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HE WOULD CERTAINLY have preferred to finish his time with Leinster playing in a winning team but the esteem in which Sean O’Brien is held within the squad meant he did at least bid farewell by lifting the Pro14 trophy.
His team-mates, of course, already knew that O’Brien would have to share bad news with the public the following day.
O’Brien lifted the Pro14 trophy on Saturday. Source: James Crombie/INPHO
And the statement duly arrived yesterday afternoon confirming that not only is O’Brien’s Leinster career at an end but that he may well have played his last game for Ireland.
Ruled out of the World Cup due to the need for hip surgery, it’s not unimaginable that O’Brien returns to action impressively with London Irish and the IRFU’s policy of not picking players based abroad softens. But it is rather unlikely.
If this is the end of O’Brien’s time with Ireland, he will have earned 56 caps – which surely would have been far greater a total but for the injuries that have crippled him in recent years.
O’Brien rolled back the years to be truly outstanding on the 2017 Lions tour but he has missed many of the big days for Leinster and Ireland in the recent past.
He was part of the 2015 Six Nations victory under Joe Schmidt but was denied the opportunity to be part of last year’s Grand Slam, the two wins over the All Blacks, a series success in Australia and more.
He started and shone in Leinster’s Heineken Cup wins in 2011 and 2012, earning the European Player of the Year award after the former. But O’Brien was sidelined for last season’s historic double.
Nonetheless, he will go down as a genuine Leinster legend, having been such an important and influential figure within the squad even when he wasn’t able to feature on the pitch.
O’Brien’s last game was the Champions Cup final defeat to Saracens. Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO
His team-mates will all wish him well as he looks to recover from his hip surgery and move to London Irish on a three-year deal this summer.
“He’s a ledge, that’s the best way to describe him,” said James Lowe on Saturday after the Pro14 final.
“Man, you know we’ve just got such much depth at Leinster, especially in that jersey, probably he felt it was maybe his time to go [to London Irish].
“And it was such a tough decision. He’s a great man for the club, a great character on and off the field, loves a pint and I can’t wait to have one with him tonight.”
O’Brien will also be counted as a legend of Irish rugby, having gone to two World Cups and won over countless supporters with his abrasive and powerful style of rugby.
The Tullow Tank is respected almost everywhere in the rugby world – the Kiwis truly rate him – and Leinster senior coach Start Lancaster feels he is among the very best.
“I think he’s a fantastic leader, a fantastic player, a fantastic character, a fantastic personality,” said Lancaster.
“I think he’ll be massively, massively missed by Leinster. I think I didn’t really get the benefit of really coaching him the way in which I wanted because the three years in which I’ve been here, he’s been injured for quite a lot of that period of time.
O’Brien will be missed in Leinster. Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO
“But his qualities still shone through and I thought it was a great testament to the team, and to Johnny [Sexton] in particular, that he would give Sean the opportunity to raise the trophy because it’s been an emotional few weeks for Sean to leave Leinster, and we all feel his disappointment that he has to leave.
“But ultimately I’m very proud to have worked with him and I’d consider him a good mate.”
Life will move swiftly on, of course, and Leinster will be looking to the future, of which we have already seen plenty of glimpses.
Josh van der Flier returned from injury to finish the season impressively, while Leinster will hope that Dan Leavy can recover from his horrific knee injury.
Max Deegan and Caelan Doris have major potential in the back row too, while 19-year-old Scott Penny openside is an exciting talent.
“I think Scott Penny is a little Sean O’Brien, to be honest,” said Lancaster on Saturday.
“He’s going to be a great player.
“The show rolls on with Leinster and that’s a great credit to the academy and the quality of the players who come through the system here.”
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NOEL MCNAMARA HAS made eight changes in personnel for Ireland’s fifth place playoff semi-final against England at the U20 World Championship in Argentina.
After narrowly missing out on a place in the tournament semi-finals, injury-ravaged Ireland face England for the third time this year in Rosario tomorrow evening [KO 7.30pm, eir Sport].
Leinster academy winger Aaron O’Sullivan is the latest debutant, while David Ryan, the younger brother of James, is handed his first start of the tournament after flying over as a replacement.
