Tall Order: Kieran Treadwell

“That’s the glory of rugby, you’ve always got the next week, you’ve got the next action to redeem it so it’s a fantastic sport like that.”

Kieran Treadwell has moved up dramatically in the world and few lessons in rugby have held him in better stead of late.

Starting in the second row during Ireland’s disappointing defeat to the Maori All Blacks, Treadwell was right in the thick of a group of players that began the New Zealand tour on the back foot.

Yet the story of the tour, one of redemption, gradual progression and peaking at the right time fits Treadwell’s experience perfectly. Despite that frustrating Maori display, he was the one Andy Farrell trusted to cover James Ryan and Tadhg Beirne in the Test 23 once Iain Henderson went down injured.

Compared to Irish teams of the past that played with such a heavy focus on detail that they almost feared making mistakes, this squad seems to now embrace imperfection.

Not that Andy Farrell and his coaching staff don’t value detail - quite the opposite - but they have fostered an environment where setbacks are to be embraced, not feared. Treadwell’s outlook on the game fits in with that culture perfectly.

“I’m competitive when I get onto the pitch and even in training, I can be quite hard on myself,” he says. “As I’ve grown and had more caps and become more experienced, you’ve got to, especially in a game, you can’t just dwell on one mistake.

“I can be quite hard on myself with it but now I’m like ‘right, next job’ sort of mentality which obviously is through the years, from other people telling me that you can’t just sit and dwell on mistakes – it’s your next action that you have to think of – how am I going to make a positive contribution with the next thing I do.”

It’s an attitude which was fostered in him by his parents at a young age.

"When I was younger actually, I didn’t get picked for under-16s and I was devastated and then my mum and my dad were like ‘it’s not the end, you’re going to get the point where you have to keep going.’

“I’ve always thought back to that and I live by that now so it’s quite a big one.”

Speaking to The Red Hand previously, Treadwell outlined his desire to earn more Ireland caps. Now that has finally done that this year under Farrell, he has cemented his place in the national second row depth chart as the next cab off the rank should one of Henderson, Beirne or Ryan be unavailable.

“I definitely want to put myself in the position to be putting me hand up for selection and want to earn more caps. I have that mantra where I want to be playing against the best and testing myself against the best.

“I feel like I haven’t reached that goal all the time yet so I’m keen, I’m eager to get back in that green jersey as soon as possible. I know what I have to do, I know I have to do a lot of work on it. You can’t just sit back and wait for opportunities to come to you – you have to keep working and striving for it.”

The consensus view is that with his dynamism off the bench in the Test series both in the carry and in defence, to go with his role as part of a much-improved set-piece, Treadwell certainly cashed in on that opportunity.

Alongside Leinster’s young lock Joe McCarthy, the former ‘Quins man seems to have been earmarked an example of that more abrasive, physical engine room presence that Ireland require, particularly with his carrying - Ireland are always crying out for those bigger carriers.

“I’d probably say my ball carrying is definitely one of my strengths,” he explains. “I like to get my hands on the ball. I’d say I’m quite athletic compared to some second rows.

“But then everyone’s different. A massive thing for me to work on is that nitty gritty stuff, getting dirty, get those clear outs in the ruck, all that unseen work that’s not that pretty but every little battle to win that.

“[I look for] as many involvements as I can get, getting myself involved in the game in any little part. There’s no better feeling than that. If I can do that then things look after themselves.”

All the above success has come even though Treadwell was not in Ulster’s first choice lock pairing come the crunch games at the end of the season. Instead, Alan O’Connor was paired with Henderson in the latter stages of the Pro14.

Treadwell has spoken about how much he values Dan McFarland as a coach, labelling him as “one of the best coaches I’ve ever played under.”

Perhaps the feeling has not always been mutual or McFarland feels certain players dovetail with each other slightly better. There is even the possibility that Treadwell’s dynamism was working against him, shoehorning him into an impact role off the bench.

Regardless, coming off form like that from New Zealand, it is hard to envision Treadwell taking too long to force his way back into the starting Ulster side.