Sean Cronin

[cormac]

by blockhead

I think Nugget scored his 43rd Try today for Leinster. Goes ahead of RobK into 6th place. Only Isa, DaveK, Hickie, Darcy and O'Driscoll ahead of him now.
For a Hooker, wow.

Even more impressive when you realise he didn't come through the academy but had a few seasons under his belt at Munster and Connacht first.

I wonder what the metrics for tries per cap are. Or tries per minute played, but appreciate that the data may not be there for that.

Unfortunately I don't have accurate minutes played for matches that took place before the 2003/04 season so can't provide accurate tries per minutes for Hickie, Horgan, BOD or Darce.

Top 10 try scorers for Leinster (tries per game)

1 Denis Hickie 0.44 tries per game 56 tries/126 caps
2 Shane Horgan 0.34 69/204
3 Brian O'Driscoll 0.33 61/186
4 Dave Kearney 0.30 51/169: 224 minutes per try
5 Isa Nacewa 0.25 47/185: 291 minutes per try
5 Luke McGrath 0.25 39/153: 195 minutes per try
7 Gordon D'Arcy 0.23 60/258
8 Sean Cronin 0.22 43/196: 221 minutes per try
9 Rob Kearney 0.19 42/219: 350 minutes per try
10 Jamie Heaslip 0.17 38/229: 457 minutes per try

[Xanthippe]

I wonder what the metrics for tries per cap are. Or tries per minute played, but appreciate that the data may not be there for that.

[arsebiscuits1]

No real surprises but disappointing to see another legend hang up their boots.

Best of luck Nugget!!

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/cronin-to- ... of-season/

[the spoofer]

Best of luck Sean even if it is coaching Mary's!. A fantastic servant to Leinster along with the contribution he made to Ireland, Connacht and Munster. A wonderful career.

[riocard911]

Thanks for everything, Nugget! Best of luck for the future!!!

[Blueberry]

Everytime nugget got the ball there was always a chance of something magical happening and it often did !! Serious acceleration !!

Always loved watching him play, thanks for everything Nugget !!

[blockhead]

Updated his stats:

45 tries and counting, same as James Lowe, only 2 behind Isa and most for a forward.
13 in 2018/19 alone (6 in the Heino), only Dr. Phil in 2005/06 with 15 has scored more in a season this century
16 tries in the Heino, same as Isa.
Scored tries in the.......
2012 Pro12 Final v Ospreys
2012 Heino Final v Ulster
2013 Challenge Cup Final v Stade
2016 Pro12 Final v Connacht
2018 Pro14 Final v Scarlets

Other notable tries include semi-final tries v Ulster (2016) and that marvelous team try v Munster in the 2019 semi.

Anyone remember the first try for Leinster scored against Montpellier away in 2011? Big one that.
More points than appearances!
Woven into this clubs fabric is Sean Cronin.

What a player. What a big game player. And such a high bar he has left for Kelleher and Sheehan.
Thanks Sean.

[joooooe]

Any chance of a few minutes at centre before the end of the season? Thanks for everything, Sean.

[hugonaut]

Cro has been such a player for us for a hell of a long time. When he arrived he and Richardt Strauss had a great rivalry/partnership in the No2/No16 jerseys. That seems like a long time ago now ... because it was!

When you get the Players' Player of the Year Award at Leinster, it's a big deal. We always have some serious, world class players on the books, and to have your fellow pros vote you as the best player in the club is a big, big tribute to both your ability and your competitive attitude.

Before matches that season, players across the dressing room were thinking to themselves "We've got Nugget, if he gets his hands on it in a bit of space, get after him because there's a try in it". And after that season, they'd be looking around and thinking, "There's Nugget – best player in the club last season. We've got hooker locked down."

It's hard to win Player of the Month in Leinster, never mind Player of the Season. Rhys Ruddock won Player of the Month three times in a row at the start of last season ... and then Robbie Henshaw blew the doors off in the first half of 2021 and was the best back in European rugby. Rhys had earned it, but Robbie earned it more. It's a bloody hard award to land.

Getting that Player of the Year award, backing it up with another monster season four years later – 13 tries in 20 games, 12 tries in 16 starts – and then hitting the 200 mark on top of nine major trophies ... it has been a great career. Being able to leave it on your own terms at 36 years of age is a super way to sign off. Well done Cro.