2. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland)
- Age: 29
- Position: Lock/Flanker
- Club: Munster
Woodward said: “A relative a latecomer to top club and Test rugby having been released by Leinster in 2015. Nonetheless, he has become a major player in Ireland’s second row alongside James Ryan. Very athletic and mobile — one of the best at ‘jackalling’ in the Six Nations among front-five forwards.”
DID YOU KNOW? Beirne’s mother, Brenda Hyland Beirne, was crowned the 1983 Rose of Tralee