LONG READ Ireland comeback kids hit their stride as flanker who’s never been away seizes chance

Rugby is so brutally cut-throat at times. The bodies roll in, and roll out. There may be injuries and shattered dreams in the past, but there is always another game on that fixture schedule. The show goes on, even if sometimes it goes on without you.

Ryan Baird stood pitch-side on Friday night and reflected on what it was like to be back in a green jersey. Baird last played for Ireland in November 2025, against South Africa. Identified as Irish rugby’s next bright spark, in early 2020, it had taken Baird five years to earn a regular starting role for his country. He began six successive Tests at blindside. This was his moment, better late than never, and he was taking it.

Baird then broke his leg during Ireland’s 24-13 loss to the Springboks. He battled back through extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation and returned to the Leinster team for the business-end of last season. He played two Champions Cup games – wins over Edinburgh and Sale – then suffered another leg fracture. Season over, no summer tour with Ireland.

Ireland moved on. They had no other choice. Cian Prendergast, Jack Conan, Cormac Izuchukwu and, mostly, Tadhg Beirne took that No.6 jersey. Baird returned for Leinster and played the full 80 in four matches – once at lock and the rest in the back row. Andy Farrell wired a golden ticket to his latest squad. Still, there were question marks over him starting at blindside against Argentina. I am a huge fan of Baird, but I was advocating for Cian Prendergast to get the nod.

On Friday, Baird fired a reminder to anyone that doubted what he was coming back for. The 27-year-old stole three Pumas lineouts, one of which led to Hugo Keenan’s second try. He jumped well in attacking lineouts, too, soaring to claim and present clean ball to Craig Casey before Dan Sheehan’s score. There was also a beauty of an offload to set up Keenan for his hat-trick in the second half.

Following his side’s whopping 42-12 victory, Baird commented, “I had a few tears walking out of the tunnel before the anthems – how tough the journey was to get back here, just to soak it all in. I had the self-belief I would get back. Nothing is ever guaranteed, but it was something I had my eye on and it meant a lot.”

Farrell had teed up the Baird comeback when he spoke with reporters after announcing his team last Wednesday. Two days later, as the clock neared 11pm at Aviva Stadium, the Ireland head coach was positively beaming. “I said to you that he is obsessed with his set-piece stuff,” Farrell remarked. “Obviously, he has been a leader for us in the defensive lineouts for a while now. He’s clearly progressing and he has done some lineout calling, if late, with Leinster.

“He’s a fantastic lineout forward. Makes a fantastic difference, doesn’t it, stealing ball. Some of his stuff in general play was pretty good as well.”

Ireland are already planning for that 21 November game against South Africa. Having Baird and McCarthy at their disruptive best, in the air and on the deck, will be crucial if Farrell’s side want to avenge last year’s home humbling.

Rugby clubs, and nations, are adapting to law variations that have cleaned up some defensive squirreling, and sacking, around mauls. In return, we are seeing the maul vault in prominence as an attacking weapon. The Springboks are going full steam train, with New Zealand and Italy among sides trudging back to whiteboards and wiping them clean.

One possible avenue to negate that threat is getting up and really going after lineouts, to deny clean ball. Generally speaking, the option of keeping forwards on the deck and letting the attacking side dictate terms does not look to be working. That being said, Joe McCarthy is still proving adept at getting in and disrupting attacking mauls (for Leinster and Ireland), this season. With any law changes or tweaks, there are always some that will find a work-around. An area of grey.

Ireland are already planning for that 21 November game against South Africa. Having Baird and McCarthy at their disruptive best, in the air and on the deck, will be crucial if Farrell’s side want to avenge last year’s home humbling.

For Farrell, having some of his key lieutenants back is already proving crucial. “For the likes of Ryan, Hugo, Ports (Andrew Porter) and Mack, they’ve all been out of international rugby a while,” he noted. “I thought they were immense, coming back into the fold and showing everyone what we’ve missed.”

‘At times, you stop believing’

Amid all the comeback stories, Nick Timoney shared one of a guy that had never been away. Blessed with a relatively clean bill of health these past six years, Timoney was enduring more of a mental battle. He has been in and around most Farrell squad selections since he took over in 2020, but only collected four caps in five seasons. Having former World Rugby Player of the Year Josh van der Flier as openside competition meant steep climbs, in every training camp. Farrell and his coaching staff have always professed to be big fans of the Ulster back-row. He was told to keep grinding. Keep performing for Ulster and training hard, in the sessions and reps he got. However, it was not always easy as the seasons and years ticked by.

Following another solid outing at openside, with Van der Flier backing him up, Timoney reflected on moments when it proved tough to keep going with selection going against him.

