Dev to retire

[mildlyinterested]

Leinster Rugby can confirm the retirement of second row forward Devin Toner at the end of the current season.

Toner, who turns 36 in June, made his Leinster Rugby debut in January 2006 off the bench against the Border Reivers, and has since had a glittering career in the blue of Leinster and, of course, in the green of Ireland.

He won 70 caps for Ireland, won three Six Nations winners’ medals and was a member of the 2018 Grand Slam winning side.

During his time with Leinster, the Meath native has to date won four Heineken Cup titles, a Challenge Cup title and seven league titles, as well as becoming the most capped player in Leinster history.

Speaking to leinsterrugby.ie, Toner admitted it was not the easiest decision to make but that the time felt right.

“There is never a right time I suppose and you would love to keep playing but I feel very lucky to have had the career that I have had and I am able to leave the sport that I love and the club that I love, in good health and on my own terms.

“I have been around the club for long enough to understand that not everyone is that lucky, and I feel that the time is right now to focus on that next chapter and of course, spending more time with Mary, with Max and with Grace. They, and Mary in particular, have put their lives on hold to enable me to perform and I couldn’t have done it without them. So now it’s about them and us all enjoying more time together.”

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/appearance ... er-retire/

[Flash Gordon]

Broke our caps record in the most successful period in the club's history winning 4 Heineken Cup titles, a Challenge Cup title and 7 leagues. You can add 3 6 Nations and a Grand Slam, that's the measure of the man. Let's hope we can add more silverware to his incredible tally! One of our all time greats.

[Avenger]

What a career!
An absolutely brilliant servant to the club.
One of our all time greats is spot on.

[FLIP]

Ah jaysus Mike McCarthy will be inconsolable

Seriously though a real favourite player of mine, often unfashionable but always ground away and worked hard and his cap total and medal tally shows the worth of the man.

Now there will be only 3 players left playing from the original HC final squad and only 2 of them at Leinster.

[hugonaut]

Absolutely, one of our greats. He has given so much to Leinster and been such a modest, hard-working and sound guy throughout. Over the course of his career he put in an astounding amount of hard work and kept on pushing himself to make as big a contribution to the team as he could.

[riocard911]

I doff my hat. Enjoy your retirement from rugby, Dev, you sure deserve it!!!

[Theleinsterlad]

Thinking back to when he first broke into the scene and at the beginning there were many parts of his game that needed to come up most noticeably his positioning of the ball when he got tackled, his height at that point was being used to his disadvantage, but he was one of the hardest workers on the team and changed any weakness into an advantage to become the superb player has has been for both the blue and green jerseys he’s donned.

What a legend and another of that great team to finally call it a day. Very happy memories and sad to see him go but delighted he gets to do it on his own terms

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Thinking back to when he first broke into the scene and at the beginning there were many parts of his game that needed to come up most noticeably his positioning of the ball when he got tackled, his height at that point was being used to his disadvantage, but he was one of the hardest workers on the team and changed any weakness into an advantage to become the superb player has has been for both the blue and green jerseys he’s donned.

What a legend and another of that great team to finally call it a day. Very happy memories and sad to see him go but delighted he gets to do it on his own terms

I’ve very much the same thoughts. I know he had a slight physical advantage but god he had to work hard to make up for all the issues that caused and it’s easy to forget now but he copped a lot of criticism in the early days.

I’ve said this so many times on here but at the start of his career he’d have a game where his breakdown work was terrible but his carrying was good, then pitch up the next week and be brilliant at the breakdown but get thrown back when he’d carry. I think it was around 2010 that it started to come together and then he really kicked on after Thorn’s time here. From about 2013 to 2018 he was absolutely top class. It was a really strong era for second rows so he was really unlucky to miss out on a Lions spot but he was always well able for the more celebrated ones he played against and was so important in so many big wins.

His handling was very underrated as well. People talk about the difference Porter and Furlong make but Dev’s ability to play first receiver and pop it out the back was a really important part of Ireland’s success under Joe.

What a career he’s had when you see it listed out like that

[RoboProp]

Someone has bumped up Dev's height on Wiki

Best of luck Dev in your future, you will be sorely missed

[ronk]

A giant of the game. So many achievements. The guy played against Borders. What a career.

[curates_egg]

Thinking back to when he first broke into the scene and at the beginning there were many parts of his game that needed to come up most noticeably his positioning of the ball when he got tackled, his height at that point was being used to his disadvantage, but he was one of the hardest workers on the team and changed any weakness into an advantage to become the superb player has has been for both the blue and green jerseys he’s donned.

What a legend and another of that great team to finally call it a day. Very happy memories and sad to see him go but delighted he gets to do it on his own terms

I’ve very much the same thoughts. I know he had a slight physical advantage but god he had to work hard to make up for all the issues that caused and it’s easy to forget now but he copped a lot of criticism in the early days.

I’ve said this so many times on here but at the start of his career he’d have a game where his breakdown work was terrible but his carrying was good, then pitch up the next week and be brilliant at the breakdown but get thrown back when he’d carry. I think it was around 2010 that it started to come together and then he really kicked on after Thorn’s time here. From about 2013 to 2018 he was absolutely top class. It was a really strong era for second rows so he was really unlucky to miss out on a Lions spot but he was always well able for the more celebrated ones he played against and was so important in so many big wins.

