Tadhg Beirne
Tadhg Gerard Beirne (; born 8 January 1992) is an Irish rugby union player, currently playing for Munster in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. He primarily plays as a lock, but can also play in the back-row. Club career. Leinster. Beirne graduated through the Leinster academy and made his senior debut from the bench against the Cardiff Blues on 12 September 2015. Beirne made a further three appearances for Leinster, playing twice against Dragons and once against Scarlets, a team he would later go on to play for. All of these appearances came  off the bench. Beirne spent most of his career at Leinster playing for their A team and he earned 10 caps for them, making 9 appearances in the British and Irish Cup. Beirne was then released by Leinster. Scarlets. It was announced on 28 June 2016 that Beirne had moved to Scarlets. Beirne made his Scarlets debut off the bench in the opening game of the season, a loss against Munster. He then played a massive role in Scarlets successful 2016–17 season, in which they beat Munster 46–22 in the 2017 Pro12 Grand Final to win their first silverware since  the 2003–04 season. Munster. In October 2017, Munster announced the signing of Beirne on a two-year contract, which began at the start of the 2018–19 season. Beirne was named the "Guinness Players' Player of the Season" when the 2017–18 Pro14 awards were announced in August 2018. He made his Munster debut on 7 September 2018, coming on as a replacement for Dave O'Callaghan in the provinces 2018–19 Pro14 fixture against Glasgow Warriors. Beirne made his first start for Munster on 14 September 2018, doing so in their 49–13 win against Ospreys in Irish Independent Park. He scored his first  try for Munster in the provinces 30–22 defeat at the hands of Leinster on 6 October 2018. Beirne made his Champions Cup debut for Munster on 13 October 2018, earning the Man-of-the-Match in the provinces opening 2018–19 pool 2 fixture against English side Exeter Chiefs, which ended in a 10–10 draw in Sandy Park. He was Man-of-the-Match in Munster's 26–17 win against Leinster on 29 December 2018 and in their 9–7 win against Exeter Chiefs in round 6 of the Champions Cup on 19 January 2019, a result the ensured Munster advanced to  a record 18th Champions Cup quarter-final. Beirne signed a two-year contract extension with Munster in May 2019. He was named in the 2018–19 Pro14 Dream Team when it was announced in May 2019, his second such accolade, having also been named in the 2017–18 Pro14 Dream Team whilst a Scarlets player. Beirne suffered a sustained a fractured ankle in Munster's 15–6 defeat away to English side Saracens in round 4 of the 2019–20 Champions Cup on 14 December 2019, and subsequently had to undergo surgery for the injury in January 2020. Beirne made his comeback from the  injury in Munster's 2019–20 Pro14 round 15 fixture against Connacht on 30 August 2020, scoring a try and winning the Man-of-the-Match award in Munster's 49–12 victory. When regular captain Peter O'Mahony was injured in the warm-up ahead of Munster's 2021–22 United Rugby Championship round 10 fixture at home to provincial rivals Ulster on 8 January 2022, Beirne, who had originally been named on the bench, was promoted to the starting XV in O'Mahony's place and also to the captaincy, leading Munster for the first time and earning the player of the match  award in the 18–13 win. Beirne signed a new three-year central contract with Munster and the IRFU in February 2022, a deal that will see him remain with the province until at least July 2025. Ireland. Beirne made nine appearances for the Ireland under-20s and was part of the team which finished 6th in the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship. Beirne also played for the Ireland sevens team in 2015. Beirne received his first senior international call-up in May 2018, being selected in the Ireland squad to tour Australia in June, and made his senior Ireland debut on  16 June 2018, coming on as a replacement for Peter O'Mahony in the second test against Australia, before also coming off the bench for Ireland during their 20–16 third test victory, a win that sealed a 2–1 historic series victory for Ireland. Beirne made his first start for Ireland against Italy on 3 November 2018, doing so in their Autumn international in Soldier Field, Chicago, and scoring two tries in his sides 54–7 victory, whilst also starting in the 57–14 win against the United States three weeks later. He was selected in the 31-man Ireland squad for the 2019  Rugby World Cup, having featured in the warm-up matches against Italy, England and Wales. During the World Cup itself, Beirne featured off the bench in Ireland's opening 27–3 win against Scotland and their shock 19–12 defeat against hosts Japan, and started in the 35–0 win against Russia and 47–5 win against Samoa in their final pool game, before featuring off the bench again in the comprehensive 46–14 defeat against New Zealand in the quarter-finals, which brought an end to Ireland's 2019 World Cup. During the delayed 2020 Six Nations Championship, Beirne started in the 50–17 win  against Italy and the 35–27 defeat against France, then featured off the bench in the Autumn Nations Cup-opening 32–9 win against Wales and started in the 23–10 win against Georgia. The 2021 Six Nations saw Beirne secure his place in Ireland's starting XV, as he started in the 21–16 defeat against Wales, the 15–13 defeat against France, the 48–10 away win against Italy, the 27–24 away win against Scotland and the 32–18 win against England in the final round. Beirne was named in the 2021 Six Nations "Team of the Championship", having also been nominated for the "Player  of the Tournament". During the 2021 Autumn Nations Series, Beirne started in Ireland's 60–5 win against Japan on 6 November, before featuring off the bench in the famous 29–20 win against New Zealand on 13 November. After Iain Henderson was injured minutes before kick-off, Beirne was promoted from the bench to start against Argentina in Ireland's final fixture of the series on 21 November, scoring a try in their 53–7 home win. Beirne started in Ireland's 29–7 win against Wales in their opening fixture of the 2022 Six Nations Championship on 5 February, their 30–24 defeat  away to France on 12 February, their 57–6 home win against Italy on 27 February, their 32–15 away win against England on 12 March, and the 26–5 home win against Scotland on 19 March that secured the Triple Crown for Ireland. British & Irish Lions. Beirne earned his first call up for the British & Irish Lions when the squad for the 2021 tour to South Africa was announced in May 2021. He made his non-test debut for the Lions and scored a try in their 28–10 warm-up victory against Japan on 26 June, before starting and scoring two tries  in the Lions' 71–31 win against the Sharks on 10 July, featuring off the bench in the 17–13 defeat against South Africa 'A' on 14 July, and starting in the 49–3 win against the Stormers on 17 July. Beirne made his test debut for the Lions as a replacement in their 22–17 first test victory against South Africa on 24 July, and featured off the bench again in the second test on 31 July, which South Africa won 27–9 to take the series to a deciding third test. However, Beirne was not selected for the third and final test, with  head coach Warren Gatland selecting Wales' Adam Beard in the number 19 jersey instead. Statistics. International analysis by opposition. Correct as of 19 March 2022 <nowiki>*</nowiki> indicates inclusion of caps for British & Irish Lions