It's essential to savour one's successes when they come about, and Ireland's rugby elite have left nothing to chance as they soak in the Six Nations celebrations.
Andy Farrell's side beat 14-man England 29-16 on Saturday to put the finishing touches on their fourth Grand Slam, though it was the first time they've managed to complete the feat on home soil. As fate would have it, the accolade also happened to fall on St. Patrick's Day weekend, which only enhanced the uniqueness of the occasion.
And the extent of the revelry seemingly proved too much for Garry Ringrose after it emerged he refused to join the rest of his squad for a fourth day of drinking. That's when the team decided if the Leinster centre wouldn't come to the party, the party would come to him.
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Cue footage of a conga line of the Irish collective streaming into the Ringrose household one-by-one, smiles worn wide and beers in-hand. And it looked as though Ringrose was in the minute minority judging by the amount of players blitzing through the door.
Among those was Australian convert Mack Hansen—whose mother was born in Cork—one of the players of the tournament with three tries to his tally. Munster captain Peter O'Mahony led by example as he clutched two beers in one hand entering the property, which must have been bursting at the hinges by the time all were inside.
At one point, a voice can be heard joking to O'Mahony: "Pete, this is South County Dublin!" The 33-year-old flanker retorted back that he was "getting some f*****g tour of the place" as the frivolities continued in Ireland's capital.
Ringrose continued his role as a key linchpin in Farrell's midfield throughout the tournament but was prevented from playing in the fifth round after suffering a gruesome head injury in the win over Scotland one week prior. The player was well enough to take in Saturday's triumph, however, and was seen lifting the Triple Crown trophy when the time came to cap Ireland's achievement at the Aviva Stadium.
There's no doubt the 28-year-old will be back in the team's starting plans for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France later this year, as long as he's fit. Leinster team-mate Robbie Henshaw came into the XV against England and scored the try to give some breathing space in a surprisingly tough test on Saturday, eventually completing the clean sweep of their opposition.
Pressure will soon turn to that tournament as Ireland look to overcome the curse of having never reached the final four at a World Cup, despite all their promise in previous editions. For now, though, there are far more pressing matters at hand, and it's symbolic of the team to ensure not a single man misses out.