O’Sullivan in AIL action for UCD. Source: Ben Whitley/INPHO
There is also a first start for Tullow native Charlie Ward, who gets his opportunity at tighthead prop, with Michael Milne switching to loosehead and Dylan Tierney-Martin resuming at hooker.
With Ciaran Booth [knee] and David McCann [head] both gone home after suffering tournament-ending injuries against Italy in the final pool outing, Ryan Baird moves to blindside flanker and Ronan Watters returns from injury to start at openside.
Captain Charlie Ryan starts in the second row alongside Thomas Ahern while Munster scrum-half Craig Casey is back in the XV to resume his half-back pairing with provincial team-mate Ben Healy.
Ryan combines with Liam Turner in midfield, and there is a fresh look to the back three with O’Sullivan linking up with Munster duo Jake Flannery and Jonathan Wren.
“Since Wednesday’s win over Italy, we’ve decamped from our base for the pool stages in Santa Fe and made the move down to Rosario for the final two games of the competition,” McNamara said.
“The players have been really focused on their rest and recovery since Wednesday with a view to being in the best possible condition ahead of tomorrow’s play-off clash.”
The winner of Monday’s game will face either New Zealand or Wales for a shot at fifth place.
Ireland U20s:
15. Jake Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
14. Aaron O’Sullivan (UCD/Leinster)
13. Liam Turner (Dublin University/Leinster) (captain)
12. David Ryan (UCD/Leinster)
11. Jonathan Wren (Cork Constitution/Munster)
10. Ben Healy (Garryowen/Munster)
9. Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)
1. Michael Milne (UCD/Leinster)
2. Dylan Tierney-Martin (Corinthians/Connacht)
3. Charlie Ward (Clontarf/Leinster)
4. Charlie Ryan (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
5. Thomas Ahern (Shannon/Munster)
6. Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)
7. Ronan Watters (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
8. Azur Allison (Ballymena/Ulster)
Replacements:
16. Declan Adamson (Clontarf/Leinster)
17. Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster)
18. Josh Wycherley (Young Munster/Munster)
19. John McKee (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
20. Brian Deeny (Clontarf/Leinster)
21. Niall Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht)
22. Luke Clohessy (Shannon/Munster)
24. Colm Reilly (Buccaneers/Connacht)
25. Rob Russell (Dublin University/Leinster)
26. Cormac Foley (St. Mary’s College/Leinster)
27. Angus Kernohan (Queen’s University/Ulster)
28. Max O’Reilly (Dublin University/Leinster).
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SEAN FITZPATRICK HAS applauded the decision of New Zealand Rugby to grant Warren Gatland special dispensation to take a break from his new Chiefs deal to coach the British and Irish Lions.
Gatland penned a four-year contract with the Super Rugby side last week and the terms allow him to take charge of the Lions for their tour of South Africa in 2021.
The Wales coach will take up his role with the Chiefs after the Rugby World Cup in Japan and former All Blacks star Fitzpatrick felt the flexibility afforded to the 55-year-old’s arrangements would prove worthwhile.
Gatland signs Chiefs deal, raising All Blacks speculation
“Gats is phenomenal with what he’s done on the coaching side as well as his playing career,” Fitzpatrick told Sky Sports.
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“He lives in New Zealand, he loves the Chiefs – he played for Waikato for his whole career.
“I also like when he goes away with the Lions – and he’ll take some knowledge from New Zealand being with the All Blacks coaches in that inner sanctum – the knowledge he’ll be able to bring back from a Lions series in South Africa, I think that is really key.”
There will be a vacancy with the All Blacks when Steve Hansen steps aside after the World Cup and it is a position Fitzpatrick believes Gatland may fill one day.
“In four or five years’ time, who knows?” he said.
“With that CV and knowledge he has, whoever is the next All Blacks coach I’m sure he will be tapping into Warren Gatland, that’s for sure.”
Gatland has taken charge of two Lions series, securing a win in Australia 2013 and a tie in his homeland two years ago.
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FORMER ULSTER OUT-half Christian Lealiifano has been named in the Wallabies team for the first time since 2016, while James O’Connor is in line for his first Test appearance in 2,142 days off the bench.
