For the greater good
Critics of Leinster’s transfer activity missing the point – the national team is IRFU’s chief concern now, not the provinces
WE can still remember the look on Greg Feek’s face as he fielded a question from a small group of journalists at the back of Ireland’s team hotel in Takupuna. It was the summer of 2012, a few days out from the opening Test of a three-game series against the All Blacks on their home turf and first-choice tighthead Mike Ross was struggling with a hamstring injury.
Feek was asked about the possibility of uncapped Ulster rookie Declan Fitzpatrick packing down against Tony Woodcock, a veteran loosehead with 83 Test caps to his name. Connacht greenhorn Ronan Loughney, who also had zero experience at international level, was poised to sit on the bench.
When this scenario was presented to Feek, he paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and then launched into the party line about this being a brilliant learning experience for Fitzpatrick, and potentially Loughney. But the look in the Ireland scrum coach’s eyes told a different story. This was doomsday scenario stuff. Privately, Feek was praying that Ross would pull through in time for Saturday’s match.
Earlier that year, the Irish pack lost the Corkman to an early neck injury and England duly eviscerated their scrum on a galling St Patrick’s Day afternoon which lives in infamy.
There was a wider issue, of course. There was a dearth of options at tighthead and the presence of overseas signings like John Afoa at Ulster and BJ Botha down at Munster were clogging up the Irish supply line. Back then, the provinces were laws unto themselves. Gaps in certain departments were filled freely and there was little input from high command. The provinces ruled the roost.
That all changed within 18 months when David Nucifora came on board as the IRFU’s performance director, a newly-created role. The hardy Aussie went about changing the landscape.
The needs of the national team became his primary focus. To borrow a line from Ridley Scott’s Alien, Ireland became priority one. All other priorities rescinded.
Nucifora (inset, far right), is leaving his post soon after a decade in the gig. The former Wallabies hooker was never the most popular character but it can’t be denied that he made a big impact on the game here.
Ensuring as many Irishqualified players as possible were lining out across the four provinces every weekend was an early project. If that meant denying Ruan Pienaar a new contract and sending John Cooney to Belfast, so be it. Leinster were keen on bringing Wallabies star Matt Giteau on board at one stage. Munster tried to land Australian hooker Stephen Moore and Springboks flanker Pieter Steph du Toit at other junctures. It is understood that all three potential signings were shot down by the IRFU. Nucifora’s reasoning was simple: the presence of those marquee signings would hinder the development of Irish players in the same position.
Which brings us to Leinster. It’s been quite the week for the province. At times, the news cycle was struggling to keep up with all the good news pouring out of the operation.
A 40-point demolition of the defending champions secured a Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton at Croke Park, which is heading for a 82,300 sellout. The capture of All Blacks megastar Jordie Barrett was then announced, quickly followed by another transfer coup, with highly-rated attack coach Tyler Bleyendaal also arriving from New Zealand in the summer. RG Snyman is on the way from Thomond Park and there are rumours that Wallabies tighthead Taniela Tupou aka ‘The Tongan Thor’ is on Leo Cullen’s radar as well.
Naturally, these developments have drawn the ire of rival fans. The club has been dubbed ‘Dublin Saracens’ on social media in recent days. Leinster have drawn comparisons with Manchester City and we’ve seen ‘financial doping’ doing the rounds as well.
Leinster have developed 95 per cent of their playing squad in-house
It’s barmy stuff. Leinster, it must be stated, have developed around 95 per cent of their playing squad in-house. They aren’t a club of overseas mercenaries bankrolled by some wealthy tycoon of a gulf state. Some people need to get a grip.
The IRFU announcing a central contract deal for Dan Sheehan seems to have pushed some supporters of the other cash-strapped provinces over the edge. Sheehan has become the ninth Leinster player to move onto the national payroll. Jamison Gibson-Park, rather belatedly, will be the next to get a central contract pretty soon.
The net result is that soon, 10 of the 13 national deals on the table will belong to Leinster players. Only Tadhg Beirne, Bundee Aki and Iain Henderson will be on national contracts next season, with Conor Murray and Peter O’Mahony dropping onto provincial contracts in the summer.
So, a lot of rival noses have been put out of joint in recent times. Not just in Cork, Galway and Belfast. People are up in arms in Wales, England and France as well. How can anyone compete with this Leinster juggernaut?
Everyone needs to take a breath and examine the facts for a minute.
Yes, Leinster enjoy certain geographic and socio-economic advantages, with the capital city at the hub of a giant 12-county operation. The fee-paying schools system churns out players at a prolific rate.
And having 10 of your best players off the payroll – with the IRFU picking up the tab – allows the Leinster brains trust to source box-office signings like Barrett and Snyman. Having 13,000 season ticket holders, plenty of private investment and world class stadiums on your doorstep are other major advantages.
But this operation is reaping the rewards of decades of shrewd investment, on and off the pitch. The power-brokers within the province saw the writing on the wall when Nucifora came on board and made their academy system a priority. The Leinster pathways have been a welloiled machine for a long, long time. Whether it’s coaching education, getting rugby development officers into clubs and schools or holding open training sessions across the province, Leinster have been doing a lot of things right.
The net result has been a stellar roster of homegrown players. They are bulk suppliers to Ireland and have been for quite some time. As for the central contracts kerfuffle this week, ask yourself this question: which players in the rival camps have been denied?
Leinster are a dominant force at the moment. And it doesn’t look like a scenario which is going to change any time in the near future.
The province are servicing the needs of the national cause and are being handsomely rewarded. Some dissenters may think it’s unfair and the odds are stacked in their favour but Leinster have ruthlessly capitalised on every advantage.
It’s up to their rivals to innovate, think outside the box and close the gap in the years ahead.