Dylan Hartley just about managed to keep a straight face when asked about the prospect of playing against the formidable Munster front five, including Lions captain Paul O’Connell, in their Heineken Cup opener at Franklin’s Gardens.
“Don’t know who they are,” he said with a smile. It seems the 23-year-old England hooker is not afraid to indulge in mind games in his first season as captain of Northampton.
Munster are no strangers to such tactics themselves, but O’Connell may take extra notice of Hartley’s nomination of the leader he has drawn most inspiration from – the man who helped plot the Lions’ downfall, Springboks captain John Smit.
“I like the way John Smit plays and controls the game,” Hartley said. “He is someone I like to watch. He impressed me during the Lions series and in the Tri-Nations.
“I like the way he talks to the referees and the way he plays the game. He has moved to tighthead prop but still gets involved in the game and is still playing good rugby. It is not easy to go from hooker to tighthead.”
Having Northampton’s former captain, Bruce Reihana, in the side is a big help to Hartley, who plays down his own influence as leader of a side who will hope to reproduce their impressive form in the Guinness Premiership during their European campaign.
“Just because I am the captain doesn’t mean he sits in the corner and doesn’t say anything,” said Hartley, who makes up a new-look front row with props Santiago Bonorino and Soane Tonga’uiha. “When you look at Bruce, he is the ultimate professional and young players look at him as a role model.”
Hartley will lead a much-changed pack, with former Ulster flanker Neil Best no doubt relishing the contest against the Irish province as he returns to the back row in place of Mark Easter, while Courtney Lawes starts at lock.
Hartley will go head-to-head with Jerry Flannery, who starts his first game since recovering from the elbow injury that ruled him out of the Lions tour. O’Connell and David Wallace also return after Munster’s surprise 30-0 defeat by Leinster last weekend.
“We could turn up against Munster and get a hiding; we could turn up as underdogs and the unknown and win,” Hartley added.
Back to those mind games.
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