'It's definitely the highlight of my Ireland career, that's for sure'
Ross Byrne says his dramatic match-winning penalty against Australia is the highlight of his Ireland career after he capped “one of the most bizarre weeks” by returning from the international wilderness with a bang.
Fly-half Byrne was left out of Andy Farrell’s initial autumn squad and was still behind Johnny Sexton and Jack Crowley in the pecking order having been called up on Monday as injury cover for Joey Carbery.
The 27-year-old had not featured for his country since March 2021 but found himself elevated to the bench for Saturday evening’s 13-10 win over the Wallabies due to a late calf problem suffered by captain Sexton.
He ended his lengthy Test exile by replacing full debutant Crowley, before holding his nerve to land the decisive three points from a tricky kick wide on the right with just three minutes remaining.
“I don’t really know how to put it into words,” said the Leinster player. “It’s been one of the most bizarre weeks ever.
“I got the call on Monday after Leinster training, came in Monday night as cover, did the warm-up and then got the call when Johnny pulled up.
“It’s definitely the highlight of my Ireland career, that’s for sure.
“It’s right up there, it’s what you dream of. They’re the moments as a kid that you want.
“Obviously I haven’t been in the squad for quite a while so to be called in and just to be back was brilliant.”
Byrne was taking part in pre-game kicking practice with Sexton when his provincial team-mate pulled up with the leg muscle issue.
His unexpected elevation to the matchday 23 meant his parents were not at a sold-out Aviva Stadium, though his girlfriend attended on the off-chance he might feature.
He even received the added pressure of a 30-second warning from referee Ben O’Keeffe before nailing the vital kick.
“I just trust the process that I have, it’s been pretty good to me in the last number of years,” he said.
“Referees will do that to me a bit sometimes, so it’s something I’m kind of used to. It doesn’t faze you when it happens, it probably makes the mind go blank if anything.”
Byrne’s memorable 14th cap came almost 20 months to the day since his most-recent Test outing, a minute-long cameo against England in last year’s Six Nations.
Munster pair Carbery and Crowley, Leinster duo Ciaran Frawley and Byrne’s brother Harry, and Connacht’s Jack Carty have each been given opportunities to cover for undisputed first-choice Sexton during that time.
“It’s been frustrating,” said Byrne “But I think the season has gone well for me at Leinster.
“I just have to try and kick on. I’ve had to be patient, and sometimes you need a bit of luck, I got that and got the opportunity.
“It’s given me a taste of it. If I play well there that hopefully leads to the opportunity to be picked for Ireland.”
Crowley, who only made his Test debut as a replacement in last weekend’s win over Fiji, kicked Ireland into a 3-0 half-time lead and then added the extras following Bundee Aki’s try.
Jordan Petaia’s score, plus five points from Bernard Foley, had Australia level going into the closing stages before Byrne earned the world’s top-ranked team a record-equalling 12th consecutive home win.
With another Six Nations campaign and a World Cup on the horizon, Byrne feels optimistic for his country’s future.
“The quality of rugby in Ireland at the moment is probably the best it’s ever been,” he said.
“Over the last number of weeks it’s a special team, and even with a few changes they still delivered.
“Even though we probably weren’t at our best (on Saturday), we still managed to win the game.
“Sometimes things don’t always go your way, or the final pass isn’t made. Ultimately it’s results that matter.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Good to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
17 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
17 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
7 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
7 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
17 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
17 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
7 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
17 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
17 Go to comments