He has challenged himself and moved some distance outside any possible comfort zone in the game, playing in both hemispheres and four different Leagues if you also throw in Matty Dalton’s starting point which was here with his first senior Ulster appearance back in 2017.
His most recent shift before returning home to Ulster was in France in the Pro D2 — the League just below the Top 14 — with Soyaux Angoulême XV Charente, where the physical and mental demands were, at times, relentless.
Dalton was with the club last season when he featured in 17 of the campaign’s 30 games. Ten of those matches were on the road, some featuring 12-hour slogs on a coach with only a seat or even floor available to catch some much-needed sleep.
It was challenging for the now 26-year-old who can function at both lock and back row, and when he parted company with the club in October, to an extent it felt as if a treadmill had been switched off.
“The main thing was the travelling,” recalls the former Ireland Under-20s player. “The bus journeys, they were tough to deal with, your weekends were short then and it was tough recovery time.
“The games are heavy, though you never know what is going to happen next in French rugby, that is what is so amazing and exciting about it.
“There are the big heavy contacts, and you learn a lot about yourself, and you learn a lot about how rugby is played over there,” he says but adds: “Been there done that and hopefully I don’t have to go back.”
Ulster’s Matthew Dalton in action against Queensland Reds
He shouldn’t for a while anyway, as next year is now sorted back at Ulster.
Dalton, known for his athleticism and physicality, came back to Ravenhill from being based in England for a trial period before Christmas, which in turn has led to an extension for what remains of this campaign and then a one-year deal for the next one.
“It was a bit of a ropey decision to leave France,” he says.
“We were only six or seven games into the season, it wasn’t easy to make that decision to leave but I did for personal reasons and to look for opportunities elsewhere.
“France at that point just wasn’t for me.”
There was nothing on the table and Dalton decided he was going to live in England with his partner, stay in shape, and wait for something to come onto the radar, ideally via his agent.
As things fell, it was Ulster who showed an interest, so back he came after departing the province in 2019 for Australia with 10 appearances under his belt for the senior side.
“It has been a bit of a nomadic lifestyle,” he says, which is fair enough after time also spent at Newcastle Falcons in the English Premiership and two stints Down Under turning out for club side Bond University from Queensland’s Gold Coast.
“I always wanted to travel around and I always wanted the experience, so I am glad I did it when I had the opportunity to do it.
“I think now though is definitely the time to get settled here and push forward.”
Dalton featured in the recent friendly with Queensland Reds and generally impressed on the night. Now, the way the cards have fallen, he is looking at acquiring some gametime for his latest employers.
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“It is tough coming in so late in the season expecting gametime,” Dalton points out.
“I have just been trying to work hard and try to make my way into the team but lots of opportunities come around from injuries so it’s (a case of) just taking the chance when it comes.”
With both Iain Henderson and Cormac Izuchukwu on the sidelines, that time seems now though, clearly, Dalton is somewhat short of all-important match minutes.
“My focus between now and the end of the season is to go out and get my match fitness back,” he says.
“Other than the Queensland game, it has been October since I played at a high level. So it is just about building that match fitness back up.”
There is no doubting his athleticism and, indeed, rugby only began to feature for Dalton when he was around 14 due to his prowess at pentathlon, where he represented Ireland at schools’ level.
It reached a point, though, where he wanted more and found the rewards he was seeking with rugby.
“I did Irish Schools and even the UK Schools’ Games and Irish Schools’ pentathlon,” he recalls.
“Athletics was the main show for me when I was growing up and football before that.
“But I got bored with football and then I got bored with the individualism of the athletics, I started feeling like I needed that team spirit.”
As he points out: “It has always been rugby since then.”
Matthew Dalton impressed in Ulster’s friendly clash with Queensland Reds
The former BRA pupil was brought into the Ulster Academy in 2017 along with James Hume, Michael Lowry and Tom O’Toole but then moved on two years later.
“I think the environment I was in here when I was younger wasn’t the best for me so getting out and experiencing different coaches, experiencing different playing styles was definitely beneficial,” Dalton states.
“I don’t regret doing any of it, I did it at the right time.
“But it was nice playing with some of the boys back then and having that experience; Rory Best, Andrew Trimble, Tommy Bowe and Paul Marshall and Hendy (Iain Henderson) who is still here now, I was growing up and coming through in that era so I was learning a lot from them.
“It is nice that some of those boys are still here now and I’m reconnecting and building those relationships up from when I was younger.”
Coming full circle might just be the right time to settle on stability.
“It has been a lot of back and forth,” he admits, before supplying what might be a personal mantra: “Be patient, that’s the biggest thing for me — patience.”