Coaching not in the future plans for Billy Holland as family life beckons

At 35 years of age, the Corkman acknowledges he is fortunate to be able to exit the game he still loves on his own terms

Billy Holland, centre, and Gavin Coombes fist bump following the Guinness PRO14 match between Munster and Cardiff Blues at Thomond Park in Limerick. Picture: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

There comes a point in the life of a professional sportsperson when that daily drive to training seems to take longer and the trips for away games that bit more wearing.

And when you have experienced the grief that Billy Holland did when he and wife Lanlih heartbreakingly lost their baby daughter Emmeline but have been blessed with a second chance at a family, then there is simply no choice to make other than to devote what time you possibly can to the rollercoaster of domestic life unimpeded by the demands of top-flight rugby.