SCRUMHALF Tomás O’Leary said he left Munster because he was frustrated at not being selected for big games. The 28-year-old joined London Irish on a three-year deal and led the way as his new club trounced Munster 34-10 in a pre-season friendly on Friday night at Musgrave Park.
O’Leary was first-choice scrum-half when Munster won the Heineken Cup in 2008 and when Ireland won the Grand Slam the following season but fell down the pecking order with both sides following Conor Murray’s emergence. O’Leary said the move to London Irish would lead to a lot more game time.
“That’s what I want. That is one of the reasons I left. I felt, with Munster in the nine position it is very competitive and I wasn’t getting enough games. And the more games I play, the sharper I get and more confident I get,” he said.
O’Leary was left out of the World Cup a year ago but injuries paved the way for him to bring his international caps up to 24 in the latter stages of the Six Nations. He is hopeful his move to London Irish will revitalise his international career.
“I certainly don’t feel that I need redemption or anything like that. I felt last year the games I played with Munster and the contribution I made to the team, I felt it was very positive.
“I just felt I didn’t get enough time in the key games, so it is frustrating then. Whatever you do in the league games or off the bench doesn’t get recognised as much. Obviously you want to be playing the big games with your club . . . .
“But I just felt that the last year and a half, through injury and form and selection that I was waiting every three of four weeks for a game, or for a sustained period of playing a game.
“It was getting frustrating and I felt that I needed a fresh start,” added the Cork native.
O’Leary, who played 127 games for Munster, is poised to make his competitive debut for London Irish at Twickenham on Saturday against Saracens.
“I felt I was in my comfort zone a little in Munster and now I am probably one of the most experienced lads in London Irish, which is good. I have a lot of experience playing with Muster and Ireland and it is good to try and use that.
“I am happy how I have trained in pre-season, getting used to all the lads in London Irish and settling in with them,” he added.
Former Scottish international Dan Parks (34) is in a race against time to be fit to make his debut for Connacht against his former club Cardiff Blues at the Sportsground on Saturday.
Parks is struggling with a calf injury and Connacht coach Eric Elwood said he would wait until as late as possible in the week before finalising his side to give Parks and several other players every chance of being fit.
Ex-Leinster prop Nathan White is also on the doubtful list along with hooker Ethienne Reynecke, prop Rodney Ah You and centres Kyle Tonetti and Dave McSharry.
Hamstring victims, hooker Jason Harris-Wright, Paul O’Donoghue and backrower Eoin McKeown are ruled out.
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