Niall Scannell, John Ryan, Conor Murray and CJ Stander. All of them tried and all of them failed.
Tadhg Beirne had a great 2016/17 season but he ended it like a man possessed. He bossed Leinster at The RDS, a ground he briefly stomped at, and was superb in the PRO12 final against Munster, scoring a try and proving to be a breakdown menace.
Munster were well beaten on the day but moved fast, over the summer, to secure Beirne’s signature. He joins the province in June and has shown again this season that they have done some exceptional business.
The former Leinster lock is on the long-list for European Player of the Year and will face his old side with Scarlets in the Champions Cup semi-finals on April 21. He played his final game at Parc Y Scarlets last weekend and the rousing reception he received shows how adored he has been during his time in Wales.
The prospect of Munster with Beirne in their team, next season, raised a lively debate during The Hard Yards [from 58:00 below] with Kevin McLaughlin suggesting he could well feature in the back row.
Beirne has done wonders in the second row for Scarlets but has been used, on many occasions, as a blindside. He stepped in as No.6 when Aaron Shingler was off on Six Nations duty with Wales and excelled in the PRO14.
There is a legitimate concern that Beirne could suffer from going from Scarlets’ free-flowing system to the more structured set-up of Munster. Robin Copeland arrived with plenty of plaudits from Cardiff Blues in 2014 but will leave for Connacht this summer having never truly held down a regular role with Munster.
Munster will look at him, primarily, as a second row but McLaughlin believes his long-term future could be at blindside. He said:
“No there’s not a risk [that he won’t be as effective at Munster] because he has got a lot of facets to his game. Regardless of who he’s playing for, he’ll still get a lot of turnovers; he’s good in the lineout.
McLaughlin added: “He probably won’t get the same freedom but he’ll have to adapt his game, as you would going from Munster to Ireland. But he just has so many facets. He’s not just a turnover merchant, he’s not just a ball carrier or just great in the lineout. He’s got a lot of elements.
“You see him getting unbelievable turnovers, even in mauls when he is just climbing through the maul to get at the ball. He’s just a complete blindside, second row. He’s probably the best 6, stroke, second row that I’ve seen in a long time. As in, he’s equally good in both positions. It’s really difficult to do that.
“Scarlets style of play does suit him being in the second row – they play a loose, open game and their tight five forwards are expected to throw the ball around. I would say, for Munster he would be more suited at 6. Munster expect their forwards to be more pick and go, in tight. The Billy Holland type player. I would guess he’ll play 6 for Munster and he’ll be top class.”
McLaughlin did later note that Iain Henderson would rival Beirne in that versatile lock/blindside skills department. But if Beirne does indeed play 6 for Munster, what of Peter O’Mahony?
The Munster captain initially set his sights on being a No.8, after his idol Anthony Foley, but he has played most of his games for the province at blindside [primarily] or openside. Given his combative nature, lineout abilities and the injury issues of Tommy O’Donnell, O’Mahony could well shift over to the other side of the pack.
“O’Mahony could end up playing 7,” said McLaughlin. “I don’t know how they are going to fit them all in but, for me, Beirne is a Munster 6.”