31-year-old Lealiifano played for the Wallabies in the 2016 Rugby Championship but was diagnosed with leukemia only weeks later, forcing him into an extended break from rugby.
Lealiifano was a popular figure at Kingspan Stadium. Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO
However, the inspirational Lealiifano was back on the pitch for the Brumbies in Super Rugby just 11 months on from his diagnosis.
The playmaker had a stint with Ulster in the first half of the 2016/17 season, impressing in his 17 starts for the northern province in the Pro14 and Champions Cup.
Lealiifano has also had a spell in Japanese club rugby but has returned to the Brumbies for the past two Super Rugby seasons and underlined his enduring quality, particularly in the 2019 campaign.
Wallabies boss Michael Cheika has now rewarded Lealiifano for his form by handing him the number 10 shirt for Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash with Argentina in Brisbane [KO 10.45am Irish time, Sky Sports Action], providing the out-half with a prime opportunity to shine ahead of the World Cup.
Cheika has made a total of five changes to his XV after last weekend’s disappointing performance in a 35-17 defeat to the Springboks, with Lealiifano and Will Genia replacing Bernard Foley and Nic White as the starting halfbacks.
The introduction of loosehead prop Scott Sio is the only change to the forward pack, while Marika Koroibete comes in on the left wing and Kurtley Beale starts at fullback after playing well off the bench against the Boks.
O’Connor is named as the 23rd man by Cheika, leaving him set to complete his own comeback for the Wallabies ahead of the World Cup.
O’Connor was the Wallabies’ out-half for the 2013 Lions series. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
The 29-year-old has a dire disciplinary past and was discarded by Rugby Australia in 2013 after a drunken incident at Perth Airport.
O’Connor – who made his Test debut at the age of 18 – hasn’t been capped by the Wallabies since, despite a short stint with the Queensland Reds in 2015, and has played in Europe with London Irish, Toulon and, most recently, Sale Sharks.
There have been further controversies – including being arrested in Paris in 2017 on suspicion of attempting to buy cocaine – but O’Connor has claimed to have turned a corner in more recent years, while delivering consistent performances for Sale Sharks.
Having signed for the Reds earlier this month, O’Connor has become eligible for the Wallabies again and Cheika is willing to give him another chance.
Meanwhile, the Pumas will be without regular captain and hooker Agustin Creevy due to injury, as they make five changes after a 20-16 defeat to New Zealand last weekend.
Julian Montoya starts at hooker, Facundo Isa and Tomas Lezana come into the back row, Bordeaux wing Santiago Cordero is named on the right edge, and Joaquin Tuculet gets the nod at fullback.
Australia:
15. Kurtley Beale
14. Reece Hodge
13. Tevita Kurdirani
12. Samu Kerevi
11. Marika Koroibete
10. Christian Lealiifano
9. Will Genia
1. Scott Sio
2. Folau Fainga’a
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Izack Rodda
5. Rory Arnold
6. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
7. Michael Hooper (captain)
8. Isi Naisarani
Replacements:
16. Tolu Latu
17. James Slipper
18. Taniela Tupou
19. Rob Simmons
20. Luke Jones
21. Nic White
22. Matt To’omua
23. James O’Connor
Argentina:
15. Joaquin Tuculet
14. Santiago Cordero
13. Matias Moroni
12. Jeronimo De la Fuente
11. Ramiro Moyano
10. Nicolas Sanchez
9. Tomas Cubelli
1. Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
2. Julian Montoya
3. Juan Figallo
4. Guido Petti
5. Tomas Lavanini
6. Pablo Matera (captain)
7. Tomas Lezana
8. Facundo Isa
Replacements:
16. Santiago Socini
17. Mayco Vivas
18. Ramiro Herrera
19. Matias Alemanno
20. Juan Manuel Leguizamon
21. Felipe Ezcurra
22. Joaquin Diaz Bonilla
23. Matias Orlando
– This article was updated at 8.56am to correct ‘six’ to ’2,142′ in the sub-heading.
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PRE-SEASON IS a time of opportunity. A window to impress. Sean McNulty knew this more than most when he stood on the sideline preparing to replace Bryan Byrne in a friendly against Gloucester two Augusts ago.
