FOUR OF TADHG Beirne’s last five starts for Ireland have come at blindside flanker.
Prior to that, he had spent pretty much three full seasons starting for Ireland in the second row.
The recent trend started with the second Test of last summer’s tour of South Africa. Ireland had been outmuscled in the first Test and Andy Farrell responded by bringing James Ryan into the second row, with Beirne shifting to number six. A powerful Irish pack drove Farrell’s side to their second-ever win against the Springboks on South African soil.
Beirne has been on the blindside for the big games since, only reverting to the second row for the win over Fiji in November.
Ireland have had strong options in the back five of their scrum to consider for this Saturday’s Six Nations opener against England and the selection they announce at midday tomorrow will be intriguing.
Jack Conan is back in the mix after missing Ireland’s last two campaigns and his strong form, including obvious improvements in the lineout, means he’ll have been firmly in consideration for a start in the number six shirt, with Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris sure to be in the back row.
That could mean Beirne going into the second row again, although that would also mean leaving one of Ryan or Joe McCarthy out of the starting XV.
Regardless of which way Ireland go, they will be getting serious punch off their bench.
But Simon Easterby and co. will have spent lots of time considering how to get the very best out of Beirne, who is one of the leading players in the world on his day. There is still a suspicion that the second row roles with Ireland suit him best.
Ireland’s locks operate between the 15-metre lines, taking up roles in their pods of three forwards that play close to the ruck. Beirne is excellent in this area, challenging the line with his square running, disguised tip-on passes, and late sweep passes out the back.
He is also a menace at the defensive breakdown when he’s close to those more congested battles. Ireland’s blindside flanker generally operates further out near the edge both in attack and defence.
“In general play, there is a bit of a difference there for sure,” said Beirne of the differences between playing in the second row and at blindside flanker.
“I probably find myself out in the wider channels a lot more at six than I would in the second row. That’s probably the biggest difference.
“Probably defensively, you end up a little wider than you would in the second row so there is just a bit of a difference there where you end up on the field.”
He feels he gets more touches of the ball when he’s playing as a lock for Ireland.
“I would say probably second row if I’m being honest, I think, but that’s probably because I’m not used to play six,” said Beirne.
“I just find myself in a position to probably get my hands on the ball a little bit more, but if you’ve someone else playing six, they might be more clever in terms of how to get their hands on the ball and have more of an influence.
“But it’s not a position I’ve been playing long enough in our system to figure out that stuff and it depends on the game as well. Sometimes, I think back to the year of the [2021] Lions, I was playing quite a bit of six and I got my hands in the ball quite a lot back then.
“It was just the way the games were flowing, you know. It’s kind of hit and miss really, sometimes you do get your hands on the ball playing six, sometimes you don’t.”
Not that Beirne just wants to be on the ball all the time.
“You can influence a game without touching the ball for an entire game,” he said.
“Some people may not see what you’ve done in that game but I think when we sit in here as a squad and as a team and we’re reviewing a game, a lot of time it’s the players without the ball who’ve made the biggest influence in terms of us scoring tries.
“So they’re the players that are getting the pats on the back in here, not to players who were touching down for tries, so it’s not really about getting your hands on the ball, it’s being be selfless as well, putting the team first and making sure you’re doing those things off the ball to put your team-mates in the best position to be scoring tries elsewhere.”
Beirne is certainly a player who does that. He produces lots of glamorous moments, especially at the defensive breakdown, but he also influences games in more subtle ways.
One of his biggest jobs is calling the Irish lineout, where they are keen to make big improvements in this Six Nations.
Beirne expects an intense challenge from Maro Itoje and England.
“Watching their autumn international games, [you can see] how often they change their defensive shape,” said Beirne.
“They drop someone out of line and bring someone in late, so they are constantly changing pictures and it obviously makes coming up with a lineout menu a little bit difficult.
“You don’t know what they are going to try on you, so they are a tough team to play against in terms of set pieces.”
England will be saying much the same about Beirne at the set piece and around the pitch.
Ominous for Leinster if these youngsters from Toulouse can almost put La Rochelle to the sword. Leinster aren’t exactly firing on all cylinders either and look stunted in their attack. Sunday against La Rochelle, who are 4th favs @ 8/1, will see where they are.
@Lulu: Larogchelle should be far more worried after last night, than Leinster. They looked blunt and hopeless against an aggressive defense. Run by a bunch of children, 3 teenagers in that Toulouse backline. Leinster’s defense will eat them alive if they’re that poor next week.
@Lulu: Back in your box, wasn’t too long ago Leinster put out teams like Toulouse did and swept the league.
@Robert O’Connor: CC and a league are 2 different animals, Leinster under Nienbar are playing the South African game of puke rugby, all defence and a blunt attack.
OGara will have his team primed to take on Leinster but it really doesn’t matter because Toulouse will win it outright !
@Lulu: stunted in attack.. Yes 11/11 wins averaging more than 4 tries a game is a real stumbling start to the season. They’re only going to get better so I wouldn’t be so worried about Leinster
@Lulu: And yet you’re praising Toulouse based on something they did in their league? Back. In. Your. Box
@adizlack93: 11 wins against average and less than average teams. Wait until you come up against the big boys and hopefully you won’t choke ….. again!
@Robert O’Connor: I’m praising Toulouse as Champions of Europe and at the moment the best team in Europe.
Back in your runners-up box !
@Lulu: I assume by less than average, you mean Munster.
La Rochelle are simply not firing this season, talks of ROG looking for an international gig (bar Wales) haven’t helped. Leinster should beat them comfortably next weekend.
