As Tadhg Beirne prepares to captain Ireland at home for the first time, it is worth recapping the impressive manner in which he has built up his CV in recent years.
Since missing the final three games of the Six Nations Grand Slam campaign in 2023 with an ankle injury, Beirne has missed just three Ireland Tests.
He was rested against Italy in 2024 and missed last year’s summer meetings with Georgia and Portugal while on British and Irish Lions duty.
Such big-game ubiquity is not easily found in the modern game – and Beirne has often delivered in red and green.
He won the United Rugby Championship with Munster – his second league title after prevailing with Scarlets in 2017 – and was appointed the province’s captain, replacing the legendary Peter O’Mahony.
A five-Test Lion, his performances in the back row for Farrell’s tourists last year in Australia – playing every minute across the Test series win over the Wallabies – earned him the player of the series accolade.
A three-time member of World Rugby’s men’s 15s dream team of the year, Beirne was handed the Ireland captaincy for the first time in July’s Nations Championship win over Japan, leading them to a 36-20 win.
Next year, adding to his fond memories down under as a key part of Ireland’s World Cup squad will top his priority list.
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