Shoulders hunched, hands on knees, blinking. There is minimal movement but Peter Clohessy is watchful, awaiting Allen Clarke's throw-in midway through last Saturday's match with Romania. It is a familiar sight, particularly at a cursory glance.

On closer examination one notices the leaner physique that offers an ironic statement about the Young Munster prop. At 32 years of age he is fitter than at any stage of his career.

The advent of professionalism, far from jeopardising the career of a player noted for his lukewarm commitment to training, inspired the Limerickman to re-evaluate his position.

Clohessy's "road to Damascus" enlightenment coincided with his arrival in Queensland in 1996. He quickly realised that what passed for reasonable levels of fitness in Ireland simply was not mapped in the southern hemisphere.

Young Munster coach Brian Hickey maintains: "That stint in Australia opened his eyes. The full-time training was something of a revelation, but he definitely benefited. It was the one good thing to come out of that time in his career."

Former Munsters coach Tony Grant, a man who has watched over most of Clohessy's senior career, concurs. "It is a pity that professionalism wasn't around earlier in Peter's career. He had massive potential as a young player, but needed the rigors and structure of full-time training."

Former international, fellow front row warrior, clubmate and confidante John Fitzgerald says: "Peter was never addicted to training. He enjoyed his social life. He lived for playing, Saturday was for rugby. But his stint in Australia forced him to change."

Occasional lapses followed, notably at the start of this season when Ireland coach Warren Gatland expressed his displeasure at the fact that a number of front row forwards had not attained the requisite levels of fitness.

To his credit, Clohessy knuckled down to redressing the lapses and deservedly fought his way into the Ireland team for the opening World Cup qualifier against Georgia. To do so demanded character, resilience and determination. Resurrecting a career is a difficult process, to accomplish that feat three times is an impressive statistic.

Clohessy's rugby life has been pockmarked by controversy, dogged by incidents and bans, ill-feeling and confrontation. For a long period he was the bete noir of Irish rugby, perceived as a loose cannon who frequently overstepped acceptable boundaries.

Dan Crowley (October '92), John Murphy (December '92), Steve Jameson (September '93), Garrick Morgan (May '94), Stephen Rooney (December '95) and Olivier Roumat (February '96) have definitely/allegedly suffered at the feet of Clohessy.

While none of the aforementioned players are paragons of virtue, the list is too comprehensive to suggest minor aberrations, the video evidence on a couple of occasions too damning to suggest miscarriages of justice.

The IRFU doled out a 10-week ban for the Jameson affair and having served his punishment, Clohessy returned to the national team. In the midst of the furore there was the inescapable fact that he was a very, very fine player. But the Roumat incident in Paris almost finished his career.

The retribution of the authorities was swift. Clohessy got a 26week ban for stamping. The player was immediately contrite, offering that he "bitterly regretted the incident which was wholly unpremeditated".

Fitzgerald offers an insight into the manner in which his friend was affected. "It was a huge blow to him and he took it to heart. He has occasionally stepped on the wrong side of the rules, but he has also received very bad press. Peter regretted the incident."

Grant adds: "Peter was a bit reckless at times and may have stepped over the borderline, but he was never malicious. He was exceptionally determined and would let nothing get in his way. In fact I see a lot of parallels between him and Roy Keane."

While under suspension the Irish prop announced in September 1996 that he was accepting Queensland coach John Connolly's offer of a five-month contract and would travel to Australia early the following year.

The Australian experience and his exposure to Super 12 rugby made Clohessy a better player.

The Irish selectors ignored his rehabilitation, their Lions counterparts did not, and they selected him for the 1997 tour to South Africa. Disaster struck when he was forced to withdraw on the eve of departure with a back injury (Paul Wallace was the beneficiary).

The arrival of the All Blacks to Ireland late last year led to a seminal moment in Clohessy's career. Reggie Corrigan's versatility nudged him past the Young Munster man. Clohessy toyed with the idea of switching to loosehead.

"It was around the time of the New Zealand match that he became aware that he had slipped behind Corrigan," says Hickey. "He thought about switching, but we had two good looseheads in his brother Des and Niall Hartigan.

"I suppose it wasn't really until the Irish tour to South Africa that he was asked to play loosehead. It was not an overnight success. People under-rate his footballing ability, he's got good hands and runs very low which makes him difficult to tackle."

Clohessy's reputation as a fearsome scrummager, perpetuated by the media, is something of a misnomer as Leinster prop Emmet Byrne explains: "I would not describe him as a punishing scrummager. He has a good technique and gives 110 per cent in every scrum, whether it's the first or last in a match. He's hard to shift, but he would not shift you.

"What distinguishes him from other props is that he reads the game better than most and his ability around the pitch."

His off-pitch demeanour could not offer a greater contrast to the perception that he is an ogre. Described as "personable, humourous, with a mischievous eye for a prank", those who know him well enjoy his company.

It is doubtful whether the South Africans will find him as engaging. In Ireland's two recent World Cup qualifiers he was vying for the honour of his country's outstanding player. Today represents another test, one at the highest level where the benchmark is provided by the world champions.

The perception is that at 32 Clohessy is reaching the end of his international career. The evidence suggests otherwise. The World Cup should come within his compass.

The only thing that will prevent such a denouement is Clohessy himself. His past is just that, and will hopefully bear no relation to anything he might go on to accomplish. He has served his time and deserves to have the old baggage put aside, aware that it will only become an issue again if his recidivist tendencies emerge once more.