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Leicester looking to Leinster for 2019/20 reinforcements - reports
By Alex Shaw
According to reports in the Irish Independent, Leicester Tigers head coach Geordan Murphy could be set to raid his hometown team in the summer, as he looks to bolster his squad in the East Midlands.
Leinster and the IRFU are currently negotiating post-Rugby World Cup contract extensions with a number of players, having just inked Johnny Sexton to a deal that will keep him in Dublin until 2021, but inevitably one or two players will slip through the cracks.
The Independent is reporting that centre Noel Reid, who has one cap for Ireland, is being lined up by Leicester, with his versatility to play multiple positions in the back line highly-prized by the Gallagher Premiership outfit.
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Reid, who has over 100 appearances for Leinster, has been a reliable operator for the province, but usually sits a little way down the pecking order in Dublin. With Leicester set to lose Matt Toomua shortly and Manu Tuilagi in the final year of his current deal, Tigers are in need of more options in their midfield, especially as they currently boast one of the smaller number of contracted backs in the Premiership.
Reid is ranked 34th in the world for inside centre in the RugbyPass Index, with an RPI of 77.
The 28-year-old centre made his debut for Ireland against Argentina in 2014 but has been unable to add to that tally since and with further Ireland caps unlikely, a move abroad could offer Reid the financial security and playing time that he craves.
Should Leicester land the Dubliner, he will be far from the first player from the Irish capital to make the move to the East Midlands, with Dominic Ryan, Shane Jennings, Leo Cullen and, of course, Murphy himself having all made the same move over the last 20 years.
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500k registered players in SA are scoolgoers and 90% of them don't go on to senior club rugby. SA is fed by having hundreds upon hundreds of schools that play rugby - school rugby is an institution of note in SA - but as I say for the vast majority when they leave school that's it.
Go to commentsDon't think you've watched enough. I'll take him over anything I's seen so far. But let's see how the future pans out. I'm quietly confident we have a row of 10's lined uo who would each start in many really good teams.
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