Tadhg Beirne’s honest British and Irish Lions admission after Player of the Series gong
British and Irish Lions forward Tadhg Beirne in action against the Wallabies
British and Irish Lions Player of the Series, Tadhg Beirne, said he felt the need to repay Andy Farrell’s faith in him, after initially being unsure of his spot in the Test side.
The Ireland forward was arguably a contentious selection call ahead of Test One against the Wallabies, but he more than warranted his spot with three big performances alongside Tom Curry and Jack Conan, notably scoring a crucial try in Test Two.
‘When I saw my name on the board, I knew I needed to step up’
The composition of the Lions back-row was one of the major talking points ahead of the tour, given Farrell’s selection of mostly out-and-out number sevens.
Alongside Beirne, Curry, Ollie Chessum and Henry Pollock had all been given starts in the number six jersey during the warm-up games, while Jack Conan and Jac Morgan were also options at blindside as well, but Beirne was given the nod ahead of Test One.
“I was unsure if Faz (Andy Farrell) was going to pick me or not,” Beirne told members of the media. “But when I saw my name on the board, I knew I needed to step up.
Ireland star named British and Irish Lions Player of the Series after Finn Russell confusion
“I knew that if I didn’t play well, he would take me out as quickly as he put me in there, so I needed to step up.”
And step up he did, with some huge defensive efforts. Across the three Tests, Beirne notched an astonishing 51 tackles (16 in Test Three, 12 in Test Two and 23 in Test One), and matched that with four turnovers as well.
He also chipped in with some barnstorming carries ball-in-hand, too, all before scoring a pivotal score at the MCG to help clinch the series victory.
‘It’s a massive honour’
As a result of his performances, the forward was named Player of the Series, pipping the Howden Player of the Series, Finn Russell, to the official title, as well as the likes of Curry, Conan, Dan Sheehan and skipper Maro Itoje to the gong.
“On a personal level, it’s a massive honour, but that aside, it’s more about the series win for me.
“It’s a bittersweet moment, but it’s class that we won the series.
Beirne also now finds himself among some Lions greats in winning the prestigious award, following Itoje and Welsh trio Jonathan Davis, Leigh Halfpenny and Jamie Roberts onto the honours board.