Author: BLOGGERPARUNG

Disappointing to see lengths some people will go to in order to win: Ex-ICC umpire on MS Dhoni’s ‘antics’ in Qualifier 1

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Former ICC umpire Daryl Harper was unhappy with MS Dhoni as he believes the Chennai Super Kings skipper wasted time deliberately during the side’s clash with Gujarat Titans in the first Qualifier so that Matheesha Pathirana would be eligible to bowl the 16th over on Tuesday.

Harper said to Mid-Day, “Dhoni wasted time to allow his preferred bowling option to deliver the vital 16th over. That’s the only conclusion that I can draw from that disappointing spectacle. The issue for me is the lack of respect shown for the spirit of cricket and for the directions of the umpires. There were other options for the captain, but they were ignored.

Dhoni, seemingly put a pause to the game for about four minutes, to ensure that Pathirana became eligible to bowl the 16th over. This was after officials informed the CSK skipper Pathirana was ineligible to bowl that over as he was out of the field for four minutes.

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Dhoni then chatted with the umpire and stopped the play for around four minutes instead of giving over to the other bowler and Pathirana thus became eligible to bowl again.

“Maybe, some people are bigger than the law or in this case, the spirit of cricket. It’s always disappointing to see the lengths that some people will go to in order to win,” Harper was quoted saying.

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Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg also reacted to the incident and wrote: “Dhoni using his presence to full effect, luring the umpires into a 4-minute discussion causing time to run out for Pathirana to bowl after an extended break off the field. Umpires laughing over the incident rather than taking control of the situation is not good enough.”

Reacting to the incident, Gavaskar on-air noted: “You accept the umpire’s decision. Even if the umpire gets it wrong sometimes in high-pressure situations.”

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Victor Osimhen double but champions Napoli held by Bologna

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Napoli forward Victor Osimhen scored in each half but the Serie A champions were held to a surprise 2-2 draw at Bologna on Sunday.

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Napoli missed out on the opportunity to surpass their club record of 91 points in a season, set in 2017-18, and now have 87 with one match remaining.

The league’s leading scorer Osimhen struck after 14 minutes and doubled Napoli’s lead nine minutes into the second half. The 24-year-old Nigeria international has netted 25 times in Serie A this season.

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Bologna fought back strongly, however, with Lewis Ferguson scoring after 63 minutes and Lorenzo De Silvestri equalising with a header six minutes from time.

Kiran George upsets Shi Yuqi at Thailand Open Super 500

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Bangalore’s upcoming shuttler Kiran George caused a stir when he upset Chinese star Shi Yuqi, winning 21-18, 22-20. Twice he came from trailing positions to score a sensational win against the top Chinese at the clutch at the Thailand Open.

“The idea was to hang in there, stick it out and force Shi Yuqi to make mistakes, make him work for the points,” coach Sagar Chopda said describing the upset victory.

Kiran was 11-6 down in the opener but looked ready for Yuqi’s deep smashes. Staying in the rallies, he would go from 13-16 down to 18-16 up on the back of a 5-point flurry in the opener, to rattle the Chinese.

It’s when Yuqi got desperate to close out and committed errors, giving Kiran the opener 21-18.

Kiran would start the second with a 6-0 lead, but Yuqi found his length from the drifty side and levelled at 7-6. Kiran having played two extra qualification matches had a better measure of the lengths to play in the big hall. Scores stayed neck to neck till 15-15, before Yuqi pulled away to 20-17.

Kiran though was ready to grind it out, and lifted everything at the net, as he prolonged the rallies giving himself a chance, and drawing out errors from the Chinese who wasn’t hitting hard smashes, just deep ones along with his drops. Having rattled Yuqi, Kiran went on a 5-point run to take the match 21-18, 22-20.

Last 3 points, Kiran was alert at the net, and ready for Yuqi’s counter-dribbles with his tap, as he won the shock victory, after being shaky in qualifying.