His handling was very underrated as well. People talk about the difference Porter and Furlong make but Dev’s ability to play first receiver and pop it out the back was a really important part of Ireland’s success under Joe.

What a career he’s had when you see it listed out like that

Very good combined assessment there. Only change I would make is that I think the period he was top class was from around 2012-20.
He should have been selected for the world cup. It was a mistake not to do so, particularly when Schmidt brought the bang average Kleyn instead.
It was the only time in his entire career that I can remember him 'speaking out' in a critical way.
Delighted for him he got another crack with Ireland after, and performed well.

He doesn't need any more medals, but I hope we can give him two more all the same.

[riocard911]

Curate's Egg: "(...) He doesn't need any more medals, but I hope we can give him two more all the same."

Forward thinking! I like it!!!

[fourthirtythree]

He'll be glad to have me stop shouting "stretch for the line" when he gets the ball on the half way line. I'm told that does get really old.

What a servant for Leinster and Ireland. Another one club double centurian. The sheer amount of first class games the man, and the amount of decoration beggar belief.

[Flash Gordon]

Thinking back to when he first broke into the scene and at the beginning there were many parts of his game that needed to come up most noticeably his positioning of the ball when he got tackled, his height at that point was being used to his disadvantage, but he was one of the hardest workers on the team and changed any weakness into an advantage to become the superb player has has been for both the blue and green jerseys he’s donned.

What a legend and another of that great team to finally call it a day. Very happy memories and sad to see him go but delighted he gets to do it on his own terms

I’ve very much the same thoughts. I know he had a slight physical advantage but god he had to work hard to make up for all the issues that caused and it’s easy to forget now but he copped a lot of criticism in the early days.

Yes and no on the physical advantage. His height was helpful at lineout time but he was nearly 130kg so not always the easiest to lift. His height would more likely be a disadvantage in scrums, in the tackle and when he was hitting rucks but he worked unbelievably hard to circumnavigate all of that.

[Theleinsterlad]

Thinking back to when he first broke into the scene and at the beginning there were many parts of his game that needed to come up most noticeably his positioning of the ball when he got tackled, his height at that point was being used to his disadvantage, but he was one of the hardest workers on the team and changed any weakness into an advantage to become the superb player has has been for both the blue and green jerseys he’s donned.

What a legend and another of that great team to finally call it a day. Very happy memories and sad to see him go but delighted he gets to do it on his own terms

I’ve very much the same thoughts. I know he had a slight physical advantage but god he had to work hard to make up for all the issues that caused and it’s easy to forget now but he copped a lot of criticism in the early days.

I’ve said this so many times on here but at the start of his career he’d have a game where his breakdown work was terrible but his carrying was good, then pitch up the next week and be brilliant at the breakdown but get thrown back when he’d carry. I think it was around 2010 that it started to come together and then he really kicked on after Thorn’s time here. From about 2013 to 2018 he was absolutely top class. It was a really strong era for second rows so he was really unlucky to miss out on a Lions spot but he was always well able for the more celebrated ones he played against and was so important in so many big wins.

His handling was very underrated as well. People talk about the difference Porter and Furlong make but Dev’s ability to play first receiver and pop it out the back was a really important part of Ireland’s success under Joe.

What a career he’s had when you see it listed out like that

Very good combined assessment there. Only change I would make is that I think the period he was top class was from around 2012-20.
He should have been selected for the world cup. It was a mistake not to do so, particularly when Schmidt brought the bang average Kleyn instead.
It was the only time in his entire career that I can remember him 'speaking out' in a critical way.
Delighted for him he got another crack with Ireland after, and performed well.

He doesn't need any more medals, but I hope we can give him two more all the same.

In fairness even when he spoke out it was well after the competition was over and he was very polite about it when others could have put the boot in. LeRoux I remember those exact games . He would run up get tackled, fall like a tree just axed a mile past the game line where our cleaners couldn’t get to the ball in time and the opposition would jackal. You are right the fan base was very negative towards him at the start but it just shows the measure of the player he has become that fans home and away, would have nothing but positives about him now

[blockhead]

It had to come some time I suppose. But it really feels like the end of an era, a golden era in which he played a pivotal role. He got better year on year until he was a towering presence in our team.
15 winners medals, that must be some sort of record?
Hope you are as successful in the next phase of your life Devin as you have been in this one.

[wixfjord]

There was a Scarlets home game around 2013 in the RDS, think it might've been in Europe that I remember saying 'Toner will never make it', he's just too awkward and not cut out for this level.

And lo and behold he went on to be one of our most effective players in the next 7 years or so.

Was an integral part of Schmidt's Ireland too.

[ronk]

He had to learn to play the game a little differently to get the best out of himself.

One of them being he could leave bigger gaps in the defensive line without worrying about mismatches. He was just too hard to run around. It was so much fun watching attackers finding that out.

[jezzer]

Some man for one and a half men.

Guy was absolutely invincible as well. His availability % over his career must be one of Ireland's best. Amazing considering his position and the attritional style.

[Oldschoolsocks]

I’m not sure that absolute f%~king ledge even covers the half of how important he was to us. Good man Dev, enjoy the next challenge, whatever it may be