“It is and it isn’t hard to stay motivated,” he began. “You’re so close that you almost feel like you should be the most motivated person in the room, the whole time. Certainly with Paulie (O’Connell), there were lots of conversations around telling me, ‘You’re so close. All it takes is a decent chance in a big game for this to all change’.

“At times, you stop believing them entirely because it feels the chances maybe aren’t coming. But then, in fairness to them, they were telling the truth. The chances eventually did come and obviously they’ve believed I’ve taken them, to some extent. I think that’s nine games I’ve played in a row for Ireland, which I wouldn’t have dreamt of three or four years ago. It’s a testament to them being open-minded and not making their mind up on people. It’s a testament to this team, and this environment. It values people who stick at it and work hard, and they’ll give you a chance eventually.”

Going with Sheehan at No.8 against the world champions, with little to no training ground reps, may be out of the Rassie Erasmus maverick school of coaching. Farrell, one suspects, will lean towards a more conservative option.

Farrell may be forced into a positional switch for Timoney, though, on the back of more wretched injury news. Sean Jansen has been ruled out of the remainder of the championship after suffering a knee injury against Argentina. That leaves Farrell without three No.8s: Caelan Doris, Conan and Jansen. If he was tempted to copy the Leinster tactic of drafting in Sheehan as an emergency eight, he will not be able to use Fiji as a test-run. Sheehan picked up a concussion against the Pumas and will now sit out Saturday’s game as he undergoes the 12-day protocols around Return To Play.

Going with Sheehan at No.8 against the world champions, with little to no training ground reps, may be out of the Rassie Erasmus maverick school of coaching. Farrell, one suspects, will lean towards a more conservative option. Right now, that looks to be either Cian Prendergast or going Baird-Van der Flier-Timoney for the date with the Boks.

‘I love playing with two such exciting players’

Two of the most uplifting parts of Friday’s win over Argentina were the form of Sam Prendergast and the backline that he was teeing up for most of the night.

Farrell must have loved being able to select Mack Hansen, Rob Baloucoune and Hugo Keenan as his back three. As it turned out, it looked as good from the Aviva Stadium seats as it did on paper. That trio were electric and having the sheer pace of Baloucoune and Keenan is something Irish fans were thrilled about.

That back three combined for 40 carries, 235 metres gained, three tries, two try assists, eight line-breaks and 11 defenders beaten. Hansen (ankle) and Baloucoune (cramp) were in the wars but Farrell will return to that well if all three are fit for South Africa.

“I love playing with the two lads,” Keenan offered, post-match. “Obviously, I haven’t played with Mack in quite a while. We’ve both been injured at different times, and we’ve got such a good relationship. He was brilliant to me when he was injured and vice versa, I’d like to think, as well.

“Myself and Rob go way back to the Sevens days, so we have a strong connection from that – playing in Hong Kong in 2017 and 2018 together. It’s cool to look on, nearly eight years later, being in the Aviva playing for Ireland with them. They’re two such exciting players and I enjoy playing with them.

“And as I touched on before, we’ve got the likes of Jimmy (O’Brien), Jacob (Stockdale), Tommy (O’Brien), knocking on the door as well. Jamie (Osborne) obviously, coming on at full-back. We’ve been pushing ourselves, and each other, in training. There’s good competition and I enjoy playing with them.”

If we’re all playing to our potential, there’s room for us all in in the squad. We just try to help each other and grow together.

Many of us at the ground, on Friday, were double- and triple-checking to make sure Farrell was right, after the game. Had Keenan really not played a home Test match for 21 months? It was correct. He had last featured in green, in his hometown, in March 2025, against France. He went from ever-ready full-back to bystander, and cheerleader, as Hansen and Jamie Osborne tried on that 15 jersey.

“I’m a fan when I’m not on the pitch,” he insisted. “Yes, I’d love to be out there, but you’re supporting your team. You’re still part of the squad. I was there involved in the Six Nations. I was in camp with the lads in November, when Mack was going well.

“Mack was so good to me during the Lions, when he was injured. He was the one lifting me up [after the game] when I got that try in the second Test.

“To see him get his day out [for Ireland last November] against Australia, get the hat-trick, get the man of the match, was brilliant, and I was absolutely delighted for him. I celebrated with him in that week or two after, as well. We all feel like that – whether it’s Jamie, Mack… if we’re all playing to our potential, there’s room for us all in in the squad. We just try to help each other and grow together. I think that’s the best way to do it.”

Ireland are suddenly flush with back-three options, and have real competition at blindside and openside. What will concern Farrell is that glut of No.8 injuries and not having Garry Ringrose to call upon in this window.

As we have seen, though, life and rugby move ceaselessly on. Next-man-up is not just a mentality. It is a reality. Ireland have some gaps that need filling and the next guy to step in will, no doubt, have a story to tell us of doubts, wavering belief and support from those around him.

On to the next one.