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“He’s had a tough patch not winning anything since Orissa Open Super 100. He was low on confidence last 4-5 months. But yesterday after qualifying, he said kal ka match bas nikaalna hai. I told him be ready for his deep smashes,” Chopda said.

Casemiro’s winning mentality crucial to Manchester United’s hopes in FA Cup final

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A few concerns were raised when Brazil midfielder Casemiro completed his move to Manchester United in August.

Would he still have enough motivation after nine trophy-filled years at Real Madrid? Could he adapt quickly enough to the English game? Was a 30-year-old defensive midfielder really worth USD 60 million and a reported weekly wage of USD 435,000? The answers, without doubt, have been yes, yes and absolutely yes.

Take away Erling Haaland and the signing that had the biggest impact in English soccer this season is surely Casemiro, who — in the words of his coach — has exceeded expectations “by far.” “He keeps surprising you,” United manager Erik ten Hag said.

“He’s such a brilliant football player.” If there’s one player Ten Hag would want to have available for the FA Cup final against Manchester City on Saturday, it’s Casemiro.

Quite simply, the difference with and without him is huge.

Casemiro started 24 of United’s 38 league games this season, and was a substitute in four others. According to statistics compiled by the Who Scored website, United conceded an average of less than a goal a game when Casemiro was in the team and 1.5 goals when he wasn’t.

He made 3.2 tackles per game in the Premier League, the third highest behind Fulham’s Joao Palhinha and Leeds’ Tyler Adams.

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United conceded 57 goals in the league last season. With Casemiro stationed in front of the defense, that number was down to 43 this season as United secured a return to the Champions League and all the riches that brings.

So, yes, Casemiro really was worth it.

Ten Hag noted upon arriving at United at the end of last season that a leader in central midfield was the biggest thing missing in a team which had been getting by with an oft-maligned “McFred” (Scott McTominay and Fred) axis.

“We studied this and we searched for this — it was not easy because there aren’t many in the profile who fits to the standard of Manchester United,” Ten Hag said, before listing what Casemiro brings.

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“We know him as very good with organization, anticipation, winning duels, fighting and keeping the team together. But in possession, his passing distribution and finishing is very important.” More than that, his winning mentality — fostered at Madrid, where he won five Champions League titles and the Spanish league three times — is something United had been missing in the post-Alex Ferguson era.

It has that now and it’s mostly because of the arrival of Casemiro and another former Madrid player, Raphael Varane.

“The pressure is something we are used to playing with. And we need the pressure — it’s not that kind of pressure that limits you,” Varane said.

“Sometimes quality is not enough — you need the motivation, character, passion on the pitch, because in the top level in the Premier League, there are good players in any team. But to play in this kind of clubs you need something else … something different, that character to fight, to assume the responsibility, to never hide on the pitch, to be ready to face every challenge you can.” That’s the mentality City has built under Pep Guardiola, who — after seven years in charge — has a team on the brink of winning the Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble. It’s a feat only achieved once in English soccer before, by Man United in 1999.

Casemiro is one of the few players in the current United team who could slot into City’s lineup and not look out of place.

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Often a player for the big occasion at Madrid, Casemiro stepped up for United by scoring the opening goal in its 2-0 win over Newcastle in the English League Cup final at Wembley Stadium in February.

And he has been key in the final stretch of the season in helping United qualify for the Champions League with a third-place finish in the league, notably with an acrobatic volley to score a crucial winner at Bournemouth.

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Two red cards — one for grabbing an opponent by the neck in an on-field melee against Crystal Palace and the other for a reckless tackle — have blotted his campaign and caused him to miss seven matches in total through suspension. He left the field in tears after the second sending-off and was defended by Ten Hag, who preferred to criticize the standard of refereeing rather than the indiscipline of Casemiro.

It’s Casemiro’s defensive duties that will be most important against City on Saturday because he’ll need to keep a leash on attacking center midfielders Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne while also playing a part in stopping the supply line to Haaland.

