Timoney says the long wait has made every Ireland game feel precious

Nick Timoney says years of waiting for a regular Ireland place have left him grateful for every game he gets. The 31-year-old Ulster back-row forward told Gavin Andrews on BBC Sport NI's Ireland Rugby Social podcast that patience has made him more appreciative of his appearances.

The back row is the trio of loose forwards, two flankers and a number eight, who make the tackles, carry hard and fight for the ball. Timoney plays openside flanker, the one who competes for the ball over the ruck (the contest for possession on the ground after a tackle).

His route into the Ireland side was slow. He made his debut against the USA in a summer Test in 2021, while many of Ireland's senior players were away with the British and Irish Lions in South Africa. After that he added only two more caps (international appearances) in four years: a replacement appearance against Argentina in 2021, and a game against Fiji in November 2022 in which he scored two tries.

Then came a long gap. He waited almost three years for his next Ireland match, a win over Georgia on the 2025 summer tour, and his fifth cap came against Japan later that autumn. Competition for back-row shirts was fierce. Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier, Jack Conan and the now-retired Peter O'Mahony were all ahead of him at various points.

Things have changed quickly this year. Timoney has played in all nine of Ireland's matches in 2026 across the Six Nations and the Nations Championship, the new annual tournament for the leading northern and southern hemisphere sides. He has made three starts and six appearances from the bench.

He started Ireland's win over Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night. Ireland now host Fiji in Dublin on Saturday, looking for a fourth win from five games in the inaugural Nations Championship.

Timoney told the podcast that he feels grateful, lucky and, in his words, having fun. He said that after getting plenty of chances over the past 12 months, playing regularly feels like a great privilege. Waiting, he said, has made him savour the involvement rather than feel weighed down by it.

Ireland's next Test is against South Africa on 21 November. The starting back-row spot is likely to come down to a choice between Timoney and van der Flier, though that is a selection call still to be made by head coach Andy Farrell.

The full conversation, which covers a week in Ireland's camp, is available on BBC Sounds.