Bernard Jackman still hankered after a representative career and in the summer made the decision to return to Ireland. He had spent the previous two years with English club Sale, having followed the former Connacht coach, Glenn Ross, who left to take up the coaching vacancy at the Manchester club.
Jackman had been with Connacht for four seasons when Ross prevailed upon the young forward to join him at Sale. Now just 26, the prodigal son has returned, hungry to resume an interprovincial career.
"I made the right decision and have definitely benefited from the experience, but I knew that I had to return to Ireland if I wanted to try to get a representative contract.
"I had a decent offer to go to Northampton but wanted to come back to Ireland."
He returned to Castle Avenue and the Clontarf club with whom he previously played. He hasn't wasted any time in making an impression.
Despite the club's opening day defeat away to Ballymena, Jackman played well, scoring a try. On Saturday, he scored a brace against UCD as the Clontarf pack went on the rampage, the front five contributing five tries.
So what does it feel like for a hooker to be his club's leading try scorer.
"It'll be a short lived honour," he laughed.
Clontarf destroyed the Students up front, a description supported by the try-scoring feats of props Adrian Clarke (one), Warren O'Kelly (one), hooker Jackman (two) and second row Andy Wood (one).
"We made some serious yardage up front, our mauls going 20 and 30 yards at times," Jackman said. "Our strength was probably their weakness."
So talk us through the tries.
"The first came when Dave Blaney, their hooker, was in the sin bin. At a lineout five yards out I called for Ben (Gissing) to throw the ball straight back and managed to squeeze over. The second was from a full 10 yards after Dave Moore had done the hard work.
"We have high hopes for this year so to win that match and get a bonus point was important."
UCD managed a bonus point of their own when scoring two late tries to bring their tally for the afternoon to four. Full back Darren McKenna grabbed a couple.
Cork Constitution had an excellent 33-21 win over St Mary's at Temple Hill. Former Schools and Under-21 international scrumhalf Pat McCarthy performed superbly in difficult conditions, contributing 18 points with a try, three penalties and two conversions. Constitution's pack paved the way for victory, with Mick O'Driscoll, Ultan O'Callaghan and Sheahan the younger, Joey, scoring tries.
St Mary's provided the more inventive rugby but the frailty of their pack and some last-minute desperation denied them a bonus point at least.
In another battle of play-off wannabes, Galwegians managed an excellent 18-14 victory over Shannon at Thomond Park. Eric Elwood was outstanding for the Connacht club including kicking two penalties. Their tries came from centre Martin McPhail and scrumhalf Alex Kay.
Elsewhere, Buccaneers maintained their winning start to the season with a win over Carlow, Ballymena won away to Lansdowne, Dungannon edged UL Bohemians and Belfast Harlequins showed no ill-effects from their first season in Division One with a 17-0 victory over Blackrock, and their second win of the campaign.
