'No offence to him, but I never knew how good he was'

You only need to take a look at the BKT URC stats to see just what an outstanding first season Tom Farrell has had for Munster Rugby.

The figures really speak for themselves.

Tries – 9 (1st in the competition)
Carries – 223 (1st)
Offloads – 40 (1st)
Post-contact metres – 217 (1st)
Defenders beaten – 58 (2nd)
Minutes played – 1293 (2nd)

The 31-year-old centre is also leading the way when it comes to the URC Playmaker award on 153 points, with his five assists adding to his offloads and the number of defenders he has left in his wake. He looks odds on to take that prize as he is way out in front, with DHL Stormers full-back Warrick Gelant his nearest rival on 118 points.

Out of all these impressive stats, it’s probably minutes played which will have come as the most pleasant surprise to the man himself, with only Cardiff’s Cam Winnett (1347 mins) having spent more time on the field in the BKT URC this season.

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When Farrell came on board from Connacht Rugby last summer, he wasn’t sure just how much game-time he would get given the competition for places in midfield. Yet he has started all 23 games – in the league and Champions Cup combined – a truly remarkable effort.

“To be honest, when I arrived I probably didn’t think I was going to play as much as I have,” he admits.

“But a couple of injuries in the back line let me get on a bit of a rumble of games and thankfully I’ve been able to stay fit, which is nice, and get on a bit of a roll.”

He’s been a model of consistent excellence at 13, producing yet another stand-out performance in last weekend’s crucial 38-20 victory over Ulster Rugby at Limerick’s Thomond Park. He was named Player of the Match after crossing for two tries, topping the turnover and dominant tackles charts and making the second most carries.

Ulster must be thoroughly sick of the sight of him given he scored a hat-trick against them in Belfast just before Christmas.

His double at the weekend has made him the top try scorer in the league this season, with his tally of nine putting him one ahead of Cardiff’s Harri Millard, Glasgow’s Johnny Matthews and the Scarlets’ Blair Murray.

“I seem to be getting the knack of it!” he quips.

“I’m just popping up in the right spot at the right time. A lot of the tough work is done up front.

“As a team, we have a licence to go for things. The framework we have allows players to express themselves and create opportunities.

“Some of our backs might get a lot of plaudits, but the work the forwards do up front creates massive space for us. It does complement my game and it’s something I am really enjoying.”

The bonus point victory over Ulster saw Munster move back into the top eight with one game left to play and they can secure a play-off spot with victory over Benetton Rugby in Friday’s winner-takes-all clash in Cork.

“If we can put some of those passages out next weekend and beyond, we will be tough to play against, but we know we have a good bit to fix up before we even think about that and a big game next week to solidify things,” said Farrell.

The Dublin-born centre has had an interesting career path.

His journey began with Coolmine RFC, in the western suburbs of the capital. He secured a place with the Leinster Academy after impressing for Ireland U20s in the 2013 Junior World Championship in France, scoring a try in a narrow defeat to New Zealand.

However, he failed to make a single first team appearance during his three years with the province, playing instead for the A-team and club side Lansdowne.

So, he opted to try his luck in England, firstly with London Irish and then Bedford Blues, before returning home in 2017 to join Connacht.

He was to prove a big hit with the Galway-based outfit, forging a potent midfield partnership with Bundee Aki.

“Bundee was great for me, with the standards he sets. He doesn’t accept mediocrity and he kind of drilled that into me, which was good.”

Farrell’s fine form saw him called into the Ireland squad for the 2019 Six Nations, but he wasn’t to be involved in any of the games and that remains the closest he’s come to Test rugby to date.

After seven years and more than 100 appearances for Connacht, the time came for him to head for pastures new last summer. There was the possibility of a move overseas, but he opted to switch provinces instead.

“Joining a club like Munster was a no-brainer,” he said.

“Once there was a sniff there, any conversations I had abroad were put on hold pretty quickly and it was a very easy decision, to be honest.”

He’s proved a superb acquisition, as interim head coach Ian Costello confirms.

“I can’t stress enough how good Tom has been for us,” he said.

“He’s played so many minutes and he’s been brilliant on and off the pitch.”

Providing a team-mates’ perspective, hooker Niall Scannell said: “He’s been a hugely popular addition to the squad. He’s been unbelievable, with his skill set and particularly his handling game.”

Winger Shane Daly added: “No offence to him, but I never knew how good he was. The first week he came down, I thought ‘Jeez, this guy is incredible’.

“He’s been our best player this year without a shadow of a doubt and he’s an unbelievable fella as well. I am delighted for him.”