Leinster exiles, where are they.

[Dave Cahill]

This is really sad to read

Rowan Osborne is to retire from professional rugby on medical grounds due to a concussion sustained earlier in the season.

Rowan has received specialist medical care since the concussion, and despite his best efforts and those of the medical team, along with lengthy discussions with those close to him, the decision to retire was made in the best interests of his long-term health.

https://www.munsterrugby.ie/2022/06/10/ ... confirmed/

[riocard911]

This is really sad to read

Rowan Osborne is to retire from professional rugby on medical grounds due to a concussion sustained earlier in the season.

Rowan has received specialist medical care since the concussion, and despite his best efforts and those of the medical team, along with lengthy discussions with those close to him, the decision to retire was made in the best interests of his long-term health.

https://www.munsterrugby.ie/2022/06/10/ ... confirmed/

Sure is. Hopefully he'll make a full recovery and not suffer any long term effects.

[Theleinsterlad]

Anyone know how Dominic Ryan is doing since he retired on similar grounfs

[Laighin Break]

Anyone know how Dominic Ryan is doing since he retired on similar grounfs

I actually saw him a few weeks ago in Deerpark playground (Mount Merrion) with, who I assume are, his partner/wife and kid.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Oisin Heffernan on the bench for Northampton today, that had passed me by.

[the spoofer]

I see McDonald (Oz U20 but from Dundaaaaaaaaaaaalk) has withdrawn from Oz A squad as he wants to keep Irish options open.

[wixfjord]

That's a very interesting and mature (and possible risky) move!

I'd hope we're keeping an eye on him given our struggles at 9.

[Theleinsterlad]

That's a very interesting and mature (and possible risky) move!

I'd hope we're keeping an eye on him given our struggles at 9.

Could Leinster have possibly already been in contact with him. Maybe our new backs coach is already on the ball

[Serb]

It’s not like he has been a huge success in Australia — 23 next week and has a total of 91 minutes of rugby so far. Worth keeping an eye on him but I doubt anyone is making a move for him just yet.

[Blue Man]

Olí Jager very solid as part of a dominant Crusaders front five in the Super Rugby final.
He’s a 128kg tight head with good hands who’s a strong scrummager. Nucifora and Easterby need to get him back here fast. Big Mile is a nice rugby player but vulnerable in the tight so I really think Olí could add serious depth to the team.

[Oldschoolsocks]

Olí Jager very solid as part of a dominant Crusaders front five in the Super Rugby final.
He’s a 128kg tight head with good hands who’s a strong scrummager. Nucifora and Easterby need to get him back here fast. Big Mile is a nice rugby player but vulnerable in the tight so I really think Olí could add serious depth to the team.

I don’t think Jager has ever hinted he wanted to come home. I think he wants to be an All Black

[Dave Cahill]

And if the Union were to bring him home, he won't be playing for Leinster

[munster#1]

Do any of you know Jager?
Given that he was born in England, and his dad is Dutch (or so I believe?) does he see himself as Irish?

Is he a big Leinster fan?

As an Munster and Irish fan, I would love to see someone of his calibre and relative youth snapped up by Munster, and I’m sure fans of each of the provinces would love of their respective province signed him.

[neiliog93]

Scrummaging in Super Rugby, including New Zealand, is generally weak. Weaker than in northern hemisphere club rugby for sure. Ruaidhrí Murphy, who could hardly get a cap at Ulster, was a regular in Super Rugby. Don't think Jager is that good to be honest.

[ronk]

Olí Jager very solid as part of a dominant Crusaders front five in the Super Rugby final.
He’s a 128kg tight head with good hands who’s a strong scrummager. Nucifora and Easterby need to get him back here fast. Big Mile is a nice rugby player but vulnerable in the tight so I really think Olí could add serious depth to the team.

I don’t think Jager has ever hinted he wanted to come home. I think he wants to be an All Black

He wants to get a full price deal wherever he goes. And that might not have been on the table.

There wasn't anything close to a gap until Porter moved and really it needed Ryan out too and for the Healy tighthead experiment not to stick.

It can really only be Munster, and the IRFU want to push back against a tighthead now. There's little point in cutting Ryan to save money and then splurging. But a year later if Jager is still on the board he starts to get more desperate. And the IRFU can play him if he's completed the SH season and signed a provincial deal.

It suits him to wait unless he gets a desperate offer from Nucifora. And it suits Nucifora to wait a year at least as long as he can keep the Munster influence in line and as long as Faz is Luke warm.

There's another political aspect about Jager. The system in Ireland says you do a year or two of sub-academy and then 3 years of low paid academy. Guys who go to market and leave after their leaving put huge pressure on the viability of that system. Preferential treatment of Jager would be decisive for many considering leaving. The IRFU might make a point of having nothing to do with him.

[Serb]

There's another political aspect about Jager. The system in Ireland says you do a year or two of sub-academy and then 3 years of low paid academy. Guys who go to market and leave after their leaving put huge pressure on the viability of that system. Preferential treatment of Jager would be decisive for many considering leaving. The IRFU might make a point of having nothing to do with him.

Not so sure about this bit. Jager had to work hard to be anything more than a bit part player for Crusaders. This is his first season where he’s gotten more than 300 minutes and he turns 27 in a couple of weeks.

I don’t think it would be viewed as controversial or preferential treatment to draft him in at this point after he has established himself — maybe if they had done it a year or two after he left when he would ordinarily have been on an academy contract, but not now.

[ronk]

Yes, but Jager has had a higher profile all that time and his name comes up easily. If Faz wanted to pick him it wouldn’t be much of a barrier. It’s just something that works against marginal cases.

The IRFU want to sell the story that players are willing to get paid less to have the chance to play for Ireland. Sometimes that’s true, but they certainly want young players negotiating contracts to believe it.

If they reach for Jager, even if they don’t sign him, they’ve going to hear his name when young players are trying to improve their terms.

[Oldschoolsocks]

So I’ve not actually heard whetherJäger is IQ, ive just assumed he is, but could he be in the same situation as that Russian winger (Artimev?)

[Serb]

Pretty certain he is eligible for Ireland. He discussed potentially playing for Ireland in an interview with RTE and refers to Ireland as “home”.

Also, his contract appears to be up this summer and he doesn’t look like he’s getting his anew Zealand chance right now, so could be Munster bound after all…

[Oldschoolsocks]

Pretty certain he is eligible for Ireland. He discussed potentially playing for Ireland in an interview with RTE and refers to Ireland as “home”.

Also, his contract appears to be up this summer and he doesn’t look like he’s getting his anew Zealand chance right now, so could be Munster bound after all…

So, if his ma or one grandparent is Irish it’s very straightforward. Otherwise I just don’t understand how the rules work for underage people layers. I think he left Ireland at 17 or 18 right?