Ulster back row Nick Timoney says he will never take his place in the squad for granted after years of watching players come and go at Kingspan Stadium.
Having won 155 caps since his debut in 2017, Timoney is one of the most experienced players in an increasingly youthful Ulster squad.
However, when he was breaking through, the Dubliner admitted to being struck by how the departure of seasoned campaigners alters the team dynamic.
“My first couple of years at Ulster, I remember there were loads of lads who left, the Tommys [Bowe], the Trimbys [Andrew Trimble], Roger Wilsons and Ruan Pienaars all left,” recalled Timoney when asked about his close friend Greg Jones leaving the club earlier this year.
“I remember thinking it’s quite a striking element because the whole team dynamic seems to change.
“I swore to myself that I’d never take it for granted, that people always come and go. You obviously get very close with people and you don’t want to forget that. But when it’s you that’s been around longer and it’s some of your friends that are going, it feels a little bit different.
“It’s the nature of it but it’s tough, it’s sad. Every year, there’s reasoning and logic behind it, the progression, that’s just the way it is and it’ll be me one day as well, I’m sure.”
