LEINSTER RUGBY:LEINSTER COMPLETED a little housekeeping in terms of personnel when they confirmed Damian Browne and Fionn Carr had agreed to join on one-year contracts, hooker Richardt Strauss and flanker Dominic Ryan penned new two-year extensions, while scrumhalf John Cooney and outhalf Ian McKinley have respectively signed their first professional contracts after graduating from the academy.
There was also confirmation that centre Brendan Macken and outhalf Ian Madigan had accepted longer terms in respect of their present deals. Leinster coach Joe Schmidt explained: “We believe that both players (Carr and Browne) have the potential to make an impression over the coming season.
“Richardt (Strauss) has been a key performer in the Leinster frontrow this year and his contract extension is a further boost in addition to other recent contract extensions. With the extensions and new contracts for the younger players it is important that we continue to retain our best underage talent from the Leinster Academy.”
The 25-year-old Carr, a former Leinster academy player, will provide his new team with a serious cutting edge, having scored 34 tries in 72 matches – breaking Conor McPhillips record – in the three seasons he played with Connacht.
Galway born Browne arrives from Brive, for whom he has played on 30 occasions this season, having previously played with Connacht and the Northampton Saints. The 30-year-old former underage international is a big, strong secondrow who will bring ballast to the Leinster pack, a point which forwards coach Jono Gibbes alighted on when explaining the signing.
“That’s a position we’re looking to add to, to strengthen a little bit. His size in particular fits the profile we’re trying to cover during a period where we could be without our Irish-qualified locks and potentially, maybe our new signing Steven Sykes’s availability could be an issue (were he to be selected in the Springboks World Cup squad).
“So we just think the background check we’ve done on him, the position, the way he plays the game and his physique and most importantly, the kind of guy he is can add something to us and keep improving and developing and moving us along a little bit.”
Gibbes paid tribute to the departing Nathan Hines – the Australian-born Scottish international joins Clermont Auvergne in the summer – before asserting that neither Browne nor Sykes was a direct replacement in style terms for the French-bound secondrow.
“It’s the same position but Hinesy’s pretty hard to replace exactly. We just think Damian has a couple of good attributes we’re looking for and we think Steven Sykes can bring something as well. They’re both different kinds of guys. But Hinesy’s a pretty hard man to replace, obviously.”
The two-year extension for the 21-year-old Ryan is richly deserved as the former underage international has acquitted himself excellently, irrespective of tournament, while Strauss is probably vying for Leinster’s player-of-the-season accolade alongside fullback Isa Nacewa.
Gibbes spoke about the 25-year-old hooker’s impact this season. “It’s no so much he’s been a revelation. We knew he had some really good specific skills. This year, he’s been able to showcase those an awful lot more than he was able to do last season. It’s great news for us that he’s able to stay for a lot longer.
“He’s fitted into the group really well. His performances speak for themselves. He’s offered a lot, the energy; we have a saying about emptying the tank and he’s certainly done that every time he’s played for Leinster.
“Probably just as important is he’s a great guy off the pitch in the squad environment. He works really hard, fitted into the training sheds really well: just the way he conducts himself in the environment means it’s just a plus on the pitch and off the pitch that he’s staying on with us. He’s a bit like Rocky Elsom with the man of the match awards. He’s just been really good value and I mean that off the field as much as what you guys see on the field as well.”
Strauss will become Ireland qualified in 2012 but while Gibbes wouldn’t be drawn on the player’s ambitions for Test rugby he was happy to dwell on how well the South African and his compatriot Heinke van der Merwe have adjusted to the Leinster culture and their positive input, on and off the pitch.
“I don’t want to harp on about it but the way they have fitted into the group and the way they are comfortable in the changing shed amongst the guys, they have just been really decent and they have helped Leinster this year.
“They’ve added and they have put performances together as well. I think that is what you are really asking from your foreigners: just to come in, fit in, add and front up with performances.” Madigan may get a chance to underline his progress when the Leinster team to take on the Glasgow Warriors is named at lunchtime today. Cooney, just turned 21, is a brilliant prospect and the young scrumhalf, should get his chance next season.
Meanwhile Friday’s opponents Glasgow have signed Connacht’s Troy Nathan on a two-year deal.
The 27-year-old New Zealander can play at outhalf, centre, wing or fullback. He made 73 appearances for Connacht, scoring five tries over a four-year stint with the Irish province, but will join the Warriors subject to passing a medical.
