He can look weary, perhaps wearier than he actually is, due to the Trojan volume of work he invariably accumulates week upon week, month upon month, and season upon season. But come the big day, he invariably delivers. That’s just in his DNA. That’s what Tadhg Beirne does.
Speaking to a handful of journalists in a corner of the crammed mixed zone room along a long corridor from the dressingrooms, Beirne cuts a relieved and satisfied person. The Lions have won, and he has delivered what he, and Andy Farrell, had demanded of him in his first Lions Test start, after which he was named the man of the match.
He has won titles with the Scarlets and Munster, has been part of Ireland’s landmark triumphs in his 61 caps to date and was a replacement in the opening two Lions Tests four years ago. Yet he said of this first Test: “It was right up there.”
Revealingly, Beirne also admitted: “I felt the pressure. I’m not going to lie; I did feel the pressure this week. There are some things you can’t shy away from. A lot of people calling for your head out there. I know my performances to this date weren’t up to par by my standards. So, to be in this team, Faz [Andy Farrell] has put a lot of trust in me, and it was an honour to be selected.
READ MORE
“I had to put in a performance today. All of us did. Everyone around me put in great performances and the best part about it was that we were able to make each other look good, particularly for the first half,” added Beirne, before admitting they “fell off a bit” in the last quarter.
This was Beirne’s fifth start in the Lions’ seven matches to date. He had performed strongly against Argentina and the Force if less so, as he conceded, against the Waratahs and Invitational XV.
Farrell had helped to foster the discussion around the “hotly contested” backrow, yet then used the debate around picking Beirne and Tom Curry to fuel the fire within both flankers.
“Andy had a quiet word with the backrow, the captains, and he said a few things to us,” Beirne revealed. “He put a little bit of pressure on us without putting pressure on us, as Andy does. But it gives you motivation and it gives you a little bit of realisation as to where his head’s at and the opportunity that’s being presented to us.
Asked what the tone of Farrell’s comments had been, Beirne was not inclined to reveal too much.
“Andy said what he said to us, and I think it helped all of us. Those words certainly sat with me for the 24 hours leading up to the game,” he said.
“I’m 33 now, I’m not going to be on another Lions tour, let’s be realistic,” he added with a wry smile. “These are special moments. These are huge games and I want to be involved in all of them. I knew how important this game was and hopefully I’ve done enough to help this team win tonight and hopefully be selected next week.”
You put it to Beirne that he’s a big game player.
“I love the pressure. Only joking,” he said, laughing, but clearly there’s an element of truth in this. “That is it. This is the game. Big games. You want to perform. You either step up to it or you don’t.”
As is his wont, Farrell had his players perfectly primed emotionally, and Beirne was certainly of a mind to seize the day.
“You’ve got to love those occasions. You’ve got to love every minute of it. You’ve got to love the dark moments when you are blowing out your arse and love when you are camped on your own line. You have to love every part of it, and I certainly did today.”
It helped that Beirne won the first of his two jackal penalties just 22 seconds into the game after Tadhg Furlong had stopped Joseph Suaalii in his tracks moments after Tom Curry had done likewise with a big shot on James Slipper. Beirne was also quick to share the kudos with Curry, helpfully too, as the latter’s answers in his post-match briefing were, well, brief.
“His work-rate off the ball, everything he is doing that people aren’t seeing is incredible, and that is why he has been selected. It is for those moments, the incredible fitness and work-rate he has.”
Beirne’s isn’t bad either, for he was the game’s top tackler (22), won three turnovers, nicked a Wallabies throw and had some typically assured touches on the ball.
He was additionally motivated by the memory of four years ago when, as he tellingly put it, “an accumulated 12 minutes” in the opening two Tests before being left out of the decider.
No less than the Springboks then, the Wallabies will be fighting for their lives on home soil next Saturday in the MGC and will be strengthened by the return of Rob Valetini and Will Skelton.
“I was there last time and we won the first Test and lost the last two, so we can’t just sit back and relax now. We have to go forward and that’s where it’s going to be challenging next week.
“They’re going to elevate their performance, they’ve a few lads coming back, a few world-class performers, and the challenge becomes even more difficult because not only do they have some world-class names back, but they also have a lot more to fight for because they know if they lose, they’ve lost the series.
“It’s going to be tough in Melbourne. We don’t know what the weather is going to be like. It was nice today, but it could be terrible there.
“So, it’s a big challenge for us next week to elevate our performance; a lot to work on but we’ll be proud of what we put in today at the same time.”
