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Sean O'Brien agrees to play at grassroots AIL level in Ireland
By Liam Heagney
Former British and Irish Lions back-rower Sean O’Brien has agreed to prolong his career at grassroots level in Ireland by signing for Naas, the Division 1B side headed up by Johne Murphy. The 35-year-old announced his retirement from playing professionally earlier this year, drawing a line under his career at London Irish when appearing in their Gallagher Premiership match at Bath at the end of the 2021/22 season in May.
He has since taken up contact skills coaching as an assistant at Leo Cullen's Leinster and had hoped to be able to return to Tullow, his junior-level grassroots club, to play some games with family and friends. However, that idea was quashed last month, the domestic level section of the Leinster branch deciding there would potentially be a safety issue if O’Brien was permitted to play at that level.
With regulations barring recent professionals from playing junior rugby, O'Brien had a rethink and it has now emerged that he has joined Naas, the ambitious Co Kildare club where ex-Leicester and Munster player Murphy is in charge.
They started their league campaign last weekend with a 37-7 loss at Old Wesley, but the news that they have now signed O’Brien will significantly boost preparations heading into this Saturday’s round two home match versus Highfield.
O’Brien won’t be named in the Naas squad as he has just joined and anyway, Leinster have a URC home match the same day against the Sharks at the RDS. However, the prospect of having a veteran player who was capped on 56 occasions by Ireland playing in the amateur senior-level club league will be a huge boost to the profile of the All-Ireland League tournament.
Head coach Murphy said: “We had a very successful season last year and, as we start off the season, having a player of Sean’s calibre will develop our players. They will learn a lot from the experience that Sean brings from his playing career.
"The whole club, from grassroots upwards including all our players from minis upwards, all our coaches right across all age groups and also the amazing supporters that we have in Naas, he will bring plenty of enjoyment to everyone in our amazing club. We are all looking forward to having him on our team.”
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Hi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
Go to commentsIn the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
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