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Casemiro’s teammates are sure that won’t be beyond him.

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“He can control a game great for us,” United defender Victor Lindelof said, “with or without the ball.”

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A GFFN 100 Profile: Bernardo Silva

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The following article is extracted from Get French Football News’s 200,000 word guide to the world of French football, The Get French Football News 100 which focused on ranking individuals’ performances over the course of 2015 as a calendar year. To download the whole guide, click here.

The following piece was written in December 2016 and published on the 1st January 2017. Bernardo Silva ranked 5th in the 2015 edition and ranked 14th in our index out of French football’s 100 best players in this year’s Get French Football News 100.

Bernardo Silva is undeniably one of the most talented players in France right now. However, his 2016 story, much like AS Monaco’s, has been very much a tale of two halves.

Now 2016 may not have been that impressive for Bernardo Silva when you look at his goals scored column: seven in the league (four in the 2nd half of 2015/16, three this season so far (17 games at the time of writing)). His assist statistics are nothing to write home about either – ve so far this season – but make no mistake; Silva is an integral part of Jardim’s new-look Monaco. The Monaco that scored 53 goals in 18 Ligue 1 games this season (which is almost as many as Nice and PSG combined (63)!).

Just like in the rst half of 2015/16, the opening six months for Bernardo Silva were blighted by a negative style on the part of Leonardo Jardim. Monaco did not start that campaign well but their unyielding defending translated into them picking up points more or less every week. They also pro ted from a weak Lyon side who were unable to put wins togeth- er. Six games without defeat at the end of 2015 meant that the Principality side nished that calendar year in 2nd. 2016 started in very much the same vein. Defeats were rare (just one between the start of the year and April) but since nobody else was as consistent – bar PSG of course – 2nd spot was Monaco’s almost until the end. Jardim moved Bernardo Silva across all the three positions of a 4-2-3-1. Sometimes, he would appear on the right playing in front of Fabinho (when the latter was playing as a right-back, despite him now feeling right at home in a central mid eld position). Occasionally, Silva would start on the left playing in front of Fabio Coentrão or he would act as a second striker playing behind Carrillo (an ineffective move) or Vagner Love (Brazilian knew where the goal was but his relationship with Silva didn’t blossom).

In 2015/16, Bernardo Silva played in a number of positions without developing an actual understanding with his full-back when he was playing on the wings (be it Fabinho or Fabio Coentrão) or with whichever striker he was playing with. Play- ing second striker in a 4-2-3-1 is a tough ask for any player and very few come out of it with relative success. It is a position where the player needs to constantly veer sideways or drop deep in order to nd space between the lines or between the players. This was just not happening for Bernardo Silva, who is at his best when he is driving towards opponents.

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Then Jardim did some shopping. In came Djibril Sidibé from Lille, Benjamin Mendy from Marseille, Falcao came back from an unsuccessful loan spell at Chelsea (no one was quite sure whether he was going to play or not) and Valère Ger- main also returned from a very successful loan spell at Nice (7th in the goal-scoring charts in 2015/16 with 14 goals). You could have been forgiven for thinking that Silva was going to form a formidable duo behind Germain.

However, Silva is in perfect harmony with the new right-back, Djibril Sidibé. Unlike Raggi (who is slow) and Fabinho (who is much less pacey), Silva thrives with Sidibé behind him. The ex-Lille man gives him the width he needs which allows him to drop deep or inside, playing centrally without having the opposition’s defensive mid elders on his back immediately.

Of course, Monaco’s Europe-beating line-up did not come to fruition on the opening day of the season against Guinga- mp. Jardim persevered with Bernardo Silva as a second striker but he made a tactical switch against PSG in late August in order to counter the champions’ power down the wing: what looked like a 4-4-1-1 was more of a 5-4-1 with Sidibé mark- ing Kurzawa and Silva doing the same on Serge Aurier.

