While Natasja Behan has become an established Ireland international across the last 12 months, there's still a big box to tick for the Wexford native.
In the coming weeks, the 23-year-old looks set to make an overdue Leinster debut, when Tania Rosser's go about looking to reclaim the Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship.
A Leinster cap would have come sooner for her had it not been for unfortunate timing. A dual international, her Sevens commitments prevented her from featuring in last season's Interpros in January.
"I'm really looking forward to it," the Ireland international says ahead of a potential first appearance in blue.
"I was involved with the wider squad for the last two years and with the Sevens last year, it’s great to see what it’s all about and get involved a bit."
It's just under a year since Behan became known to the wider Irish rugby public.
Having impressed for Blackrock College in the AIL, the then-21-year-old was called up for the first time by new head coach Greg McWilliams ahead of the 2022 TkiTok Six Nations Championship, but had to wait until the summer tour of Japan last August to maker her debut.
Behan started both games of that Japan tour on the right wing, scoring a try in the second Test, before switching across to the left wing for the Six Nations earlier this year, starting all five games of what was a disappointing campaign.
"At the time you think you're already there and a year on you realise how much more you’ve learnt," she says as she reflects on her first 12 months of international rugby.
"Especially going in to Six Nations, It’s a whole different campaign, you learn a lot more about yourself as a person as well as a player.
"I’ve seen a lot of development in myself and am happy to keep pushing it and see where we go from here."
The Six Nations campaign was a chastening one for Ireland as a whole, with Behan one of several members of the first XV having to learn on the job.
And while five defeats and a wooden spoon was difficult to take at the time, she says it will prove to be a valuable learning experience for what was an inexperienced group of players.
"It's difficult not getting the results we wanted, but we stuck together as a team which I was quite proud of and we just took it week by week, day by day.
"I think it's made us mentally a lot stronger and we know now that we have to lay down a standard and are looking to getting into the WXVs, putting in a good pre-season and having a few good camps beforehand."
Behan will hope to add to her seven international caps when Ireland travel to Dubai in October for the WXV tournament, with Scott Bemand's side in the bottom tier of the new competition following their poor Six Nations showing.
The scheduling of last season's Interprovincial Championship came in for criticism with the competition played over just three rounds in January, squeezed into the calendar in between a shortened AIL season and the Celtic Challenge.
But with the Interpros now back in the August/September window, Behan (above) believes it will be more fit for purpose in preparing the squad for the WXV.
"I think the way the calendar is set out this year is going to benefit us a lot more.
"It's good to get a few games under our belt before we go into the camps for WXV, that will set the standards for us, we’ll know where we need to be as players and it will also set us up for the AIL campaign, and then into Celtic Challenge, you know what you’re doing, the calendar is set," she added.
Leinster begin their campaign on Saturday against Connacht at the Sportsground, but the six-time champions are expected to fight it out with Munster for the title, with the sides set to meet in Round 2 at Energia Park on Saturday 26 August.
And having finished second behind Munster in each of the last two seasons, Behan, who came through the age grades at Gorey RFC, says they're determined to go one better in the coming weeks.
"I haven't heard the end of it! Tania [Rosser, Leinster head coach] likes to drill it into us that we’re out to get Munster this year," she laughs.
"It’s strange going from teammates in here to battling against each other out there but it’s good too, it’ll be interesting."
Round 1 - Saturday, 12 August:
Ulster v Munster, City of Armagh RFC, 3pm
Connacht v Leinster, The Sportsground, 5.15pm
Round 2 - Saturday, 19 August:
Leinster v Ulster, Energia Park, 1pm
Munster v Connacht, Musgrave Park, 3.15pm
Round 3 - Saturday, 26 August:
Connacht v Ulster, The Sportsground, 2.30pm
Leinster v Munster, Energia Park, 4.45pm
Finals Day - Saturday, 2nd September
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