No Borders: Playing Rugby for Ireland (Behind the Jersey Series)

I get stressed before games sometimes. I get a fear of the feeling that you get when you lose. You'd be looking out the window of the team bus and there’d be fellas drinking pints and you’d be almost jealous. You wish you were out there with them having a sup of that pint'- PAUL O’CONNELL 'That was the thing about playing with the northern boys: we transcended politics. It didn’t take too long for me to reconcile my Republican heritage with the diverse political and religious backgrounds of my team-mates. There was no border in the Irish dressing room' - MOSS KEANE From Jack Kyle's immortals to Brian O’Driscoll’s golden generation, this is the story of Irish rugby told in the players' words. Celebrated rugby writer Tom English embarks on a pilgrimage through the four provinces to reveal the fascinating and illuminating story of playing Test rugby in the green of Ireland - all the glory of victory, all the pain of defeat, and all the camaraderie behind the scenes. But more than a nostalgic look back through the years, this is a searing portrait of the effects of politics and religion on Irish sport, a story of great schisms and volatile divisions, but also a story of the profound unity, passionate friendships and bonds of a brotherhood. With exclusive new material garnered from 115 interviews with players and coaches from across the decades, No Borders unveils the compelling truth of what it means to play for Ireland at Lansdowne Road, Croke Park, the Aviva Stadium and around the world. This is the ultimate history of Irish rugby - told, definitively, by the men who have been there and done it.