There, Jardim de nitively saw not only that Bernardo Silva was better used on the wing than in the second striker position but he also realised that his tracking-back qualities had massively improved. It showed as well; Monaco won the game 3-1 and deservedly so.

Jardim now has a distinct plan that Bernardo Silva is very important to: Monaco currently operate in an attacking 4-4-2 with much impetus given to the full-backs, Sidibé and Mendy. Fabinho (Silva’s former partner down the right-wing last season) and Tiémoué Bakayoko play deeper, offering the work-rate in terms of winning the ball back, as the front four form a lethal attack, alongside the overlapping full-backs.

Back-up to Silva has manifested itself in the form of Nabil Dirar and Gabriel Boschilla this season. Very effective players in their own right, but neither harbour the ability that the Portuguese has to bring colleagues into the game. Jardim is aware that Silva’s diminutive stature needs to be protected from Ligue 1’s rough challenges over 90 minutes. The stats back this up: of the 17 games Bernardo Silva has played, at the time of writing, in Ligue 1 this season, he started 15 and was subbed off 11 times and never for a defensive substitute to hold on to a result (Monaco are generally out of sight by the time he is subbed) but by players with the same pro le as his (Dirar, Boschilla, Carrillo).

It is unclear whether Silva’s excellent 2016 is due to Jardim’s brilliant reinforcements in the summer, but we are at least certain that the boy is much more lethal playing on the wing than in a second striker role behind the centre-forward. With that in mind, and Silva’s explosive talent, Monaco could even score 100 goals this season, barring injury to key players.

Super Rugby Pacific Team Tracker: Wallabies duo set to return to action for Reds and Force after long-term injuries

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Check out the teams ahead of the 14th round of Super Rugby Pacific, where Wallabies duo Izack Rodda (lock) and Hunter Paismi (centre) have recovered from long-term injuries and are set to return to action for the Western Force and Reds, against the Rebels and Highlanders respectively on Friday.

Friday

Highlanders v Reds
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin

Highlanders: 15 Mitch Hunt, 14 Jonah Lowe, 13 Thomas Umaga-Jensen, 12 Sam Gilbert, 11 Jona Nareki, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Hugh Renton, 7 Billy Harmon (c), 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Max Hicks, 4 Pari Pari Parkinson, 3 Jermaine Ainsley, 2 Andrew Makalio, 1 Ethan de Groot
Replacements: 16 Rhys Marshall, 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18 Saula Ma’u, 19 Marino Mikaele-Tu’u, 20 Sean Withy, 21 Folau Fakatava, 22 Connor Garden-Bachop, 23 Scott Gregory

Reds: 15 Jock Campbell, 14 Suliasi Vunivalu, 13 Josh Flook, 12 James O’Connor, 11 Mac Grealy, 10 Tom Lynagh, 9 Tate McDermott (cc), 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Liam Wright (cc), 5 Connor Vest, 4 Angus Blyth, 3 Zane Nonggorr, 2 Matt Faessler, 1 Peni Ravai
Replacements: 16 Richie Asiata, 17 Dane Zander, 18 Sef Fa’agase, 19 Jake Upfield, 20 Seru Uru, 21 Kalani Thomas, 22 Lawson Creighton, 23 Hunter Paisami

Rebels v Western Force
AAMI Park, Melbourne

Rebels: 15 Andrew Kellaway, 14 Lachie Anderson, 13 Lukas Ripley, 12 Reece Hodge, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Carter Gordon, 9 Ryan Louwrens, 8 Richard Hardwick, 7 Brad Wilkin (c), 6 Josh Kemeny, 5 Matt Philip, 4 Josh Canham, 3 Sam Talakai, 2 Jordan Uelese, 1 Matt Gibbon
Replacements: 16 Theo Fourie, 17 Isaac Aedo Kailea, 18 Pone Fa’amausili, 19 Trevor Hosea, 20 Vaiolini Ekuasi, 21 James Tuttle, 22 Nick Jooste, 23 Joe Pincus

