British & Irish Lion Jamie Heaslip insists he is relishing the prospect of upstaging his opposite number Kieran Read when Ireland take on New Zealand this weekend.
The 29-year-old, who appeared in two Tests against the Qantas Wallabies for the Lions in the summer, doesn’t need to be warned of the danger possessed by his fellow No.8 Read.
The All Black has scored a try in five of his last six appearances and produced a stellar performance as the world champions saw off England 30-22 at Twickenham.
And Heaslip is focused on trying to quash the threat his opponent possesses when the two nations meet on Sunday at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
“We were talking to the Aussies last week at the dinner and they were just like, ‘just mark Kieran Read,’ Heasliptold the Irish Times. “That is how much of an influence he can have.
“In my book, I would put him and Sergio [Parisse] as the best eights out there and he is showing some incredible form right now.
“Kieran’s pretty much a full package, you know. He has got great distribution skills. He has got great carrying skills. He is a serious athlete. He has got all the attributes.
“He has been playing some fantastic rugby over the last year-and-a-half, two years, even longer. He sets very high standards for himself. As an eight looking at him as an eight, he is an incredible player.
“You’ve got to give them the respect they deserve and they do deserve that respect. Their whole back row unit is a pretty substantial unit.”
