It's not always how you start but how you mean to go on.
In a way that's how three of Ireland's national teams went about the year as they enter 2022 with a renewed level of optimism.
Just cast your mind back to February first. Andy Farrell's Ireland were coming into the year off the back of an inconsistent 2020 where wins over the northern hemisphere's top two England and France proved elusive.
So it wouldn't help the mood music that this year's Six Nations would start with consecutive losses to Wales and France - the first time Ireland had lost the opening two games of the tournament since the expansion in 2000.
The latter loss to the French - albeit narrowly and with a James Lowe try chalked off as his boot grazed the touchline - highlighted some of the shortcomings in the Irish attack as Bernard Jackman put it at the time on the RTÉ Rugby Podcast, highlighting that it was "very difficult to see what the plan is, where they are actually spotting weaknesses" in opposition defences.
While the question marks over the style of play lingered into March, at least results picked up that month with a narrow win over Scotland, followed by a long-awaited statement win for the Farrell era as England were dispatched. From Shane Byrne's point of view, the element that emerged from nowhere was "intensity", although as Niamh Briggs pointed out Eddie Jones' English were at a lower ebb than previous championships which added a note of caution.
But at least for the Irish rugby team, things were looking less bleak than the previous month, especially with lineout issues alleviated by the appointment of Paul O'Connell. Not so for Stephen Kenny's squad that March. The latter half of 2020 had been difficult for the men's soccer team - not helped by injuries and Covid-related issues - with an inability to manufacture a win during the Nations League and the Euro 2020 play-off in Slovakia.
While the opening World Cup qualifier in Serbia was encouraging as Ireland left Belgrade on the end of a 3-2 defeat, the hope was that Kenny could engineer his first win in charge at home to Luxembourg.
We all know what happened next on a grim night for Irish soccer. An abject performance and any faint hope of making a run at World Cup qualification was extinguished before it had been lit. And unsurprisingly, as always happens in these situations, pressure was being piled on the management team who were overhauling the squad with more youth.
The following month, Vera Pauw's Girls In Green returned to international action for the first time since narrowly missing out on the European Championship play-offs late the previous year.
With competitive fixtures not scheduled until the autumn's opening World Cup qualifiers, preparation was the main objective with friendlies lined up against Belgium, Denmark and Iceland (twice) between April and the end of June. All ended in defeat, albeit narrowly.
But still, at that point, for the three aforementioned Irish sides, it was uncertainty at best and an abyss at worst, depending on your perspective as summer crept into view.
While the Lions tour went ahead in South Africa, Farrell's Ireland picked up wins over Japan and USA in July, with the fixtures also marking the return a small number of supporters to the Aviva Stadium.
Signficantly, experienced names like Johnny Sexton, who had missed out on the Lions, were given a much-needed break to rest up ahead of the return of competitive provincial and international fixtures in the autumn and winter.
The previous month, Stephen Kenny also had crucial time with his Irish squad in a summer training camp in Girona, with Chiedozie Ogbene and Jamie McGrath getting their first opportunities to join the set-up.
Things improved on the results front in the two scheduled friendlies, with a 4-1 win over Andorra, which may not have been the most convicing performance but most importantly gave Kenny a first win in charge, before the Boys In Green's back three system, aided by Anthony Barry's input from his dual coaching role with Chelsea, proved resolute in earning a draw in Budapest against a Hungary side tuning up for the Euros.
Brian Kerr said he saw "a more sensible and pragmatic style of play" against Hungary which would bode well for the challenge of going to Portugal on the first night of September.
While Ireland would go on to lose late on after Cristiano Ronaldo's late brace, the showing in Faro laid some good groundwork as a resolute Ireland dug deep with Andrew Omobamidele another player introduced to good effect. Six days later, on the far side of a disappointing draw at home to Azerbaijan, Ireland earned a draw against a Serbia side that have since qualified directly for the World Cup.
Meanwhile 20 days later, the Girls and Green put a decisive end to their losing run as they defeated a strong Australia 3-2 in Tallaght just in time for the start of the World Cup qualifiers and at a time when captain Katie McCabe was carrying her world class form for Arsenal into the squad.
What followed was a golden October for the men's and women's sides. While group favourites Sweden edged out Pauw's side in Tallaght, they bounced back in style with a gritty victory against direct opponents Finland in arguably the Girls in Green's most significant competitive win, with the deliberate decision to pick strong friendly opponents beginning to show some benefits in a competitive environment.
Meanwhile, fired by the goals of Callum Robinson, Kenny and his squad showed their attacking intent in 3-0 and 4-0 wins over Azerbaijan and Qatar respectively, with the formation and improved confidence levels continuing to reap dividends.
As Ray Houghton put it, something had "clicked". And November would see those who deal with the oval ball click too in a hitherto unexpected way.
Standing in Ireland's way were Japan, the All Blacks and Argentina. The resounding 60-5 win over Japan would show a fluid template to mark a fresh Sexton's 100th cap in style. While the opponents may have been far from their best, Jackman saw a coherent attacking plan, unlike earlier in the year, that worked to good effect and as Neil Treacy highlighted, "we learned that Ireland's forwards and backs can work in tandem".
The question was whether they would revert to type against the All Blacks a week later. The answer was emphatic.
The intensity which had first bubbled back to the top against England, frothed and fizzed in an outstanding performance and spurred on by a raucous Aviva crowd.
Jonny Holland described it "like a role reversal" in regard to the constant movement of the point of attack and Ireland made sure to build on it by brushing Argentina aside the following weekend to finish the year on a high and spark enthusiasm for a Six Nations when the opposition will be examining what worked so well in November.
The Boys in Green also maintained their momentum and system, holding Portugal in Dublin with the Aviva Stadium full of supporters once again and while it took some time to get going in Luxembourg days later, Kenny and his squad gained revenge for March as they ran out 3-0 winners after switching back to a midfield three with Jason Knight's introduction.
As the latter said, "there is loads more in the locker", so bring on the Nations League when Ireland will face Ukraine, Scotland and Armenia in June and September 2022.
And for the women's team, the home draw against Slovakia last month may have been a setback but the first half of the qualifying campaign finished on a high note with a record-breaking 11-0 win over Georgia with fans on hand in Tallaght to enjoy the night as Pauw's "Tigers" held onto the all-important second place in the group before they resume the road to the World Cup next year.
Who knows what 2022 will bring but for the three squads, at least they go into the next calendar year with more confidence than they entered the one just gone.
