Former Ospreys coach Sean Holley has shared an eye-opening story about Wales star Justin Tipuric and the resistance he faced when first picking him for the region.
Tipuric has become one of the finest Wales players of his generation, but Holley tells a story of how Ospreys performance director Andrew Hore seemed particularly unconvinced by a player Holley admitted wasn't in the best physical condition as a youngster
Holley, speaking on the Tuesday Club podcast he co-hosts, recounted the tale from the time he gave him one of his first appearances in 2009.
He said: "True story about Tips when he was coming through. I remember, Andrew Hore was involved with us as performance manager or something and he asked me who I was thinking of picking that weekend.
"The boys were away on international duty and I said 'we're thinking of picking this boy Tipuric, we like the way he's going', he was playing for Aberavon at the time.
"He said 'he's never going to play for the Ospreys as long as he's got a hole in his a**e!'
"I said 'well, hang on now, we think he's pretty good, you know'.
"He said 'if you pick him for the Ospreys first team, I'll bring four raw eggs to this meeting next week and I'll eat them off a plate'.
"So, we picked him. He had man of the match, scored a try and fair play to Horey, he cracked four eggs in the next meeting and ate them raw off the plate!
"That was the start of Justin Tipuric. He just flew from there."
Hore, of course, first came to Wales in 2002 in a strength and conditioning role with the Wales national team. He was later chief executive of the Ospreys until leaving in 2016. He currently works for the Auckland Blues in New Zealand.
Fellow podcast presenter Shane Williams also offered his own thoughts on Tipuric, who was simply outstanding for Wales against Ireland on Saturday, making a potentially try-saving tackle in the 83rd minute.
The quiet flanker has grown in stature on and off the pitch over the years, and is now Ospreys captain despite the presence of Alun Wyn Jones.
Williams said: "When he was coming through with us he wouldn't say boo to a goose. He was so quiet and unassuming. But he's become this leader now. "
Tipuric made his debut for the Ospreys as a 20-year-old in November, 2009 and has gone on to play for Wales 81 times.
