What a difference six years makes. Tadhg Beirne is today seen by many as one of the best forwards in the Northern Hemisphere. But in 2016, Beirne was released by Leinster. It was a pivotal moment in the 24-year-old's career.
Many would have called time on their careers right there, but he decided to get in contact with Welsh side the Scarlets. Leaving the country was a venture into the unknown, a road less travelled, and a brave move.
Mike Ruddock, the ex-Wales Grand Slam winning coach and ex-Ireland U20s and Leinster coach and Beirne's coach at Lansdowne, was used by Beirne as a reference. And so the current Wales head coach and then coach of Scarlets, Wayne Pivac, gave Ruddock a call.
“Mike, what do you think of Tadhg Beirne?” Pivac asked.
"Wayne, just sign him. Then ring me back and I’ll tell you all about him,” was Ruddock’s response. Ruddock was listened to and Beirne went from strength to strength after his move to Wales.
However, his rapid rise since joining the Scarlets was not out of nowhere. Coaches like Ruddock could obviously see the potential. In fact, Ruddock had phoned Leo Cullen to tell him that Beirne was good enough to play professionally and to recommend that he keep him at Leinster.
Cullen’s a smart coach and he knew this too. Unfortunately the timing didn’t suit and there was no space in the uber competitive Leinster squad. Now Beirne’s success has come full circle and culminated with the announcement today of his central contract with the IRFU, keeping him in the country until 2025.
Beirne’s early days at the Scarlets were not easy, and it took him a few months to settle in. Injuries didn’t help and he had to play semi-professionally as well with Llandovery RFC.
After that the rise was swift. He starred for Scarlets in their 2017 Pro12 winning season, and Munster came calling. What followed was an Irish debut, and last summer a Lions test debut.
Ruddock admits that despite seeing more in Beirne than others perhaps did, he could not have predicted the sheer magnitude of what he has achieved.
Ruddock first coached Beirne for the Ireland U20s, and also for Landsdowne. Being from Wales and struggling with some of the Irish name pronunciations, Ruddock gave Beirne the nickname 'Long Dog'. His lasting impression of 'Long Dog' is his chilled out and laidback nature.
“The first thing to say about Tadhg was he was just so laidback, he was horizontal really, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. He just had a lovely way about him, he was very relaxed and very engaging.
“But as soon as he crossed the white line whether it was training or a match he sort of morphed into this other sort of Tadhg Beirne which was super competitive, and super committed and motivated to make a difference in every game.
“That’s the first thing I would say about him. His mindset just sort of flicked gear from this laidback character to this super highly motivated, highly charged competitive dynamo when he got on the field.”
These on-field traits of Beirne are why Ruddock feels it is “absolute nonsense” some of the criticism Beirne has received for not being enough of a physical presence as a second-row.
“Anybody who doubts his physicality should try jackling for the ball when the French, South African, New Zealand and Argentinian forwards are trying to smash you away. Absolute nonsense.”
It’s hard to argue with this logic from Ruddock, and against France on Saturday, Beirne showed once again that you do not have to be a Paul Willemse man mountain to have a serious impact at the highest level. Beirne’s turnovers and a 50:22, among many other involvements, were crucial components for Ireland in a game they felt they should have won.
Ruddock still uses Tadhg Beirne as an example to young players who may not be as far ahead in their careers as they had envisioned. Other names such as Matt Healy, Tom Farrell, and Tom Daly are also brought up. These three men, whom Ruddock coached at Landsdowne and who did not make it with Leinster, managed to carve out successful professional careers for themselves at Connacht. And in Healy's case get capped by Ireland.
Beirne continues to surprise everyone with his rise, and injury permitting, his new central contract ensures that we will have many more years of his fascinating journey.
See Also: Six Nations Quiz: How Well Do You Remember The Second Round Of The Tournament?
