While Conor Murray insists he has no plans to retire any time soon, his growing years are making him cherish these days a little bit more.
The scrum-half is the second oldest and second most experienced player in the Irish ranks for this Guinness Six Nations. With 113 caps and 13 campaigns to his name, only Cian Healy can point to more experience in Test rugby out of Andy Farrell's current squad.
His role with Ireland has changed in recent years. For close to 10 years he was first choice scrum-half with Ireland, and a veteran of three Lions tours in 2013, 2017 and 2021.
Jamison Gibson-Park has since taken his place as the starting 9 with Ireland, while he's vying back and forth with Craig Casey for the bench spot in Farrell's set-up.
With Munster, Casey appears to have edged ahead of him in the eyes of Graham Rowntree, starting in three of their four Champions Cup outings.
It can be a delicate time for a senior player in that scenario. Egos have to be parked in the name of the collective goal.
"We're all vying to play and competing to play and that doesn't take anything anyway from your competitiveness as a senior player in the group," said the 34-year-old.
"I think you just have a natural responsibility, club or country, of helping out younger lads or sharing your opinion on things on and off the pitch, or you see lads off the pitch who might be new lads into the group, just making sure they're comfortable.
"But I think it just comes with the territory naturally of being a senior player.
"We're three or four deep in every position and anyone who steps in can absolutely perform and do a job, so it's making sure you're ready to take your chance if it arises."
Murray, who turns 35 in April, says while he may not be on the pitch as much as he used to be, he's got a better appreciation for the game.
"Yeah, you're at the twilight of your career in terms of a few of us, so you cherish it even more, which makes you even more hungry to be involved with this group.
"I hope they can see where this team can hit, and the levels we can get to, so yeah, it makes it that little bit more exciting and burns the fire a little bit more in you.
"I'd like to be just starting off my career with this group. It’s so exciting where this group could head.
"Players have always said it from inside the camp about how enjoyable it is, I think it’s enjoyable because I know what we are capable of and how we can play and the environment and how everyone gets on, which is really, really good, but ultimately if you are a part of a winning group that’s the most enjoyable part."
Having missed out on selection for the Round 2 win against Italy, Murray is expected to be involved this weekend when Wales come to Dublin, with Warren Gatland's side losing both their opening games to Scotland and England.
But the Munster man, who played under Gatland on each of his three Lions tours, says there will be no complacency as Ireland look to continue their Grand Slam bid.
"We're familiar with Gats [Gatland] and the way teams he coaches like to play, but the youth they have injected adds a little bit of unpredictability to them.
"A few similar tricks, but we kind of have to be on it this weekend and do our study and really treat it very, very seriously, because they are a side that can hurt you.
"A lot of the stuff has remained the same but again, back with the youth and new players that have come into the Wales team there's a little bit of a different dynamic with them so there's old traits of Gats in there, mixed in with that unpredictability that we'll surely see on Saturday.
"It's something we need to be on, like I said at the start, we really need to do our homework on this new look Wales."
Listen to the RTÉ Rugby podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Watch Ireland v Wales in the Guinness Six Nations on Saturday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.
Watch France v Italy in the Guinness Six Nations on Sunday from 2.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
