Tadhg Beirne: We never lost faith after slow start to season

Exactly six years to the day since winning the league with the Scarlets, Tadhg Beirne had the trophy back in his hands.

The trophy itself may have changed since 2017, and what was then the Pro12 has expanded to South Africa and become the BKT United Rugby Championship, but the winning feeling was still the same.

Just like Munster, the Scarlets timed their run to perfection that season, losing their first three games before momentum started to build, eventually pulling off a series of unlikely away wins to become champions.

"Much like Scarlets, we had massive momentum and that feeling where you just don't think you’re going to lose," Beirne said after Saturday's 19-14 win against the Stormers in the URC Grand Final.

"That was within this group much like when I was with the Scarlets, and it’s incredible to be part of that. It’s an incredible feeling to have going into a game.

"It’s not a cocky feeling, but it’s just a confidence feeling because you know the whole team, when they’re on it, they mean business and it’s exactly like this Munster squad. When we’re on it, we can beat any team. I think everyone felt that way and we’ve proved that over the last couple of weeks."

Having been a dagger in Munster's side in 2017, the Ireland international joined the province one year later, and it's taken five years for him to help end Munster's own 12-year wait to get their hands on silverware.

Even in those five years the Kildare man has endured heartbreaking defeats with the province; a defeat to his native Leinster in the 2021 final as well as multiple semi-final exits in both the URC and Champions Cup.

"I'm with this club for five years now and I didn’t think it would be this difficult to get to where we are today.

"We’ve had