Nic A Bháird ‘So Delighted’ To Be Back In The Green Jersey

Deirbhile Nic a Bháird admittedly struggled for the words to sum up her long-awaited return for Ireland, which came in the 64th minute of their WXV1 clash with Canada in Langley on Saturday.

Coming on as a replacement for Aoife Wafer, Nic a Bháird won her 10th Test cap just over 17 months after her last appearance in the green jersey, a deflating 36-10 defeat to Scotland in Edinburgh.

The Cork woman’s playing career was stalled by an ACL injury, which she suffered in a training match in September of last year. It meant she missed the subsequent WXV3 tournament in Dubai and the 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations.

She returned to running in late March, determined to get back for the start of the new season. Included in Munster’s Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship squad, the call was made to not risk her ahead of the international window.

‘Maybe just two weeks too tight’, in her own words, but Nic a Bháird’s hard work and patience paid off with her short but energetic cameo against Canada, gaining eight metres from two carries, along with two tackles made, one breakdown steal, and eight ruck arrivals.

Given the strides made by the Ireland Women both on and off the pitch since the 2023 Six Nations, she told Irish Rugby TV: “I said it to the girls after the game there, it’s been over a year since I got on with this team, and it feels completely different.

“Like the level of organisation, the connection that you feel. There’s often been times in an Irish jersey where I felt very isolated on a pitch, and that just wasn’t the feeling out there.

“Even when we were under pressure (from Canada), we stuck together. We tried to execute our game-plan even when things were going wrong.

“We stuck to what we had decided on beforehand. It wasn’t the result we wanted (losing 21-8), but a lot of positive stuff from that.

“And on a personal note, just so delighted to be back. So thankful and grateful to the girls and all of the physios, Nathan Cardy in particular, and Roisin Murphy, and Ed ‘Slatts’ (Slattery), our S&C, for getting me back.”

It can be as much a mental journey as a physical one when coming back from such a significant injury, indeed the Ballincollig native’s first major one.

She sought guidance from team-mates, including Enya Breen, who captained Ireland on Saturday and had returned from ACL surgery to make her comeback during this year’s Six Nations.

Having supported her throughout her recovery, Nic a Bháird’s family made sure they were in the stands in Langley to watch her return to rugby.

“With my family here as well, it’s hugely special for me, but it’s hugely special for them as well and to be able to share that with them, it’s hard to put it into words,” she admitted.

“To pull the green jersey on again, it’s hard to put into words. It’s been a tough road. An incredibly successful year for the girls, and I just wanted to have a go at it! It means everything. It’s been a long couple of years.”

🗣️ “It means so much, it’s hard to put into words.”

Special moments last night as Deirbhile Nic a Bháird made her long-awaited comeback in green.#IrishRugby pic.twitter.com/KskJn8rYcC

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) October 6, 2024

The former Sevens international has really noticed the increasing squad depth and competition for places, across the board, as Scott Bemand’s charges build towards a Rugby World Cup year. The back row, in particular, is becoming a real area of strength.

Nic a Bháird finished the 2023 Six Nations campaign as Ireland’s number 8, making four successive starts in the position, with Grace Moore and either Dorothy Wall or Brittany Hogan, alongside her in the flanker roles.

In her injury-enforced absence, Ulster ace Hogan has been ever-present for Ireland at number 8, for 11 Tests in a row. Edel McMahon, the tour captain, and Wafer combined with Hogan to form the starting back row for four rounds of the Six Nations, and the wins over Australia and New Zealand.

Grace Moore and Shannon Ikahihifo, a debutant earlier this year, are also pushing hard for selection, and the return of Nic a Bháird, along with Erin King’s impressive switch from Sevens to 15s, means the Irish back row stocks are looking in rude health at the moment.

“I had a couple of questions from media a few weeks ago about how tough it was to watch Aoife Wafer coming into the spotlight after everything?!! But she’s incredible, our whole back row is incredible really. It’s so hard to get in there,” acknowledged Nic a Bháird.

“Like everyone, 1 to 32 (here on tour), 1 to 40 back home, we’ve all put in such incredible amounts of work. To be part of it, to even be able to compete for a spot with these girls is honestly an honour.

“It’s so huge the potential this team has, and we’re starting to see it now. Credit to our coaching staff as well, we can’t say enough about them. They really have put us in the absolute best place to show what we can do.”

Despite losing to the tournament hosts, Ireland remain third in the WXV1 table heading into the final round. They face the USA back at BC Place in Vancouver on Friday (kick-off 12.30pm local time/8.30pm Irish time – live on RugbyPass TV).

The Eagles are chasing their first win after back-to-back defeats to England (61-21) and France (22-14), and it could be a full circle moment for Nic a Bháird as she suffered her ACL tear in a training game against the USA last year.

“One more week to go and a really great challenge coming for us against the USA. We’ve built so much and now to be able to review that game, see where things went wrong.

“Where we went off script at times, and next Friday come back and put it all right. I think going out on a high, that will be the plan,” she added.