The hooker got on for the final 20 minutes of Leinster’s pre-season defeat of the English Premiership side, and was then involved a week later when Leo Cullen’s side geared up for the new campaign with another win over Bath at Donnybrook.
Sean McNulty during his Leinster days. Source: Oisin Keniry/INPHO
Heading into his final year in the Leinster academy, McNulty knew he couldn’t let these games pass him by. Watching his peers make the breakthrough at senior level, he had been forced to bide his time. But now it was running out.
All of this was going through his head when he came off the bench on those consecutive Friday nights in August 2017. This was his last chance saloon, and that burden weighed heavy.
“I didn’t have a great game,” McNulty recalls. “I remember I came off the pitch and told my Mum, ‘I’m gone, that’s me done.’ It was in my head that I had played poorly and that was my one opportunity blown.”
McNulty would go on to play for Leinster ‘A’ during the 2017/18 season, but his first-team chance never arrived and he was released by the province at the end of his three years in the academy system.
“I found it quite hard,” he continues. “Leinster was probably the high point of my career but then the whole third year of the academy was pretty tough. I knew from early on in third year I wasn’t getting a contract. It was pretty tough going in every day for five, six months knowing I wasn’t getting a contract.
“I met my best friends through rugby. All my closest friends are Leinster rugby players pretty much so that was very, very hard [having to leave]. Knowing they’d all still be there and I had to go and find a new club and start on my own path. I dwelled on that for a bit, yeah. I should have parked it but I didn’t and it probably didn’t help my training.”
A product of Rockwell College, McNulty earned international honours at U19 and U20 level, while representing Munster at underage level. He moved into the Leinster academy and studied Business and Sport Management in UCD, for whom the 23-year-old also played in the All-Ireland League with.
But his experience at Leinster, or specifically coming to terms with the psychological scars of being released, left McNulty low on confidence and short on motivation to get up and go again. He received offers from clubs in the English Championship, but the prospect of cutting his teeth in that environment did not appeal to him.
Instead, McNulty seriously contemplated packing it in. He had watched his friends and peers forge professional careers, while he was left without a club and without direction.
“When I was leaving Leinster, I was stuck in a place where I didn’t know if I was going to keep playing rugby,” he explains. “I was potentially retiring and was looking into other things. I kind of just fell out with rugby for a little bit.
“I was kind of just done with it because I knew coming out of Leinster, moving over to England would be a come down. I wanted something that would excite me.”
Playing for Ireland U20s alongside some familiar faces in 2015. Source: Matteo Ciambelli/INPHO
After his final season at Leinster, US-qualified McNulty went to New York on holiday with a number of his team-mates and while they were all returning home to Dublin for the start of pre-season, he remained in America.
Whilst there, McNulty — the younger brother of Ireland sevens international Harry — met up with Greg McWilliams, who coached several of the current Leinster team at St Michael’s before linking up with the Ireland women’s team and then moving to America, where he is now the US Eagles assistant coach.
McNulty’s mind was opened up to the opportunities in Major League Rugby and, further down the line, the potential of representing the Eagles by McWilliams during their lunch meeting.
“There were two days I remember very clearly,” he says. “The first being that day the other lads left New York to go home for pre-season.
“Towards the end of the holiday, they were all going home back to Dublin and I was staying on in New York. That’s when I realised I wanted that too and wanted to keep being a rugby player. I suddenly missed it.
“I was looking at doing a Masters in Life University in Atlanta. A few Irish lads have gone through there, including AJ MacGinty. They have a good rugby programme and that was an option, to study and just play on the side. But then I met up with Greg and had that chat.
Within a matter of weeks, McNulty was signed up to play for the Free Jacks ahead of their inaugural season in America’s Major League Rugby [MLR], joining a growing Irish contingent in the league.
Although his first season with the Boston-based club was marred by a torn hamstring injury he suffered weeks before the Cara Cup competition involving the province’s ‘A’ sides, McNulty was able to get minutes under his belt by joining Rugby United New York on loan for the final stages of the 2019 campaign.
