When Diarmuid Barron limped off the field just seven minutes into Munster's Christmas derby against Leinster he had the dreaded feeling that his season was over.
Back in December the province had a long injury list but the hooker had started eight games and was held in high enough regard by boss Graham Rowntree to captain the side.
A scrum collapsed in the lashing rain at Thomond Park; Barron got some treatment for a foot injury and tried to play on but following a tackle on Joe McCarthy in the next play, was forced to retire.
Surgery followed soon afterwards, and a long period of rehabilitation ultimately led to the Tipperary man (below) making his return as a replacement in Friday’s URC quarter-final win over Ospreys.
"I was tired enough come the last five or 10 minutes but it was good, it was great," he said of his first game back.
It’s incredibly enjoyable to get back out there. I’ve been pretty lucky in terms of the long-term injuries, I’ve had very little of them and when you do get one you realise how lucky you are to be playing and to come straight back into a quarter-final was extra special."
Such was the nature of the injury that there was no guarantee that the 25-year-old would feature again this season.
But Munster’s now-ten-game winning run meant he would get his shot.
"I thought my season was done, to be honest," said Barron (above), who toured with Emerging Ireland in South Africa two years ago.
"It’s an injury you don’t mess around with, as well, so I’ve been told a lot, but then as I was progressing you can see light at the end of the tunnel.
"You’ve no option but to accept it. It would have been six weeks non-weight-bearing, so that’s keep the foot up, just crutching around the place.
"There is peaks and troughs, I was flying it at the start, tearing into it and there was a bit of pain came back and I didn’t really know where I stood with it. So, peaks and troughs but as the saying goes, 'the only way out of it is into it’ so that’s how it was.
"I had an unbelievable medical team around me, from the surgeon to Ray McGinley, who was my physio, in terms of everybody making it easy. If I was down he was able to pick me up a bit or leave me off a bit. And the S&Cs, Dave Power, Ged McNamara, they were all fantastic. They were really good to work with.
"The last few weeks now, the light at the end of the tunnel was there and we were able to drive on a bit.
"In fairness to Mossy Lawler, he has you in sitting down doing skills and stuff pretty much straight away, just keeping your eye in and that was great, being able to sit in on a few boxes and pass away, whether it was JK [Jean Kleyn] or Roman Salanoa.
"There was a core rehabbing group, something you don’t want to be in but when you’re there you’ve just got to immerse yourself in it and the lads are fantastic."
Speaking to reporters after the game, Rowntree beamed when asked about the return of the front row, who has made 67 appearances since his debut in 2018.
"We've been cautious with him and that is rightly so," said the former England prop (below), whose side host Glasgow in the semi-finals on Saturday at Thomond Park (6pm).
"But he's got credit in the bank with me, has Diarmuid, as a bloke, a rugby player, as a leader and he was good when he came on.
"He wasn't perfect, there was one throw he won't have been happy with, but he's a monster, man and when he becomes available to you, I'm not going to hold back.
"He's come straight back in there and that's nothing against Eoghan Clarke, he's been brilliant for us, and I actually said it in front of the group, 'Clarky, you're unlucky'.
"But it's the feel of a coach in touch with all the other coaches, and it felt right to bring Diarmuid in."
Much was made of Munster’s winning route to the final last year when they played their final five games on the road.
Finishing as top seeds has meant they will play all their ties in Thomond Park this time around and it’s a welcome turn of events for the Limerick-based side.
"Yeah, that’s a definite thing," he said when asked about the extra motivation of having the entire playing staff together.
"When 30 lads travel halfway across the world it’s very hard to stay connected, as much as people try to. You come home and you celebrate together but I’ve no doubt that those lads would have felt disconnected from it, if we were to be real about it.
"Even though they’ve trained every day, and a lot of lads would have played a lot of games throughout the year, when there is that physical gap it’s hard to be connected.
"Playing the games here has definitely made life a little bit easier for those lads and it could make it tougher in ways, you’re more attached to it where if it’s happened down the other side of the world you can take a step back I suppose.
"But it’s nice to meet up with the lads after that match and be straight back in on Monday and train with everyone again.
"We've got to bring our 'A' game next weekend or we’ll find ourselves out of the competition.
"That’s the reality of the URC now, it’s become a real battle to get into the last rounds, the teams in there are really getting better every year and the competition is massive."
Watch the URC semi-final, Bulls v Leinster, on Saturday from 2.30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Follow a live blog on the URC semi-final, Munster v Glasgow Warriors, on Saturday from 6pm on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
