For so long the bridesmaid of Irish rugby, Byrne is loving the chance to be 'the bride' following the retirement of two-time Lion Keith Wood.

Byrne had long been Wood's understudy and first featured in the Ireland senior squad on their tour of Australia in 1994. However he failed to make an impact and incredibly didn't earn his first cap until seven years later against Romania.

Later he became more a consistent choice when Wood's injuries took their toll, yet having played 18 of the 19 Tests in the lead-up to the 2003 World Cup he was back on the bench during the tournament itself.

Despite that it was no surprise to see him win Eddie O'Sullivan's vote as the permanent replacement for Wood - ironically six months younger than Byrne - ahead of Munster counterpart Frank Sheahan.

The 33-year-old was Ireland's second-highest tryscorer - and probably hooker of the tournament - as they won the Triple Crown last year.

Hugely committed, the man whose trademark hairstyle has earned him the nickname 'Mullet', relishes the nitty gritty of forward play but is also a skilled ball player around the field.

Byrne is likely to find himself behind at least Steve Thompson in the pecking order for a Test match place (despite being a better line-out thrower than the England man) and faces stiff competition even for a place on the bench.