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Published 16:15 5 Apr 2023 BST
Updated 16:18 5 Apr 2023 BST
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Ireland players, from left, Robert Baloucoune, Ryan Baird and Harry Byrne, pictured together in November 2021. (Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile)[/caption]
"Absolutely," agreed Lindsay Peat. "And he's still so young so if we can balance that natural, athletic ability of his - he's a man-monster - with his game understanding, and reading, he's just going to get better and better. You could see it there when he was making tackles then straight back up for turnovers, and competing."Greg O'Shea recalled the first half moment, not long after Baird had powered over for a try, when the rangy forward hunted down a flying Mike Lowry and brought him down with an excellent, low tackle. It was a phenomenal show of pace and awareness, as he released Lowry then shot up to try win breakdown ball. Peat was speaking with someone well in with the Leinster set-up, and she spoke of how highly Ryan Baird has scored in some speed and stamina tests.
"He's well in with all the backs for a lot of their fitness scores," she said. "They do broken broncos and his scores are in and around the backs. He is under four and a half (minutes)."Broncos are shuttle runs that total out to 1.2km and are a real test of both speed and maintaining a high but steady pace. Hugo Keenan holds the Leinster record, at 4:11, but 6-foot-6 Baird is not far off.
"That is what sets Leinster and what sets Ireland apart," said Hennessy. "If you look back at some of the top second rows we had, back in the day, would you ever see Paul O'Connell or Malcolm O'Kelly doing a tackle like that one [on Lowry]?"They were brilliant players, but it just goes to show you how much the game has evolved - from 1 to 15, they are dynamic."
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