Ireland v ItalyThe poet TS Eliot didn't believe in the concept of ageing. He said that at some point early on, one stands still and stagnates. That point is decided by the person. Another unknown sage said you are getting old when you loose the urge to throw a snowball. For athletes that concept is more acutely felt than others. Ageing begins in the late 20s. Brian O'Driscoll, at 29, alluded to it this week and yesterday Girvan Dempsey, at 32, also has visions of the finishing tape somewhere in the distance.

For the Irish fullback, a constant in Eddie O'Sullivan's side since his first cap in 1998, the clarity has brought with it an invigoration. Dempsey is still throwing snowballs.

Maybe it came down to the arrival of Michael Cheika to Leinster, or the predatory exuberance of Luke Fitzgerald and Rob Kearney pushing their careers, but over the past few season's the Terenure College back has been broadening his game and adding to it.

Damned in the past by the faint praise of being consistent, reliable and cautious, Dempsey has quietly attached a side step to his bag of tricks and a willingness to throw himself into attack that was not in evidence before. Of the squad that travelled to the World Cup, he was one of the handful of players to return with their reputations intact. An ankle injury subsequently curbed his action for Leinster but the self-critical player looks to improve further.

"My form is there but I am still trying to push it on, trying to reach targets that I know I can achieve," he says. "I'm not there yet. I've had some good games for Leinster and I think I am getting back to where I want to be at this stage of the season. Starting the new (international) season is like a fresh start.

"I got back after injury and felt I got back up to where I should be. The World Cup was obviously a disappointment but for me I'd say the world for that tournament was 'content' but (I was) not overly happy with it. There were some things I was disappointed with.

"I am a very, very self-critical person. Ask my wife. When I come home after a match I'll start to pick holes in my game. I'm always looking to play the perfect game, always looking to push myself further."

The possibility of not having many more chances has also infused his thinking. Dempsey, though, is not about to make it easy for anyone.

"You definitely go back to the point that Brian (O'Driscoll) made about not having many more chances. So you have to give everything to get out there. The day will come when you are not out there and it will be a very hard day when it comes.

"I think I've got to a point now where I've added different elements and pushed to improve. I've definitely evolved if you look back at the games in previous years.

"One of the main words then used to describe me was 'cautious' and not imposing myself in attack during the games. Working with different coaches and other players I think I have brought that on."

With Italy on the horizon, Dempsey and the team have positions to re-establish. For him there is less anxiety and more gut enthusiasm, even though Italy will look more to their strong performance against Ireland in Belfast pre-World Cup than to last season's Six Nations fixture. Everyone knows that public tolerance levels for the team are greatly down.

But this week Dempsey is a rollicking child again. "It's definitely a different experience now than when I began, but one thing remains constant about the start of the Six Nations and that is the enthusiasm and excitement for it," he says.

"You get the buzz because it is keenly followed. I remember getting up as a kid and watching the build-up from the morning. This time of the year for rugby supporters has always been a big time and I've always looked forward to it."

Shakespeare, it seems, was also wrong as Dempsey continues to illustrate how performance, for so many years, can easily keep pace with desire.