Six Nations 2026: From forgotten man to Six Nations star – Robert Baloconi revived

So, what explains Balcon’s good performance?

It’s a really simple formula; Playing consistently and injury-free, something he did not have the luxury to do in the last two years, has helped him increase his confidence to give his best on the field.

“Being able to play matches repeatedly is something that has been a big focus of mine, and trying to practice consistently and being able to do that has allowed me to build confidence in every match I have played and being able to do that consistently is a big factor in my game,” he said.

On Saturday, Baloconi will face two other wingers playing at the peak of their powers, Scottish duo Darcy Graham and Kyle Steyn.

Both wingers scored three tries each to keep Scotland in the hunt for the Triple Crown and the Championship.

Baloconi is relishing the opportunity to show he belongs alongside players of the highest caliber as Ireland also look to retain the Triple Crown and keep their overseas hopes of winning the tournament alive.

He added: “I enjoy the opportunity to play against different types of wingers, and that will certainly be the case this weekend.”

“Scotland have been class this tournament and have a really exciting full-back and the wingers have been playing well, but I also see it as an opportunity to show my ability on the pitch and support myself defensively.

“Kyle Stein is a physical character, I played [against] Darcy Graham a few times at Edinburgh, he’s intelligent and works on the nine well which is something I need to work on in my game, but they’re both top-class wingers, they know how to score and that’s the main focus for every winger, so they’re in good form.

“It will definitely be a challenge this weekend, but I’m backing myself and looking forward to the challenge.”

His return from a forgotten man to a key player in the Ireland national team shows that Baloconi is always capable of overcoming huge challenges.