News:Crossovers between Gaelic games and rugby are a thing of the past in the view of David Beggy, one of the few players to have had a top-class career in both. He was speaking in the context of retired, former Ireland and Lions player Eric Miller's appearance for Dublin in a challenge match during the week.
"I don't think it can be done at the highest level any more. The body structure has become very different. The biggest thing against Eric is his age. He'd be so well in tune with his body that he'd have no trouble changing his muscle structure and adapting his shape to play Gaelic football but at 31, any expectation placed on him would be a little unfair."
Beggy played both games in his youth before concentrating on football when he was 18 and going on to win two All-Ireland medals with Meath in 1987 and '88. He started to play rugby again in the early 1990s and played interprovincial with Leinster and the Exiles as well as All-Ireland League with Blackrock, where he played under now Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan.
A cruciate ligament injury in 1995 effectively ended his rugby career and in more recent years he served as a selector with Seán Boylan in Meath. He says both sports had something to offer each other.
"In Gaelic football you do a lot of thinking for yourself; rugby is a more controlled and drilled game. A lot of positions know what's expected of them in detail. Football is more independent and requires you to think on your feet.
"Because of the offside rules a rugby player is more limited in his positional sense. At the end of the day, rugby's a very restricted game. I played both as all-out attack and there were similarities in that.
"Coming from rugby into football helps you because of the directness. You don't hang about before tackling someone and you go into defensive mode much more quickly when the ball breaks down - you're aware of the channels."
Miller was a backrow forward, one of the most common positions for players who cross over from football to rugby and, according to Beggy, the background was evident even in Miller's rookie days.
"One of the big advantages a Gaelic footballer has when switching over is the ball skills. I remember when Eric started playing rugby his handling marked him out."
Miller's career took him to Leicester and South Africa with the 1997 Lions when he was nearly a surprise inclusion on the first Test side until a flu virus knocked him out of contention.
His return to football reflects his abiding interest in his first sport and has been done for recreational reasons. The call-up by Paul Caffrey was a welcome surprise but as Beggy says: "Let him enjoy it and then see if anything comes out of it."
