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Israel Dagg: 'I was really close to signing for Leinster'
By Ian Cameron
Former All Blacks fullback Israel Dagg has said he was really close to signing for Irish giants Leinster - a contract he claims ended up going to James Lowe.
Capped 66 times by the All Blacks, Dagg says he walked away from the deal because he thought the climate in Ireland was too cold and his wife didn't fancy it.
Now 34, Dagg admits he came very close, even going as far as being given a tour of Leinster's facilities in Dublin back in 2016.
“I was actually going to sign for Leinster,” Dagg told The42 Rugby Weekly Extra. “I was pretty close. I was really close to signing for Leinster. What stopped me from signing was it was so cold! It was freezing. I’m from Christchurch where it’s very cold but that place is on another level.
“I went to the Leinster headquarters with Isa Nacewa and saw the whole complex. I loved it. I had to try to convince the wife, she was obviously a big part of it. She said no.
“I turned the deal down, came back to New Zealand, and they actually gave my contract to James Lowe!
“So it was a better decision in the end, eh? Things happen for a reason.
“I turned it down, James Lowe goes over, he turns into an absolute superstar, and look what he’s doing for Ireland now. If I look for a positive in it, you signed a genuine winger for Ireland and he’s doing awesome. I’m proud of him.”
Dagg did leave New Zealand, playing for the Canon Eagles for a couple of months, although he admits he regrets not playing more rugby outside of NZ.
“I do [regret it], because I never really got to experience anything outside of New Zealand. I went to Japan for two months towards the end of my career but my knee was very bad, I couldn’t really play, I was just not in a happy place. My body was breaking down.
“So I never got to understand what rugby means to other nations and what it means to different players. And how good would it have been playing with world-class players over in Ireland or in England or wherever?"
In truth it worked out for Leinster, as by his own admission, Dagg's body was 'falling apart'. He retired at the relatively young age of 31 back in 2019.
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I’ve seen an improvement in both.
Go to commentsFrance using the 7-1, England using the 6-2, Ireland and Scotland have used it a few times as well and many nations are starting to adopt it. The reality is the game is changing. Administrators have made it faster and that is leading to more significant drop offs in the forwards. You have 2 options. Load your bench with forwards or alter your player conditioning which might mean more intense conditioning for forwards and a drop off in bulk. The game can still be played many ways. Every nation needs to adapt in their own way to suit their strengths. France have followed the Springbok model of tight forwards being preferred because it suits them. They have huge hunks of meat and the bench is as good as the starters so why not go for it? The Springboks have also used hybrids like Kwagga Smith, Schalk Britz, Deon Fourie, Franco Mostert and others. England are following that model instead and by putting 3 loosies there who can do damage in defence and make the breakdown a mess in the final quarter. It worked well against Wales but will be interested to see how it goes going forward against better opposition who can threaten their lineout and scrum. All the talk around bench limitations to stop the 7-1 and 6-2 for me is nonsense. Coaches who refuse to innovate want to keep the game the same and make it uniform and sameness is bad for fans. The bench composition adds jeopardy and is a huge debate point for fans who love it. Bench innovations have not made the game worse, they have made it better and more watchable. They challenge coaches and teams and that’s what fans want. What we need now is more coaches to innovate. There is still space for the 5-3 or even a 4-4 if a coach is willing to take it on and play expansive high tempo possession-based rugby with forwards who are lean and mean and backs who are good over the ball. The laws favour that style more than ever before. Ireland are too old to do it now. Every team needs to innovate to best suit their style and players so I hope coaches and pundits stop moaning about forwards and benches and start to find different ways to win.
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