There was more than a hint of Paul O’Connell in Tadhg Beirne’s impassioned half-time team talk from Munster’s demolition of Leinster last weekend.
Munster played Leinster off the park in Croke Park, and captain Beirne was playing like a man possessed.
It felt like a landmark win in a derby dominated by Leinster for well over a decade. Only twice in the last ten years had Munster claimed a win on the road against their provincial rivals, and a final score of 31-14 was a ruthless manner to make that three.
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Jack Crowley has taken many of the plaudits in the days since last Saturday’s epic win, but his Ireland teammate Beirne was in superb form at GAA HQ.
Fresh off the back of being named the player of the series as the Lions claimed victory in Australia, Beirne delivered turnover after turnover, with Munster playing defence for much of the second half.
The lock has more than put his hand up to captain Ireland against the All Blacks in Chicago next week, and footage of his Paul O’Connell-esque half-time team talk will only strengthen his case.
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Tadhg Beirne’s inspirational Munster v Leinster speech captured
Munster’s brilliant in-house behind-the-scenes show Access Munster captured the mood in the dressing room at half-time of their mega win over Leinster last Saturday.
Captain Tadhg Beirne delivered a short, simple, but powerful speech that evidently got the blood pumping for his Munster teammates.
Love this from Tadhg Beirne at half time on the latest Access Munster.
No better boy to talk the talk and back it up too.
Ideal man to captain Ireland next weekend v the All Blacks. pic.twitter.com/kFpW9bqvvb
— Jim Demps (@jim_demps) October 24, 2025
“We have to go to a dark place here,” Beirne began.
It’s gonna be tough. You’re gonna have to fucking give each other a bit of a fucking go, tell each other, ‘Let’s go, let’s go!’
We move a bit quicker – we’re going to be fucked out there lads, but we’re going to fucking love it!
Love every second of it, love being in that dark place.
40 minutes, that’s all we’re fucking asking, then we get the win. Let’s go.
Superb, simple leadership from the Munster captain.
It echoed the famous Paul O’Connell speech from the same changing rooms ahead of the very first rugby game in Croke Park in 2007.
If someone’s walking, if someone isn’t filling a gap, you get on his case, you say it to him. If I’m fucking walking, I want to hear it.
Listen to me, listen to me. I want them standing back thinking what the fuck is going on here? Not for the first five minutes, every fucking minute of the game.
Fucking manic aggression.
Did you scare anyone? Did you fucking put the fear of God into anyone?
Beirne will certainly hope to emulate his predecessor as Munster captain in more ways than one during the season ahead.
With Caelan Doris’ involvement still up in the air, Beirne may be the perfect front runner to captain Ireland against New Zealand next Saturday.
