The former Leinster forward gave his old club something to chew over, on several occasions, this season and last.
Tadhg Beirne was close to packing in the professional rugby ambitions and focusing on a new career when Scarlets came calling. Wayne Pivac and Stephen Jones placed their faith in him and he repaid them in spades, and heaps of turnovers.
Beirne was the stand-out player in the PRO12 semi and final, last season, as he dominated the breakdown against Leinster and Munster and chipped in with a bulldozing try too.
He is due to link up with Munster over the summer but that may have to wait until after Ireland’s tour to Australia. Joe Schmidt was worried about the versatile forward’s heavy workload, earlier this season, but it only makes sense to bring him Down Under for a look in that green jersey.
Ahead of Scarlets’ Champions Cup date with Leinster, and their return to Dublin, Leo Cullen spoke glowing of a player he admitted had come back to haunt his old province.
“I had a really good chat to Tadhg, actually, after the game in the RDS [in February] I wished him well. We had two tight games in the Six Nations, one where we had a tight game in the RDS and a drawn game across in Parc Y Scarlets.
“Tadhg is going well. You wish guys well that come through the system. He’s come through the academy. Various things didn’t quite go his way in that period, but you’ve got to admire what he’s done since.
“You say that to all the guys. It’s a very competitive group that we have. There are seven, eight, nine guys potentially come into the academy, and maybe one or two others, most seasons.
“That’s just the general turnover players that there are there. Players will leave the system. You hope they don’t come back to haunt you in the manner Tadhg has. You wish these guys well.”
There has been much talk about Leinster being outgunned at the breakdown in last year’s league semi-final but both sides have new faces on show this weekend. Still, this is an area of the game that remains vital.
“It’s hugely important,” said Cullen. “The set-piece battle is key to these big games, and the teams that do the basics well.
“It’s about making sure we provide a good platform and we control possession as well, in the right areas of the field and in the right manner. The pack is going to play a huge role in the game.”
