie after the title character from the film Weekend at Bernie’s, a 1989 American black comedy.
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Creativity, awareness and communication skills have made him one of the drivers in the Australian team, much of those elements coming with him from Sevens. His international career began in the shorter version of the game and earned him a silver medal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games. With the add-ons, his playing credits are enough for him to be pivotal to the way Australia tick.
Beating Quade Cooper to the jersey for the 2015 World Cup, Foley has become the old, scuffed gem in the team that has been repolished, recalled and reinstated. While he also played in the 2019 World Cup, where Australia lost to England 40-16 at the quarter-final stage, his reappearance in the squad last August for the axed James O’Connor, is his first in three years.
“Every game, you have to make the most of it because you don’t know what’s going to happen until you see how much player turnover there has been,” he says. “We don’t know what players are going to be in the mix. So, I’ve got to sort of make the most of every game and this one [Ireland] is a special one.”
He is wily enough to know that planning ahead to the France World Cup is a fools’ agenda, although that’s the aim. Today playing against Johnny Sexton is a challenge and a motivation, the two players distinguishing themselves by living the aphorism of age being just a number.
“Testing yourself against the best in the world, coming over here Johnny Sexton is a player who is after getting nominated again this year. So, what a great challenge,” says Foley.
“I think the thing about Johnny is, he’s ultra-competitive and he must be doing everything right to keep himself on top of his game – looking after his body. He’s still got world-class game management and skills. To see him doing it is great and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
‘I think the biggest thing is discipline. I think we’ve got to not let teams have easy outs, easy exits and territory up the field’
One of six sibling’s Foley was catholic in his appetite for sport as a boy with basketball, soccer, cricket and rugby easily filling days. On one occasion when he was playing underage rugby and his father, who coached him when he was younger and avidly watched his games, signed himself out of hospital following open heart surgery to watch a match for Sydney’s Redfield College.
Junior Foley landed a stray boot to the stomach, which took him out of the game. In a sorry state the pair arrived back to hospital in the same car, the teenager was diagnosed with a ruptured kidney after tests.
More than 70 caps later it hasn’t stopped with Andy Farrell and Ireland representing a potential catalyst for Australia and a pivotal moment for Foley. A win against the world number one side would be reaffirmation, that they are steering in the right direction, a defeat pouring more scorn on an increasingly weary series.
“Tours like this – five-week tours you have to lean on the whole squad,” says Foley. “Everyone has a part. It’s really tough to play five games back-to-back and as Nic said especially on the back of a long season, come over to these hostile environments.
“I think the biggest thing is discipline. I think we’ve got to not let teams have easy outs, easy exits and territory up the field. The other thing for us is our work rate around collisions. If we’re working hard, being physical, getting off the line in defence, then we’re going to be covering and we’re going to be able to apply pressure on a good side like Ireland.
“They’ve been the benchmark for consistency over a number of years and that’s probably why they’re number one.”
Australia are ranked eight. Not the position they or the veteran are used to. Underdog Aussies, Foley couldn’t be better placed.
