Ireland starter now part of Tadhg Beirne identity

The trajectory of Tadhg Beirne's career may be studied for years to come as a lesson in perseverance.

Let go by Leinster at the end of the 2015/16 season after making just four senior appearances, the then-24-year considered quitting the game to concentrate on his education.

Instead he packed his bags after an offer came in from Scarlets and he hasn't stopped to glance in the rear-view mirror since.

One year later he had a Pro14 winner's medal in his hands after returning to Dublin to beat Leinster in the semi-final and then Munster in the decider.

The Reds brought the Kildare man, voted players' player of the season in 2017/18, back to these shores at the end of that season and just prior to that he earned his first cap under Joe Schmidt in 2018 on the tour of Australia.

He has since racked up 29 test caps, including two for the Lions from their tour of South Africa last summer.

And last week he signed a contract extension with the IRFU and Munster that will see him through to 2025.

"I think towards the end of my Leinster career certainly, most people know I was at the brink of packing it in," said Beirne, who will likely feature for Ireland against Italy on Sunday (3pm).

"And then through my Scarlets career I didn't know if I would ever come back to Ireland, I suppose things just picked up towards the end of my first year and I kind of kicked on in my second year.

"But I don't think I ever expected to get into a position that I'm in now where I've gone along to play with the Lions and had a good run of games starting for Ireland now, and now to get a central contract as well.

"It's a massive honour for me and it's something where I never really thought I'd get to in my career."

A versatile forward, Beirne has played at number 8