THIS TIME LAST year things could hardly have been going better for Tom Ahern. At this point of the season the Munster forward already had 11 games under his belt and was firmly in Andy Farrell’s thoughts. Ahern would carry that strong form towards the Six Nations and was rewarded with a place in the Ireland squad as a training panelist.
Then Ahern’s progress hit a bump on the road. On the eve of Ireland’s pre-Six Nations training camp in Portugal, Ahern had to spend the night in hospital following a head injury in Munster’s Champions Cup defeat to Northampton Saints.
It ruled him out of the training camp and while he got back on the pitch to play his part at the business end of the season with Munster, ankle surgery ruled him out of the URC playoffs and ended any hopes of making Ireland’s summer tour to South Africa, as a season which promised so much came to a disappointing end.
“Obviously it was very frustrating, especially with the timing,” says Ahern.
“To be honest I was very frustrated, we were coming into quarter-finals and play-offs here with Munster and to miss all of that after having a fairly good injury run, an injury-free season…but look, that’s part of the game and stuff like that happens. You just have to deal with it at the time and move past it.”
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The recovery from that ankle surgery lingered into this season and Ahern didn’t get back on the pitch until round four of the URC. Since then he’s added five further appearances, and hopes 2025 brings better fortune. Across a frustrating run of results for the province, Ahern has been on the losing side in five of his six outings this season.
Having recently signed a new contract with Munster, Ahern knows a big couple of weeks could nudge him back into Ireland contention again. The 6’9″ Waterford native is a dynamic forward who continues to switch between the second row and back row, and could offer versatility in an Ireland squad. He’s currently enjoying that hybrid role and is in no rush to lock in a favoured position.
“I suppose it’s always good to be able to cover a couple of positions. There are subtle differences – in the lineout, you’re in different positions, scrums, you’re in different positions. Other than that in general play, I am usually in my spot in the wider channels. The only real differences are around our set-piece, lineout and our maul.”
The 24-year-old is also conscious that he is still something of a work in progress. Last season, Munster defence coach Denis Leamy said he wanted to see Ahern develop “the darker parts” of his game, highlighting defensive contacts and breakdown work as two areas he could target.
“Honestly, I am still improving, I am still trying to get there,” Ahern admits.
I think I just need more consistency with regards to shots in defence and clearing out rucks or locking it down in attack, so honestly, look, there is plenty of work still to do.
“It’s about your habits in training, working on them, getting extra tackles after training or just even in training putting yourself in the moments where you can practice perfectly. The more you do them in training, it will come out in the matches.”
This weekend the stakes ramp up again as Munster host Saracens at Thomond Park in the Champions Cup, before heading away to Northampton Saints next weekend.
“They’ve (Saracens) got a powerful pack with a good few internationals in there, very good players and I think it’s their power game, to be honest, their maul, when they get into the scoring zone 10 metres out they have big ball carriers.
“I’m looking forward to it, what I remember from when I was younger is that they were always niggly games.
“Saracens are a hugely competitive team and a successful team and I think when you have two teams that like to have a bite off each other there’s always going to be niggle in the game.”
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Ahern can be a weapon for Munster after injury frustrations
THIS TIME LAST year things could hardly have been going better for Tom Ahern. At this point of the season the Munster forward already had 11 games under his belt and was firmly in Andy Farrell’s thoughts. Ahern would carry that strong form towards the Six Nations and was rewarded with a place in the Ireland squad as a training panelist.
Then Ahern’s progress hit a bump on the road. On the eve of Ireland’s pre-Six Nations training camp in Portugal, Ahern had to spend the night in hospital following a head injury in Munster’s Champions Cup defeat to Northampton Saints.
It ruled him out of the training camp and while he got back on the pitch to play his part at the business end of the season with Munster, ankle surgery ruled him out of the URC playoffs and ended any hopes of making Ireland’s summer tour to South Africa, as a season which promised so much came to a disappointing end.
“Obviously it was very frustrating, especially with the timing,” says Ahern.
“To be honest I was very frustrated, we were coming into quarter-finals and play-offs here with Munster and to miss all of that after having a fairly good injury run, an injury-free season…but look, that’s part of the game and stuff like that happens. You just have to deal with it at the time and move past it.”
The recovery from that ankle surgery lingered into this season and Ahern didn’t get back on the pitch until round four of the URC. Since then he’s added five further appearances, and hopes 2025 brings better fortune. Across a frustrating run of results for the province, Ahern has been on the losing side in five of his six outings this season.
Having recently signed a new contract with Munster, Ahern knows a big couple of weeks could nudge him back into Ireland contention again. The 6’9″ Waterford native is a dynamic forward who continues to switch between the second row and back row, and could offer versatility in an Ireland squad. He’s currently enjoying that hybrid role and is in no rush to lock in a favoured position.
“I suppose it’s always good to be able to cover a couple of positions. There are subtle differences – in the lineout, you’re in different positions, scrums, you’re in different positions. Other than that in general play, I am usually in my spot in the wider channels. The only real differences are around our set-piece, lineout and our maul.”
The 24-year-old is also conscious that he is still something of a work in progress. Last season, Munster defence coach Denis Leamy said he wanted to see Ahern develop “the darker parts” of his game, highlighting defensive contacts and breakdown work as two areas he could target.
“Honestly, I am still improving, I am still trying to get there,” Ahern admits.
“It’s about your habits in training, working on them, getting extra tackles after training or just even in training putting yourself in the moments where you can practice perfectly. The more you do them in training, it will come out in the matches.”
This weekend the stakes ramp up again as Munster host Saracens at Thomond Park in the Champions Cup, before heading away to Northampton Saints next weekend.
“They’ve (Saracens) got a powerful pack with a good few internationals in there, very good players and I think it’s their power game, to be honest, their maul, when they get into the scoring zone 10 metres out they have big ball carriers.
“I’m looking forward to it, what I remember from when I was younger is that they were always niggly games.
“Saracens are a hugely competitive team and a successful team and I think when you have two teams that like to have a bite off each other there’s always going to be niggle in the game.”
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Champions Cup Munster Rugby Tom Ahern versatile