Tadhg Beirne still has 'a few more miles in the tank' as he prepares for Wales return

Having agreed a new two-year contract with the IRFU and Munster this week, Tadhg Beirne will be 35-years-old when the next Rugby World Cup rolls around.

Ireland's quarter-final exit from the 2023 tournament still haunts him. In November, the Munster captain revealed he still thinks about that defeat to the All Blacks every day, but thoughts of retiring before the next World Cup in Australia in 2027 never crossed his mind.

"No. Short answer," was his response to that question.

The long answer is that while he’s recently turned 33-years-old, he not a 33-year-old rugby player in the true sense of the word, having spent the early stages of his career trying to carve out his own path.

"I feel great. The lads kind of slag me that I was a bit late getting to the game so I have a few more miles in the tank maybe at my age."

His story is well told; released by Leinster after just four senior appearances in 2016, at the age of 23 he took a punt on Llanelli where he joined the Scarlets, and would play a starring role for Wayne Pivac’s side as they beat Leinster and Munster enroute to an unlikely Pro12 title win that season. A few months later Munster were moving heaven and earth to get him back to Ireland.

Wales week is always a particularly big week for Beirne. He met his wife, Harriet, during his two seasons at the Scarlets, so there’s always fun to be had with the Bridgend in-laws. But, there’s also a recognition that an Ireland career of 58 caps and counting, and a British and Irish Lions tour, probably wouldn’t have happened without Welsh rugby.

"It was a last minute decision for them to sign me and I’m just grateful they gave me the opportunity and it worked out the way it did.

"I loved my time there. I was treated unbelievably well