As Ireland head on tour to New Zealand, others bid poignant farewells

The Irish team have landed in New Zealand for the summer tour and have more than likely finished reflecting on a disastrous finish for the provinces in United Rugby Championship action.

The Stormers and South African rugby in general will be on a high after the inaugural competition.

Those players that haven't made the tour are now taking time off and going away on holidays.

When the team gets knocked out, it’s bitterly disappointing and it can take a while before you want to get on with the end-of-season gathering. However, as you get knocked out, you generally go out for a few days to get the squad together, have a pint and then everyone goes their separate ways.

It might seem weird to go for pints but every season is a huge effort with a massive emotional toll for varying reasons throughout each member of the squad.

For some it will be their last pint as a provincial player. When they come back from holidays they will be going elsewhere and a lot of guys will be disappointed to be leaving their home province.

For others, like Jonathan Wren, it will be his last as a rugby player. Jonathan has been cursed with hamstring injuries in the last couple of years, particularly since the start of the pandemic.

I’ve coached 'Wreno’ and have been in continuous conversation with him throughout his injury stricken nightmare. Naturally, as his coach and as someone that has been in the system, with a high end hamstring injury, we were always going to be chatting about next steps and methods of rehabbing.

Wreno is a coach’s dream. The most safe and solid full-back I’ve seen in quite some time. Safe or solid can be seen as an insult to some players but that’s not the extent of his game. His dazzling footwork and selflessness on the pitch meant