Having agreed a new two-year contract with the IRFU and Munster this week, Tadhg Beirne will be 35-years-old when the next Rugby World Cup rolls around.
Ireland's quarter-final exit from the 2023 tournament still haunts him. In November, the Munster captain revealed he still thinks about that defeat to the All Blacks every day, but thoughts of retiring before the next World Cup in Australia in 2027 never crossed his mind.
"No. Short answer," was his response to that question.
The long answer is that while he’s recently turned 33-years-old, he not a 33-year-old rugby player in the true sense of the word, having spent the early stages of his career trying to carve out his own path.
"I feel great. The lads kind of slag me that I was a bit late getting to the game so I have a few more miles in the tank maybe at my age."
His story is well told; released by Leinster after just four senior appearances in 2016, at the age of 23 he took a punt on Llanelli where he joined the Scarlets, and would play a starring role for Wayne Pivac’s side as they beat Leinster and Munster enroute to an unlikely Pro12 title win that season. A few months later Munster were moving heaven and earth to get him back to Ireland.
Wales week is always a particularly big week for Beirne. He met his wife, Harriet, during his two seasons at the Scarlets, so there’s always fun to be had with the Bridgend in-laws. But, there’s also a recognition that an Ireland career of 58 caps and counting, and a British and Irish Lions tour, probably wouldn’t have happened without Welsh rugby.
"It was a last minute decision for them to sign me and I’m just grateful they gave me the opportunity and it worked out the way it did.
"I loved my time there. I was treated unbelievably well by fans and the players and everyone. I made some great friends there as well, so I had a brilliant time there while I was there.
"I was properly absorbed in that Leinster bubble and I hadn't really experienced anything outside of it, so going over there and being on my own and away from everyone, that was probably the biggest shock to the system – learning to fend for myself properly. I’d say that was probably the biggest thing to adjust to," he added, ahead of next Saturday's Guinness Six Nations meeting with Wales in Cardiff.
His move to Wales changed his career, but another sliding doors moment ultimately paved the way for him to return to Ireland with Munster in 2018.
Having initially joined Scarlets on a two-year deal worth less that £30,000 a year, Beirne (below) went looking for an improved deal from the club during his first season, after establishing himself as a regular in the side. That improved offer wasn’t coming, and when the club eventually tried to lock him down to a new deal, joining Munster and playing for Ireland was now on the horizon.
"I was very close to signing on with Scarlets in the January of my first year. At the time, the person who did the contracts – I won’t name him - he was away skiing so he wasn’t replying to my agent’s emails.
"I wasn't on a lot of money, let's put it that way, and my second year wasn't looking great either so I was just looking to rip that up and sign on for a couple of years but they weren't willing to do that.
"Then luckily for me it opened the door then with Munster because the chat of eventually coming back to play for Ireland as well as coming back to play for Munster became a real conversation. I was probably lucky I didn't end up signing that contract, for sure, because I would probably be in a different place."
While his professional career was a slow burn, the second row never lost faith, citing the influence of his former Clongowes Wood coach Noel McNamara, who is now attack coach at Bordeaux-Begles, as well as Declan Fassbender and Mike Ruddock, whom he played under at Lansdowne and won an All-Ireland League with in 2015.
"I definitely remember knowing that I felt I had the capabilities. I always felt that I was as good on the training field as a lot of players out there. I just felt like I wasn’t getting the opportunity.
"Injuries get in the way as well and timing can be a big thing - I’ve said it before, my timing in Scarlets was just luck in terms of getting my opportunity.
"I did believe I was good enough, hence my decision to go over to Scarlets and give it one more crack.
"I think the belief was there. It probably started to dwindle a bit as my Leinster career started to dwindle a bit. That’s probably where I started to second-guess myself but I had enough belief there to give it one more go at Scarlets."
And that journey on the road less travelled is a big reason why playing through this World Cup cycle was never in doubt.
"I think I feel pretty lucky to be in the situation I’m in. When I was 23 to 25, this was never really on the cards for me.
"The opportunities came quite late in my career so you certainly value it a lot more – well, I wouldn’t say more because I don’t know what it would have been like to win my first cap at 20, but I certainly value it very highly. I think I’m very lucky to be in this position.
"I want to be in this position for as long as I possibly can and keep my body in good shape to continue to perform for my country and my club."
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