I wouldnt read too much into that game. Plenty of shadow boxing going on. In rugby these days it is hard to know what is real and what is imaginary. Only next week will we see the real LOR. Like others, I think they have peaked but they still bring a lot of raw power. Leinster to win but in doing so we will be better able to calibrate the Nienbar project and the South Affricanation of Leinster. Those who like attacking, resourceful rugby will be rooting for Toulouse or Bordeau in the CC. Nienbar is a destroyer of rugby as it should be played – all emphat on defence. SA won the RWC with these horrible tactics which Leinster are now embracing.
You forgot “double world cup winning” destroyer of rugby as it should be played …and maybe 5 stars for Leinster later this year playing this drab stuff..I say sack him and send him back to the republic …
@JJB: your comment is definitely more on the imaginary side anyway
@Stuart: Winning at all costs mentality is what you espouse, fair enough. SA were lucky to succeed with that turgid style in 2023 and but for Steph de Toit would have failed. In terms of the game generally it is retrograde and will do little to enhance the product beyond the current limited pool. Watching SA in 2003 was painful …. The current iteration (post Nienbar) is much more palatable and congruent with the principles of rugby holistically. Backs do have a function. Thankfully Toulouse, Bordeau and the better English clubs agree. Leinster used to before the contamination occurred. The other Irish provinces are irrelevant in a CC discussion unfortunately.
@adizlack93: thank you for the deeply insightful and meaningful contribution. Did you contrive this all by yourself.? A genius in the making ….
@JJB: pipe down you bitter little man. I cringed reading your response to a Saffer about how the sport should be played. Pro sport is all about winning trophies, as Leinster know too well
@adizlack93: you need to be careful about what genders you use when engaging in this diatribe….. i am contemplating my own preferred pronouns these days. It looks like I am dealing with a exhibit A neanderthal who makes assumptions about preferred reference ( butter little man – really?). There was me thinking you are all progressive and modern in D4.
@JJB: Jeez… What did Jacques do to you when he was Munster coach? Did he cut you off at a junction; or maybe he didn’t sign your autograph book; or did he leave, become a successful double world cup winner and then join the team you hate most in the world? Ah… maybe that’s it!!
@Paul Ennis: just hate the brand of rugby he peddles. He is to rugby what J mc Guiness is to GAA football. Look how that went…. I used to begrudgingly admire Leinster dismantling teans with attacking prowess. What you get now is effective muck – attrition and scrum penalties in last Q – it might win the cup but few admirers… Nienbar’s vision of the game is turgid and needs big bruisers-14 of them. The question is are the Leinster boys as tough as the SA’s to execute these shit tactics such that a CC trophy is the outcome. Time will tell.
@JJB: And did you feel the same way when he was Munster coach?
@Paul Ennis I did in fact – too much SA influence never sits well with me to be frank.
@JJB: Ok… that’s fair enough. We can lie to others but not ourselves. You know what is in your own heart so who am I to judge or say I don’t believe you. So I won’t go down that road.
If Toulouse rested the first team can we expect a full string side in Durban next weekend? Would love to see du pont play a game outside of Europe and show the SH what he can do…
@Stuart: yes confirmed ..good stuff
https://www.planetrugby.com/news/antoine-dupont-set-for-first-southern-hemisphere-appearance-in-almost-eight-years#:~:text=Dupont%20to%20return%20to%20action%20in%202025&text=The%20brilliant%20scrum%2Dhalf%20made,the%20home%20of%20the%20Sharks.
@Stuart: do you know if Sharks will have a full deck to choose from? Haven’t seen Etzebeth or Luke Am in a while? also think Fassi took a knock last time out. Would great to see two full teams go at it in SA
@adizlack93: seems to be a bit of a mixed bag..etzebeth and bongibshould be back. Fassi and am still out ..Williams I think is out..https://www.citizen.co.za/sport/rugby/sharks-injury-update-etzebeth-bongi-mbonambi-esterhuizen-toulouse/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2PYykXb2ZfaMyGhVQLmBGrq0db2twEIa6w_7_KKFs1S7kwU-4-wzElAIE_aem_Y_PRC5DPbUeSgCsx5o5v0g
@Stuart: Does the SH not watch rugby except with parochialism? DuPont hardly needs to show anybody anywhere what he can do . I think this has been self evident for many years now. Hardly your type of player anyway given your apostle status towards Nienbar’s abhorrent philosophy and style. Dupont likes to move the ball forward and be offensive- anathema to you surely.
@JJB: winning is the only statistic that matters and Leinster are 100% this season you clown
@adizlack93: I will freeze this comment and revisit in May you sanctimonious tool. Pro sport revolves around winning predominantly as you lamely posit. That said there is a need to mind the sporting culture of the game and its appeal. Defensive formations as an absolute runs contrary. That is my point and it remains. Why would any athletic, fast young player with choices stick with rugby if it becomes a “grunt contest” only which is Nienbar’s creed and now Leinsters. SA winning the WC last time was not good for the greater objectives of rugby as a sport. Cringe all you like – i really couldn’t care less . Secondly I find SA supporters to be painfully arrogant as a generalism so I am indifferent about their sensitivities.
I thought the URC referees were bad. The ref in this match was awful…..
Exciting game for a neutral fan. Toulouse proving their huge budget is being put to good use. Incredible depth in their squad. These kids really gave La Rochelle a run for their money.
@Jonny Miller: I watch the Top 14, every week, all the referees except two, are terrible.
La Rochelle well past their peak at this stage.
They were shocking last night. Leinster should win this game handy.