With a fair few miles on the clock and having grappled with the entire spectrum of emotions that comes with being a high-level sportsperson, John Cooney seems comfortable in his skin.
Cooney, like several of his team-mates, have looked rejuvenated in recent weeks. With Richie Murphy now installed as Dan McFarland's permanent successor, stability has bred better results: Ulster won four games on the spin before falling 29-24 to Munster last week. When his career began to stall, he moved west, where he helped Connacht claim a shock Pro12 title win in 2015-16.
"I had it the year we lost to the Stormers and lost in the last play. That year we should have won it, personally."Of course, Ulster's dream of winning the URC will not last the weekend unless they show up on the big stage and beat Leinster at Aviva Stadium.