Foley is a vastly experienced forward who made his Ireland debut back in January 1995, scoring Ireland's sole try against England.

He went on to play in the three remaining Five-Nations games and also in the pre-World Cup match against Italy.

During the 1995 World Cup he made one appearance, a brief sting as a substitute against Japan.

After a brief spell out of the limelight, he returned to the side during the 1999/00 season and has been a regular ever since.

He briefly had a spell as captain in 2001 and his strength in the scrum is a key asset for Ireland.