Ireland secret weapon worked with football stars and is related to Chelsea icon
Ireland have benefitted from a squad that has largely stayed fully fit at the Rugby World Cup and Icelander Einar Einarsson has been key to that.
One of the team's unknown gems off the pitch, he has played a crucial role since joining up with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). Andy Farrell's side are among the favourites for the Rugby World Cup and they've seen key men Johnny Sexton, Dan Sheehan and Jamison Gibson-Park all returned ahead of schedule, owing to Einarsson's role as the Ireland's ‘specialist rehabilitation physiotherapist’
Einarsson has spent over 30 years working as a physical therapist in a variety of elite sporting environments with the Irish securing his services after he'd been working in Qatar, at the world-renowned Aspetar sports medicine hospital.
There he'd helped treat the likes of Didier Drogba whilst also working with French champions PSG. His family tree has also aided his understanding with his nephew being former Chelsea man Eidur Gudjohnsen.
He told the Telegraph : “Knowing him helped me in my job because you get an insight into professional sports. When he was dealing with his biggest injury, I was a very young physio so I don’t think I was a lot of help then, just family support. But I learnt a lot from it. He overcame a really difficult problem and became a very good professional footballer.
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“So, I used his example when I am helping players who are dealing with injuries that threaten their careers, because his story ended really well. He was away for almost two years but then came back. The key is the desire of the player to get back. What I tell them is that there is always someone who can help them. They just need to find that person.”
Tournament stats highlight how Ireland have used only 17 players who have played more than 100 minutes during the World Cup thus far - lower than any other team, leaving them primed ahead of the knockout stages, where they face New Zealand in the last eight.
Mack Hansen has struggled with injury this week but has been selected for Saturday's quarter-finalWinger Mack Hansen has been selected despite not training all week amid injury fears. Duo James Ryan and Robbie Henshaw are expected to be fit for a possible semi-final after wrist and hamstring issues kept them out this weekend.
“The mentality of these rugby players is great.," added Einarsson. "It’s great to work with them as I also think they fit my mentality. I’m from Iceland. So culturally, that’s part of it, too. They are more than happy to work hard in the weights room and they are tough, which is important because when we do rehab we need them to train harder because I want them to come back stronger and more fit.”
Einarsson first considered working with Irish rugby as a result of his friendship with Phil Glasgow, the IRFU’s head of physiotherapy and rehabilitation, who also worked at Aspetar.
“I have worked in sport for many years and you know when you have a winning team and it is there," he claimed. "That does not mean Ireland will win the World Cup. But I can promise you one thing: they will compete and they will compete until the game is over. They work so well together.”
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