ROUTINE AND UNCOMPLICATED home victories over the league’s weaker teams during international windows are pretty nondescript affairs for the most part, but oftentimes can be significant occasions in the context of individual careers.
Take Leinster’s seven-try demolition of the Dragons back in November as the perfect example. Not a match which will feature on the end-of-season highlight reels, but that night meant the world to Ed Byrne.
A first start in the colours of your home province at the RDS will always be a significant occasion for any player, so often the fulfilment of a childhood dream, but when you’ve spent two-and-a-half years on the sideline, battling injury after injury, it takes on an added layer of substance.
“You learn to appreciate things like that a lot more, you don’t take anything for granted, the prop says.
“Every day is special. Starting against Dragons was my first start at the RDS and for other players that might be a different occasion, whereas for me it was huge.
“Every game is a chance to build on what’s gone on the week before so you definitely appreciate it a lot me.”
Byrne just appreciates being here. Being a professional rugby player, living the dream with Leinster.
A highly-rated loosehead from Clongowes Wood College, the Carlow native represented Ireland at U20 level and was beginning to establish himself having come through the Leinster academy. A first senior contract followed and by the age of 21, he had made five appearances for the province. Things were on the up.
And then injury struck. Not one serious problem, but when he attempted to make a long-awaited comeback, Byrne was struck down by another cruel twist of fate. 28 months out in total.
“It was incredibly tough, there is no doubt about it,” he admits.
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Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
“I had a torn ACL, rehabbed for 10 months, played five minutes in a pre-season game and was out for another 18 months. It was incredibly tough. There were times when I thought it wasn’t going to get much better.
“I was 10 months in, still in a lot of pain and not even running. That was worrying. I never really thought ‘this is not worth it.’ I always thought I would get back even when some days it looked like it mightn’t be the case.
“I kept that belief. Thankfully, my quads started responding to the treatment. That was the problem. I couldn’t switch my quads on properly and it led to a lot of knee pain.
“When that started to get better, I could see the light. I kept moving forward from there.”
A painstaking rehabilitation process, but small incremental gains focused the mind. Byrne was determined to get back and not let injury defeat him.
He continues: “The first game I played out in Seapoint for UCD, that was more relief than anything else, just getting through 40 minutes. That was the point when I said, ‘okay, we’re back now.’
“The high-point was the first game in the RDS in two-and-a-half years when I scored that try against Scarlets [March 2017]. When you’re in the game, there are the celebrations, the lads coming in around me, it is very special.
“But, there’s a next job focus. It was only afterwards, when I was getting a lot of texts from friends and people close to me, just saying how much it meant to them, when it sunk in.
“That was a huge moment. That was very special.”
Oisin Keniry / INPHO
Oisin Keniry / INPHO / INPHO
Byrne has come through the other side, and since those special moments under the lights against Scarlets and then Dragons, has kicked on and taken his game to a new level.
12 appearances already this term — including four starts — is a reflection of Byrne’s level of performance and his strength of character to bounce back from so many cruel setbacks so strongly.
“I have learned a lot from the injuries,” he adds. “I feel I’m that much older now and that helps in getting to know people better.
“I owe Leinster a lot. Even to keep that faith, I hadn’t played in so long, they hadn’t seen me in so long. There were new lads coming in; Andrew Porter as a loosehead and Peter Dooley was going really well. And obviously Jack [McGrath] and Cian [Healy].
“I owe them a huge amount for having that faith. I was coming towards the end of a contract in the second year so there were moments when I was like ‘I need to fight for a contract, I need to get back’ and thankfully they put that faith in me and I’m trying to repay them now.”
Ahead of Friday’s game against the Kings at the RDS, it goes without saying that this season has been Byrne’s most enjoyable to date.
“100%. You always set yourself plans and goals at the start of the season and hope to hit them but you can’t control selection. Thankfully the coaches have picked me and given me good opportunities.
“So far, so good but I’m trying to take it one week at a time.”
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'I hadn't played in so long, they hadn't seen me in so long, so I owe Leinster a huge amount'
ROUTINE AND UNCOMPLICATED home victories over the league’s weaker teams during international windows are pretty nondescript affairs for the most part, but oftentimes can be significant occasions in the context of individual careers.
Take Leinster’s seven-try demolition of the Dragons back in November as the perfect example. Not a match which will feature on the end-of-season highlight reels, but that night meant the world to Ed Byrne.
A first start in the colours of your home province at the RDS will always be a significant occasion for any player, so often the fulfilment of a childhood dream, but when you’ve spent two-and-a-half years on the sideline, battling injury after injury, it takes on an added layer of substance.
“You learn to appreciate things like that a lot more, you don’t take anything for granted, the prop says.
“Every day is special. Starting against Dragons was my first start at the RDS and for other players that might be a different occasion, whereas for me it was huge.
Byrne just appreciates being here. Being a professional rugby player, living the dream with Leinster.
A highly-rated loosehead from Clongowes Wood College, the Carlow native represented Ireland at U20 level and was beginning to establish himself having come through the Leinster academy. A first senior contract followed and by the age of 21, he had made five appearances for the province. Things were on the up.
And then injury struck. Not one serious problem, but when he attempted to make a long-awaited comeback, Byrne was struck down by another cruel twist of fate. 28 months out in total.
“It was incredibly tough, there is no doubt about it,” he admits.
“I had a torn ACL, rehabbed for 10 months, played five minutes in a pre-season game and was out for another 18 months. It was incredibly tough. There were times when I thought it wasn’t going to get much better.
“I was 10 months in, still in a lot of pain and not even running. That was worrying. I never really thought ‘this is not worth it.’ I always thought I would get back even when some days it looked like it mightn’t be the case.
“I kept that belief. Thankfully, my quads started responding to the treatment. That was the problem. I couldn’t switch my quads on properly and it led to a lot of knee pain.
“When that started to get better, I could see the light. I kept moving forward from there.”
A painstaking rehabilitation process, but small incremental gains focused the mind. Byrne was determined to get back and not let injury defeat him.
He continues: “The first game I played out in Seapoint for UCD, that was more relief than anything else, just getting through 40 minutes. That was the point when I said, ‘okay, we’re back now.’
“But, there’s a next job focus. It was only afterwards, when I was getting a lot of texts from friends and people close to me, just saying how much it meant to them, when it sunk in.
“That was a huge moment. That was very special.”
Byrne has come through the other side, and since those special moments under the lights against Scarlets and then Dragons, has kicked on and taken his game to a new level.
12 appearances already this term — including four starts — is a reflection of Byrne’s level of performance and his strength of character to bounce back from so many cruel setbacks so strongly.
“I have learned a lot from the injuries,” he adds. “I feel I’m that much older now and that helps in getting to know people better.
“I owe Leinster a lot. Even to keep that faith, I hadn’t played in so long, they hadn’t seen me in so long. There were new lads coming in; Andrew Porter as a loosehead and Peter Dooley was going really well. And obviously Jack [McGrath] and Cian [Healy].
Ahead of Friday’s game against the Kings at the RDS, it goes without saying that this season has been Byrne’s most enjoyable to date.
“100%. You always set yourself plans and goals at the start of the season and hope to hit them but you can’t control selection. Thankfully the coaches have picked me and given me good opportunities.
“So far, so good but I’m trying to take it one week at a time.”
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ed byrne Leinster making up for lost time