'Cream rises to the top' - Wales' helping hand in making of Beirne

Tadhg Beirne joined Scarlets after being released by Leinster in 2016

Guinness Men's Six Nations: Wales v Ireland

Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Saturday, 22 February Kick-off: 14:15 GMT

Coverage: Watch on BBC One; listen on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Ulster & BBC Radio Wales; live text and highlights on BBC Sport website and app

Eight years on, it must now be considered one of the most ill-timed holidays in the recent history of Welsh rugby.

Midway through the 2016-17 campaign, with Tadhg Beirne in his first season after leaving Leinster for Scarlets, the Irishman had broken into Wayne Pivac's side and sought the reward of a new contract in Llanelli.

Having arrived with only 39 minutes of senior rugby under his belt, the Kildare native had signed on for relatively meagre terms and, after impressing early on, was willing to commit for two more seasons should there have been an early pay increase on offer.

"I was very close to signing on with Scarlets," remembered Beirne last week after finalising his latest contract with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) which runs through to 2027.

"At the time, January at the end of first year, the guy that looked after the contracts, he was away skiing so wasn't replying to my agent's emails."

At the time of the three-year residency rule in Test rugby, had a new deal at Parc y Scarlets come to pass, it is likely that Beirne would have been representing Wales rather than Ireland in Saturday's Six Nations game at the Principality Stadium.

Before even arriving at Scarlets, however, another Welshman had already had a huge hand in keeping his rugby dreams alive.

Tadhg Beirne featured for the Ireland under-20s alongside the likes of Tadhg Furlong

Gwent native Mike Ruddock was five years on from leading Wales to a Six Nations Grand Slam when he took over the Ireland Under-20s in 2010.

In his four years in the job, his sides would include the likes of Tadhg Furlong, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan, Iain Henderson and Finlay Bealham.

Furthermore, after taking up the reins at All-Ireland League outfit Lansdowne, he would nurture young talents James Ryan, Ronan Kelleher and Dan Sheehan as they made their way in the Leinster academy.

"Back in Ireland, I would tease the lads in Lansdowne that I put a bit of Gwent into the Irish pack," Ruddock told BBC Sport NI.

"So many graduated through the under-20s, I'd tell them, 'that's a Gwent pack, not an Irish one.' Eventually they threatened to ban me if I kept going about it."

Ruddock would work with Beirne for both the under-20s and Lansdowne.

"My big memory of him initially is what an incredible athlete he was," remembered Ruddock.

"There wasn't a huge amount of muscle mass on him in those days. He was lean, he was strong, and he was brilliant over the ball. 

"Engine-wise, he would run all day and he was very adaptable. Six or lock, he gave me an extra line-out jumper and another jackler."

But while a number of his peers went on to quickly make their mark on provincial set-ups and then the international stage, Beirne struggled to make his own breakthrough.

Adding muscle to his frame was certainly one goal - it was Ruddock who gave Beirne the nickname 'long dog' in a nod to another lean lock, former Welsh international Luke Charteris - while developing his line-out calling was another.

In truth, however, the main obstacle in his path was the sheer depth in Leinster's forward pack. Still, he remained determined.

"The biggest thing I remember is how laidback he was," said Ruddock.

"But once you scratched under the surface, he was hardworking.

"Sometimes we'd finish training at Lansdowne and he'd hop straight on his push-bike and go off delivering pizzas to pay his way. You could see that he really wanted to do something with his rugby."

Mike Ruddock won a Six Nations Grand Slam either side of coaching stints in Ireland

As such, the news that there would not be a deal on offer at Leinster at the end of his sole senior season at the RDS was a particularly bitter pill to swallow.

If that ski holiday taken by a Scarlets' decision maker was one sliding doors moment in Beirne's career, another came previously when Ruddock went to bat on his behalf.

"I was fortunate enough to coach Leo Cullen, he's a smashing guy and a dear friend," he said.

"Hopefully he won't mind me betraying a small confidence, but I remember ringing Leo when Tadhg was told he was released and saying 'look, I've worked with this kid, for the sake of a small contract I think he'd be worth hanging on to. There's definitely something there that's worth persevering with'.

"In fairness, Leo was very complimentary about Tadhg but they had so many resources at the time, that the cards just hadn't fallen his way."

With the door at Leinster closed, Ruddock thought perhaps he could open one in Wales. After lobbying the regions, a future Wales head coach phoned a former one and Beirne's career trajectory was decisively altered.

"Wayne Pivac rang me at home when he was coaching the Scarlets and he said to me, you've put your name to this kid, what's the story with him?" recalled Ruddock.

"I remember saying to Wayne, 'just go get him signed him now, ring me back after and I'll tell you all about him'.

"Ultimately, he did and I suppose the Scarlets came to his rescue a little bit."

'I couldn't speak highly enough of him'

Tadhg Beirne won the All-Ireland League under Mike Ruddock at Lansdowne RFC

Beirne certainly repaid their faith, winning what was then the Pro12 in his second season in Llanelli before returning to Munster and starting his Test career with an Ireland debut against Australia in the summer of 2018 at the age of 26.

As he wins his 59th Ireland cap, to go along with two for the British and Irish Lions, against Wales this weekend, plenty in the Principality Stadium will surely ponder how close Beirne was to representing the hosts instead.

Ruddock, whose own son Rhys won 27 caps for Ireland, joked that perhaps all is not lost on that front.

"I'm so pleased for him that it worked out. I often tell young players if they've been let go to look at someone like Tadhg.

"He's been a great player and there's loads left in the tank. I couldn't speak highly enough of him.

"He's married to a Welsh girl so, you never know, there could be a Welsh international of some sort there in the future."