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Western Force: 15 Chase Tiatia, 14 Zach Kibirge, 13 Sam Spink, 12 Hamish Stewart, 11 Manasa Mataele, 10 Max Burey, 9 Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, 8 Rahboni Vosayaco, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Michael Wells (c), 5 Jeremy Williams, 4 Felix Kalapu, 3 Siosifa Amone, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 1 Angus Warner
Replacements: 16 Tom Horton, 17 Marley Pearce, 18 Bo Abra, 19 Izack Rodda, 20 Tim Anstee, 21 Isi Naisarani, 22 Ian Prior, 23 George Poolman

Saturday

Fijian Drua v Moana Pasifika
Churchill Park, Lautoka

Crusaders v Waratahs
Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch

Blues v Hurricanes
Eden Park, Auckland

Brumbies v Chiefs
GIO Stadium, Canberra

Chelsea & AS Monaco in regular contact for Tiemoué Bakayoko, Charly Musonda & more

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Premier League champions Chelsea and AS Monaco are in regular contract about possible transfer deals this summer, according to Nice Matin.

The two clubs have an excellent relationship. From Chelsea’s side, they are looking to conclude a deal for Tiemoué Bakayoko with AS Monaco – fee negotiations are ongoing. The midfielder has made the Blues his priority.

Talks are going at a relatively slow pace because of AS Monaco’s desire to potentially include some Chelsea players in an eventual deal.

The two individuals that Monaco have their eye on are Belgian international Michy Batshuayi and Charly Musonda, the latter of whom Monaco have been after since 2015.

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Champions Cup: Josh van der Flier using Stuart Lancaster and Johnny Sexton departures as extra motivation

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Star flank Josh van der Flier is using the departures of senior coach Stuart Lancaster and veteran Johnny Sexton as extra motivation for Leinster to kick on and push for the Champions Cup title.

The Irish giants welcome French side La Rochelle to Dublin for the European final this weekend in a replay of last season’s decider that saw Leinster come up short.

The massive clash will be the last involvement for Lancaster who will join Racing 92 as director of rugby from next season, whilst Johnny Sexton will in all likelihood hang up his boots.

Reigning World Player of the Player Van der Flier insists whilst such a big clash does not need additional motivation, the departure of such influential figures does bring an extra edge.

“Invaluable” lessons

The flank reserved special praise for Lancaster who has been key in his development over the last couple of seasons.

“I don’t think you need much more motivation for a game like this but I think Stuart has done so much for me personally since he’s come to Leinster,” Van der Flier told RTÉ Sport.

“As a former No 7 himself, he’s been invaluable to me and has helped me grow as a player a huge amount.

“Johnny, in the same way, has made this club the success it has been over the last number of years that he’s been involved.

“It’s no coincidence really, and the same with Ireland, so they are two people who have motivated me a huge amount and even looking at the like of Dave Kearney, he’s been there for so many of the great days and Leinster.

“There’s a number of players all throughout the squad.

“James Tracy, who unfortunately had to retire earlier in the season, they all motivate you, you want to do it for them because they are part of that Leinster family.

“In terms of motivation, playing in front of our home fans, our families, there will be no shortage of motivation. Stuart and Johnny [above left] will be in the back of my mind playing the game anyway.

“I’m not sure if it’s been mentioned specifically [within the group], it might be later in the week but it’s definitely something I’ll be thinking of personally, in terms of my own motivation.”

Big battle awaits

The superstar reserved some praise for La Rochelle and in particular their pack of forwards. Van der Fliers expects another big battle this weekend.

“They’ve been brilliant all season, as they have been for the last three years, to get to three Heineken Champions Cup finals in a row is very impressive,” he said.

“Full credit to them, they’ve shown their consistency. They’ve got dangerous backs, really big physical pack and they have shown their class and consistency over the last few years.

