When Irish women's rugby finally had its day in the sun back in April, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird admits to feeling a tinge of disappointment.
The 15-12 win against Scotland in Belfast in the final round of the 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations has the potential to be a game-changing result for this Irish team.
Not only did it secure them a place in the top tier of WXV later this month, but it also guaranteed them early qualification for next year’s World Cup in England, which buys them time to build and develop what is a young squad.
Nic a Bháird watched that game from the stands at Kingspan Stadium, while 12 months earlier she had been down in the trenches against the same opposition when Ireland reached rock-bottom, their 36-10 defeat to the Scots confirming a winless campaign and a first Six Nations wooden spoon since 2004.
The versatile forward carried a heavy load for Ireland in that 2023 Six Nations; her 70 carries were the second highest in the competition, while she ran for 468 metres which was the fourth most of any player. On the other side of the ball, her 45 defensive ruck arrivals ranked in the top three.
The reason the Munster number 8 hasn’t played for Ireland since April 2024 is an anterior cruciate ligament tear.
When she linked back up with the Ireland squad ahead of next Saturday’s Test against Australia, it was almost nine months to the day since she had surgery on her ACL, and the 28-year-old is desperate get back on the pitch in Belfast this week.
"It has been a tough year, no doubt about that," she said.
"Definitely a low point in my career, but between my friends and family, and the girls on the team it's been easier to get through."
In between some time playing Sevens, and a break from rugby during Covid, Nic a Bháird has won nine caps for Ireland, but only has one win to show for it: a 22-5 win away to Scotland on her debut back in 2019.
And that losing run is why there were mixed emotions as she watched the celebrations on the final day of the 2024 championship.
"I'd like to eventually have a good day in green," she said.
"Everybody else has gotten to do it once or twice now at this stage but, to be honest, I think we were all so focused on World Cup qualification and I think we're in a position now as a squad that we really don't care who's doing it as long as we get this team back to where it should be.
"I remember being up in the stands with a few of the girls totting up points [against Scotland].
"A lot of the girls on the pitch didn't know the result in the Welsh game so they had no idea that they had qualified for a World Cup and getting to say that to some of them when we got onto the pitch at the end was just incredible.
"They didn't believe us! Not until they saw the signs. It was still so, so special. I was glad to have been there."
While she was named in the Munster squad for the recent Interprovincial championship, the campaign came just too soon for the Cork woman’s comeback.
But with this week’s one-off Test with the Wallaroos serving as a warm-up for the WXV 1 games against New Zealand, Canada and the USA later this month, she feels ready to go ahead of a hugely important six weeks.
"I suppose you’re waiting to see how the knee reacts to different things and every knee is a little bit different. It was maybe just two weeks too tight and too much of a gamble [for the Interpros].
"This was always my target and it would have been nice to run out in the Munster jersey for sure but I think making the smart decision was probably the right call."
ACL injuries have become much more common in women’s sport, and while Ireland can welcome back Nic a Bháird this month, they’re without Aoibheann Reilly, Natasja Behan and co-captain Sam Monaghan who have all suffered the same injury in recent months.
"Look, it's an unfortunate one," she adds.
"Everyone in rugby, probably everyone in women's sport has had a scare from it or knows someone that has done it.
"It's unfortunately a very common injury and it's a tough one but I think we can draw from each other for support and we'll miss Sam big time, but she's involved in here. She's going to be helping out.
"Having her support and leadership throughout the whole thing is going to massive. Like myself, trying to get back for things, she's going to have a timeline in her head and we'll do everything we can to help her get to that point."
The team that Nic a Bháird is returning to is a lot different to the one she last played in back in 2023.
There’s now a better give and take between the Sevens and XV’s programmes, which saw Eve Higgins and Beibhinn Parsons add greater talent to the side in the Six Nations, while Stacey Flood, Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe are among those to rejoin ahead of this campaign.
In the back-row, Nic a Bháird knows she has her hands full getting back into the line-up, particularly with Brittany Hogan and Aoife Wafer excelling in the Six Nations earlier this year.
Having initially joined the Irish squad as a winger in 2017, she has played at Test level at both hooker and back row, and she jokes that she’ll happily wear any jersey, with possibly one or two exceptions.
"If it's a matter of coming off the bench or supporting the squad just by being a training panelist, I don't really mind anymore just as long as I'm back out there training," she said.
"I don't think I'm going to manage second row somehow. I'd say that's probably off the cards," she laughs, pointing out her stature at 5ft 4in.
"I think if the girls saw me in a '10' jersey they'd all walk off the pitch. I'd give it a crack but I don't think they'd be too happy about it."
While the step up to WXV 1 has the potential to be a chastening experience for this Ireland squad, the squad have already spoken as a group about not allowing what happens at the tournament in Canada seep into next year’s Six Nations, just as it did for Wales in 2024.
"I've always dreamed of playing against the Black Ferns," she said.
"Similarly to the men's game, playing the All Blacks is this special occasion. I've never played any of these teams actually. There's quite a few of us in the squad who haven't played against any of these teams.
"In terms of the timing, I think it's perfect because, firstly, the World Cup [qualification] is off the back now but also, we could very easily meet one of these teams in a pool game or if we get out of the pools at a later stage.
"Not having to face the haka for the first time in a World Cup would be pretty nice. Canada are motoring on fairly well so I'd like to get a crack at them before we get to a tournament that has so much at stake later down the line."
While she only has nine Test caps, Nic a Bháird’s Sevens experience and her stature in the game does give her the aura of a veteran, particularly with the age profile of those knocking on the door of Scott Bemand’s squad.
The Old Belvedere club-woman is one of 37 players signed up on professional terms for the year ahead with the IRFU, and says that the talent coming through the Irish system makes her excited for its future, and just a little bit envious.
"We have a squad buddy system in at the moment to link up experienced players with less experienced players," she said.
"I found out this morning that I'm ten years older than Caitriona Finn, and that is terrifying! She is an example of it. She looks like she's been playing rugby everyday since she was born, just a natural talent.
"The ability to come in and not have to be taught how to read the game, that's huge. So many of us spent so long I suppose just getting to grips with, not just being an athlete but being a rugby player.
"These girls are out-and-out rugby players and they're just catching up with the physicality of getting to senior level, which is how it should be. It shouldn't be the reverse.
"They have so much talent and there's so many more of them. Competition breeds improvement. You have to get better to get picked now and it wasn't that it wasn't competitive before, but there was just less people playing so there was probably more opportunity for every individual.
"Now we know that in the next couple of years there's going to be professional contracts on the table for provincial players, which is huge.
"It's so exciting and I'm probably a little envious. I enjoyed my journey but a couple of years underage wouldn't have done me any harm either."
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