RUGBY: THE ADAM BYRNE INTERVIEW
Adam Returns To Leinster In Style
By Daire Walsh
HAVING suffered a series of set-backs in the past two years, Leinster winger Adam Byrne is hopeful that his injury problems have been left firmly in the rearview mirror.
Up until last Saturday, the Kill man had spent the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sidelines. Due to persistent issues with his hamstring and quads, Byrne hadn’t seen action since starting a PRO14 contest against Munster in December 2019.
That finally changed at the RDS three days ago, when he was selected alongside fellow Kildare men Jimmy O’Brien and Jamie Osborne for the visit of Zebre in round three of the newly-launched United Rugby Championship. The former Naas CBS student marked the occasion in fine style, grabbing a brace of tries in a commanding 43-7 bonus point success.
“The short term is pretty simple, I just want to get back playing and training well. Then any opportunity I get I just want to take it. I think being out injured for a while, it’s only when it’s taken away from you that I realise how much it means to me. The short term is just to get back training and playing well, get my confidence up,” Byrne remarked in a post-match press conference.
“The long term, I’ve probably gone away from setting specific goals, but I know the standard I want to play to for myself. Wherever that brings me, I’ll be happy with that. I just want to get back out there and show the best of myself.”
Throughout his time with Leinster – he made his debut as an 18-year-old under Joe Schmidt in December 2012 – Byrne has never felt far from home. In addition to past and present players from Kildare, Kill’s James Tracy has also been part of the blues’ squad for some time.
He was marked absent for the visit of Michael Bradley’s outfit to south Dublin, but many of Byrne’s former neighbours were on hand to lend their support. In total, 10,400 spectators descended upon the RDS – the biggest crowd at their principle home venue in all of 19 months.
“They were a few of my childhood friends from Kill. I saw in the WhatsApp group on Friday that they had bought a bunch of tickets to come to the game, so that was great. I found my family then on the far side as well. I guess that moment was for them and I think they enjoyed it as much as I did. Probably more.
“You definitely realise how important friends and family are. I think at Leinster over the last few years it’s been a really tight bunch. I think I got a text or had a verbal message before today from everyone in the whole building, not just the team. Which meant a lot to me.”
The fact that Byrne was only making his 58 first-team appearance on the weekend tells you that dealing with injury blows isn’t anything new to him. While this didn’t necessarily make it easier to cope with his recent absence, he eventually found ways to adapt.
“It’s definitely been challenging because it was a series of injuries, I thought initially it could have been four weeks and it kind of stretched on, so I was dealing with the ups and downs. It’s only when I reflect on it now that I take a lot of things from it.
“My family and my close friends, how much they mean to me. I probably took it a little bit for granted and it’s only when I look back on it now, having them there for me meant everything.”
Even though he’s closing in on a decade in the professional game, Byrne remains a relatively young player at 27 years of age. Having featured extensively in the Ireland 7s programme, he picked up his sole 15s cap to date in a November 2017 triumph against Argentina in the Aviva Stadium.
His try-scoring record for Leinster is quite impressive with Saturday’s tally bringing him to 110 points overall. At a height of 6′ 4″ and with pace to burn, he can be a major asset going forward for Leinster head coach Leo Cullen and will also feel that further international recognition isn’t out of reach.
Although the length of his absence means he will be taking it one step at a time, Byrne is adamant he has a lot more to give.
“I still feel good. It’s only when it’s taken away that I realise how much it means to me and the hunger I have. I grew up watching Leinster, I remember sitting in the South Stand behind the goal watching them play London Irish and it was a faraway dream. Hopefully I’ve a few more years left in me,” Byrne added.