“It will be a big challenge, the same as last year. They have some individuals who are key to the way they play, they use them pretty well and we expect a tough game against a brilliant team.”

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Lyon & Bordeaux in talks with Benfica for Marçal

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Ligue 1 duo Lyon and Bordeaux have entered into negotiations with Benfica for left-back Marçal, according to BeIN Sports.

Marçal, who spent the 2016/17 campaign on loan at EA Guingamp (who have made a new loan bid), is in advanced discussions with Fenerbahce.

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Dave Kearney: Leinster stalwart ‘wouldn’t change a thing’ as departure confirmed

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Leinster wing and Ireland international Dave Kearney has confirmed that this season will be his last at the United Rugby Championship (URC) outfit.

Kearney has played 185 times for Leinster and won 19 caps for Ireland across a 14-year career, scoring 55 tries for the former and five for the latter.

The 33-year-old made his Leinster bow in 2009 against the Dragons at Rodney Parade and, such is his longevity, he starred last week versus the Sharks.

During his time, Kearney has won three Champions Cups, six league titles and a Challenge Cup. He also lifted the 2014 Six Nations title with Ireland.

14 years since his debut

He said in a statement: “It has been nearly 14 years to the day since I first had the privilege of wearing the Leinster Rugby jersey for the first time.

“As I reflect on my career, the overriding feeling I get is that of gratitude.

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“Walking through the doors of Leinster Rugby to join the Academy in 2008, I never could have dreamt I’d still be here almost 15 years on. To have had such a long career playing for the team I grew up supporting, as well as representing my country has been a dream come true.

“It’s been an incredible journey, filled with some of the most special moments of my life, ones that I’ll cherish deeply. There have been plenty of challenges along the way, ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”

He added: “I’m grateful for all the people that made this possible, in particular, my parents. To mum and dad, nobody has felt the highs and lows of professional sport more than you. Thank you so much for your unwavering support and dedication to me through my time here. You’ve both always been there for me and sacrificed so much in order for me to do what I’ve done.

“To my siblings Richard and Sara thank you also for your love and support. You’ve followed me all over the world in blue and in green, and having you guys there to celebrate and share these great days with me has made them even more special.

“To Rob, you’ve minded me every step of the way, from my first day in Leinster right until this point. I have no doubt that I wouldn’t have reached today without you by my side. Being able to share the pitch with you for both Leinster and Ireland have been the most memorable moments of my life.

“To Becca, thank you for all your sacrifices and support. I can’t wait for our next chapter together.”

Kearney also found time to thank Leinster’s staff and his former and current team-mates as he now looks forward to ending the season on a high.

“To my Leinster family, thank you. To all the staff and coaches I’ve worked with, in particular, Michael Cheika who gave me my first cap, Joe Schmidt, Matt O’Connor, Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster. Thank you for always believing in me,” he said.

A word of thanks to team-mates

“To all the players I have had the honour of sharing the pitch with, thanks to each of you. You have all helped me along the way in some shape or form and made me a better player. I’ve built some amazing relationships along the way, ones that I’ll have for the rest of my life.

“Thanks to all in Dundalk RFC for your support, the place where I first picked up a rugby ball. To all the people and coaches I’ve worked with in Clongowes Wood College and Lansdowne FC, you also played a huge part in helping me grow and develop both as a player and person.

“To all the strength and conditioning staff, the doctors and physios, thank you. You have all helped me through some tough periods of my career. You have all worked incredibly hard to keep me on the pitch, and I’ll always be very grateful for that.

“Lastly to all the Leinster fans, thank you for your constant support and encouragement throughout my time here. We as players are truly blessed to have you have you as our supporters. I’ll miss the feeling of running out to a packed RDS or Aviva the most.

“In the meantime, there is still plenty more to be done.

“I’m going to enjoy every moment I have during my last few weeks as Leinster a player and I’m going to do all I can to help this team finish the season on a high.”