A Friday evening in August is rarely the moment of which childhood rugby dreams are made yet for Mike Sherry the chance to run out in a low-key pre-season friendly against Connacht carried all the emotion of a torrid European night under the floodlights.

Jim McGuinness has created a welcome precedent, but specific sports psychologists are required by county teams, according to the University of Limerick’s Dr Tadhg McIntyre.

Darren Cave walks into the Morrison Room at Carton House and patiently takes a seat as Simon Zebo’s interviews spills over the allotted time. Cave is in no rush for he knows the line of questioning to come.