The Free Jacks will compete in their first season in MLR next year, with the club assembling a strong squad, including five Irish players: McNulty, former Munster scrum-half John Poland, ex-Connacht out-half Tadhg Leader, and second row duo Conor Kindregan and Ronan McCusker.
“It’s a brand new league, the Americans are buying into rugby and it’s growing at a rapid rate,” McNulty says. “There’s so much potential over here and we’re a very ambitious club.
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“The league here could be another pathway for Irish players. There are only four professional teams back home and with so many good players going around at the moment, there’s not room for everyone.
McNulty in action for Ireland U20s. Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO
“I’ve had quite a few old team-mates getting onto me asking me about the league and what it’s like.
“I’ve been very surprised by the standard of it too. There’s a bit to go in terms of skill-sets but the actual pace of play and the willingness to play a good brand of rugby is very exciting. It’s very physical as well, there are a lot of big lads out there.”
McNulty has divided his summer between Boston and New York but will be back in Dublin later this month ahead of the start of pre-season with the Free Jacks in mid-November.
While he is only beginning to find his feet again after the setback of being released by Leinster, McNulty is excited by the challenge and opportunity ahead, and makes no secret of his desire to achieve success with the Free Jacks.
That in turn, he says, will help him reach his personal goal of breaking into the Eagles set-up alongside the likes of McGinty, John Quill, Paul Mullan and Dylan Fawsitt, not to mention McWilliams on the backroom team.
“100%. My eyes are on the Eagles,” he adds. “Talking to Greg, there is that opportunity to potentially kick on with the Eagles. I missed all of last season so I guess this World Cup was never really realistic but 2023 is definitely a target if I can put myself in the shop window.
“I’m 23 now, so hopefully I can start well with the Free Jacks and break in within the next two seasons. We’ll see what happens from there.”
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On The RecordThe fixture listThe Bundesliga’s top two, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich, clash (7pm) in one of five matches in the German top flight this evening.In England, Newport County take on Plymouth Argyle (7.45pm) in the FA Cup and Millwall meet Charlton Athletic (7.45pm) in League One.There’s also Inter Milan v Lazio in Serie A (7.45pm) and a full set of fixtures in Ligue 1.The PDC World Darts Championship continues at Alexandra Palace tonight and tomorrow.
Showbiz, Baby!
It’s 20 years to the day since Eric Cantona produced this moment of sheer class in Manchester United’s 5-0 win over Sunderland.
https://www.facebook.com/manchesterunited/videos/10154323094937746/
Aron Stevens, the former Damien Sandow, spoke with Chris Van Vliet for a new interview discussing All Elite Wrestling and more. Video is below, plus highlights per Wrestling Inc:
On whether he’s interested in signing with AEW: “Right now I know I have a pretty busy summer coming up, I don’t know where I would fit time in. And also, the thing is, I haven’t been in a ring in almost two years.”
On the trickiness of returning after two years off: “Do I like to think that I could get in there and be just like I was? Yes. Not to sound braggadocios. Could I probably do that if I was in front of a live crowd? Yes. At practice, no. I’m one of those people that needs to be there live and doing it. I would want to be at my best. I would want to get in a ring and move around just to make sure I’m okay, and more importantly, that I could protect anyone I’m in there with. Look, it’s not me I’m worried about, it’s always the other person. It’s always protecting everyone you’re in there with and I would just owe that to anybody that I’m going to step in there with.”
On AEW providing a boom for the industry: “Do I think that within the first two weeks the Monday Night Wars will reignite? No. But I will say this, definitely from what I hear, and I’m not that brushed up on what’s going on, it looks like they have the financial backing, most definitely. And they’ve definitely got the talent. It’s going to be storyline-wise – are they that tuned in to what fans have wanted?… Do I think that they have the best chance to do it out of anyone? Absolutely. And I really do wish that they succeed and kind of bring wrestling back. Cody and I have talked extensively about the business and everything in the past, his ideas and what he believes makes a good wrestling show, and what makes good wrestling. And I think that’s a really good idea. I’m not very familiar with the Young Bucks but obviously they know what they’re doing, and I think it’s going to be really interesting.”Click Here: France football tracksuit