Keith Wood lets son Tom experience rugby first hand but give ‘bits of advice’ along the way
After missing out on their previous appearance at the ground, Ireland U20s fly-half Tom Wood is excited by the prospect of lining out against France at Virgin Media Park in Cork this evening.
In addition to finding himself outside of the match day 23 when Ireland kick-started their U20 Six Nations Championship campaign with a 19-3 defeat at the hands of title holders England on January 30, Wood also watched on from the sidelines when Ireland secured a bonus point triumph over Scotland in the second round of the tournament.
However, the Garryowen club man finally made his debut at this grade as a final-quarter replacement in a defeat to Wales at Rodney Parade a fortnight ago and he has now earned a starting berth on the Leeside tonight.
“I wasn’t involved in the first game in Cork. I know the lads, they can’t wait to get back to Cork and be in front of the home fans. Hopefully it will be the boost that we need to get over the line,” Wood remarked in a video call to the Irish media on Wednesday.
“The crowd in Cork, it’s always a good one. It’s always exciting to play in front of them. I’m buzzing for it. It’s a big thing for me and I just can’t wait for it.”
Given his father Keith was a stalwart for Munster, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions during his own playing career, there will be considerable interest in how Wood performs in Cork this evening.
He isn’t the only member of his family that is currently lining out in the oval ball game as his older brother Gordon is currently part of the Munster Academy. Additionally, both Tom and Gordon have played alongside another of their siblings (Alex) with Garryowen in the All-Ireland League this season.
There is plenty the Wood brothers could learn from their father as they look to navigate their way through the sport, but Tom acknowledged the former Ireland skipper largely leaves them to their own devices.
“He lets us do our thing. Lets us experience first-hand and then after the fact, he’ll give us those pointers. He’ll give us that advice, which is really helpful. He kind of lets us do our own thing beforehand. Gives us a few bits of advice, but nothing major really.”
When you consider he is also eligible for the Ireland U20s in 2026, Wood has reason to feel happy with his current rate of progress. He has already sampled life in the Munster environment through his involvement in the underage provincial system and he is hopeful of joining his brother Gordon within the Academy set-up at some point in the near future.
“Hoping to get it this year and join him. It would be really cool. We’ve been in that environment over the summer for the last few summers. It’s a really cool set-up. Once you get it then you’re kind of used to it and you can mould into it. You can fit in fairly easily,” Wood added.