RYAN BAIRD IS pretty different from your usual 22-year-old second row.
For starters, we know that he can move at speeds that other locks can only dream about. We’ve seen him make searing breaks for Leinster and Ireland – most recently against Argentina in November – that aren’t exactly part of job spec for lads wearing numbers four or five.
Baird, who will make his first Six Nations start for Ireland tomorrow, smiles when asked what he’s clocking on the GPS these days.
“I haven’t got up to as fast as I had a couple of years ago, but still not bad,” comes the reply.
His athleticism makes him unique and Baird has been working hard on all the other nuts-and-bolts stuff that locks need to survive and thrive in top-level professional rugby.
But Baird is different in how he views his place in rugby too. For such a young man, he comes across as self-aware, thoughtful, and very appreciative of what he has.
Take, for example, his answer when he’s asked what a first Six Nations start means to him.
“One of the most special things for me actually is driving on the bus from the Shelbourne Hotel to the Aviva,” says Baird. “You look outside and just see so many people clapping you as you’re going into the stadium.
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“It just gives you such a great perspective on where you are and the opportunity you have been given.
“It’s always one of my favourite things, getting the bus to the stadium and just soaking it in. Singing the anthems, realising how many people you are representing.
Baird will win his eighth Ireland cap tomorrow. Ryan Bailey / INPHO
Ryan Bailey / INPHO / INPHO
“It was only a while back, I was at a family gathering and so many people were coming up to me telling me how proud they are and how much they supported me.
“Sometimes you can actually forget that. You can get caught up in training and the day-to-day life of playing rugby and the challenges that come with it.
“It’s nice to always reflect back on who you are doing it for and why you are doing it. Then it makes it a lot easier.”
Baird says he tries not to take himself too seriously. He puts in all the hard work required in pro rugby but then he hopes that by relaxing and enjoying the occasions, the performances take care of themselves. He feels he’s at his best when he’s chilled out.
Many people were struck by the big smile across Baird’s face when he made his debut against the Italians last year. Again, it’s not really a common sight in rugby. Baird and a few of his team-mates like James Lowe buck the trend.
“My parents always tell me to just realise how fortunate I am to be where I am,” says Baird. “I just try to really enjoy it, take it all in because rugby is going to be such a small part of my life, if you look at how many years it is.
“But I want to make it as meaningful as possible. I really want to get the most out of my career, however many years it is. I really want it to be something special that I hold onto.
“So, I wouldn’t want to be keeping caught up in smaller things that will take away from the whole occasion and the enjoyment of it.
“Obviously when that whistle goes or when I arrive at the stadium, I’ll switch into a different mode altogether – more preparation and focus, getting ready for an 80-minute performance. But before that, I just like to stay relaxed, enjoy it and take it all in.”
Baird hugs his mother after an Ireland game last November. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
In Andy Farrell, Baird has found a coach who tells him to just be himself out on the pitch, while the dynamic lock says Leinster’s Stuart Lancaster has also been a good sounding board for him.
He mentions Josh van der Flier and Andrew Porter as two team-mates who he gets on with particularly well but points out that he is taking bits of rugby knowledge from everyone around him.
Tomorrow, he teams up with Tadhg Beirne in what could be a very impactful Irish second row pairing.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” says Baird. “I get on very well with Tadhg, he’s a phenomenal player but he’s a great person as well.
“Before my first Aviva game, I think it was against England, he was just making sure I was happy with everything. He sat down with me and went over calls and he’s definitely made sure that I’ve always been comfortable. He’s always telling me to trust myself a bit.
“I get on really well with him and am looking forward to playing with him.”
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'Rugby is going to be a small part of my life... I want to make it as meaningful as possible'
RYAN BAIRD IS pretty different from your usual 22-year-old second row.
For starters, we know that he can move at speeds that other locks can only dream about. We’ve seen him make searing breaks for Leinster and Ireland – most recently against Argentina in November – that aren’t exactly part of job spec for lads wearing numbers four or five.
Baird, who will make his first Six Nations start for Ireland tomorrow, smiles when asked what he’s clocking on the GPS these days.
“I haven’t got up to as fast as I had a couple of years ago, but still not bad,” comes the reply.
His athleticism makes him unique and Baird has been working hard on all the other nuts-and-bolts stuff that locks need to survive and thrive in top-level professional rugby.
But Baird is different in how he views his place in rugby too. For such a young man, he comes across as self-aware, thoughtful, and very appreciative of what he has.
Take, for example, his answer when he’s asked what a first Six Nations start means to him.
“One of the most special things for me actually is driving on the bus from the Shelbourne Hotel to the Aviva,” says Baird. “You look outside and just see so many people clapping you as you’re going into the stadium.
“It just gives you such a great perspective on where you are and the opportunity you have been given.
“It’s always one of my favourite things, getting the bus to the stadium and just soaking it in. Singing the anthems, realising how many people you are representing.
“It was only a while back, I was at a family gathering and so many people were coming up to me telling me how proud they are and how much they supported me.
“Sometimes you can actually forget that. You can get caught up in training and the day-to-day life of playing rugby and the challenges that come with it.
“It’s nice to always reflect back on who you are doing it for and why you are doing it. Then it makes it a lot easier.”
Baird says he tries not to take himself too seriously. He puts in all the hard work required in pro rugby but then he hopes that by relaxing and enjoying the occasions, the performances take care of themselves. He feels he’s at his best when he’s chilled out.
Many people were struck by the big smile across Baird’s face when he made his debut against the Italians last year. Again, it’s not really a common sight in rugby. Baird and a few of his team-mates like James Lowe buck the trend.
“My parents always tell me to just realise how fortunate I am to be where I am,” says Baird. “I just try to really enjoy it, take it all in because rugby is going to be such a small part of my life, if you look at how many years it is.
“But I want to make it as meaningful as possible. I really want to get the most out of my career, however many years it is. I really want it to be something special that I hold onto.
“So, I wouldn’t want to be keeping caught up in smaller things that will take away from the whole occasion and the enjoyment of it.
“Obviously when that whistle goes or when I arrive at the stadium, I’ll switch into a different mode altogether – more preparation and focus, getting ready for an 80-minute performance. But before that, I just like to stay relaxed, enjoy it and take it all in.”
In Andy Farrell, Baird has found a coach who tells him to just be himself out on the pitch, while the dynamic lock says Leinster’s Stuart Lancaster has also been a good sounding board for him.
He mentions Josh van der Flier and Andrew Porter as two team-mates who he gets on with particularly well but points out that he is taking bits of rugby knowledge from everyone around him.
Tomorrow, he teams up with Tadhg Beirne in what could be a very impactful Irish second row pairing.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” says Baird. “I get on very well with Tadhg, he’s a phenomenal player but he’s a great person as well.
“Before my first Aviva game, I think it was against England, he was just making sure I was happy with everything. He sat down with me and went over calls and he’s definitely made sure that I’ve always been comfortable. He’s always telling me to trust myself a bit.
“I get on really well with him and am looking forward to playing with him.”
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