Leinster are developing a penchant for making leftfield signings. Snapping up RG Snyman after he was released by Munster was cheeky, Rabah Slimani was their first French player and Jordie Barrett was sprinkled with stardust. All have proved highly beneficial and astute signings as well and next up comes Reiko Ioane, the pantomime villain after his post-match spat with Johnny Sexton at the end of the World Cup quarter-final.
The gamble on Snyman has paid off handsomely. The dual World Cup-winning lock has already accumulated more minutes (853) in his first campaign with Leinster than in four injury-ravaged seasons with Munster.
The latter’s supporters can have no legitimate grievances with Snyman or Leinster, whatever about Andy Farrell not picking Jean Kleyn for Ireland, as a result of which Munster could not keep both. But Munster can justifiably complain about not being allowed to keep Dian Bleuler whereas Slimani has since signed a new contract extension for Leinster, not to mention nearly losing Jack Crowley when not being offered a central contract meant he had to accept less than 50 per cent of his market value across the water.
Why do Leinster keep signing All Blacks?
It must also gall Munster, as well as Ulster and Connacht, that Leinster are allowed to sign Barrett when they already have two Irish international centres and, as was the cast last week, can pick the versatile All Blacks’ ahead of Robbie Henshaw. And now they have permission to sign Ioane as well.
But Leinster are evidently restricted in how much they can play Barrett, witness his absence during the Six Nations and for this Saturday’s URC derby against Ulster at the Aviva Stadium (kick-off 7.35pm). Were they to hand Barrett back to New Zealand having had a mutually beneficial “sabbatical” with Leinster it’s a win-win for all concerned.
In this regard, the benefits of Barrett’s acquisition might continue to be so for some to come. For perhaps the most significant aspect of Barrett’s short-term deal with Leinster, which was factored into a contract extension with the NZRU, is that it has opened the eyes of current and future All Blacks to the merits of a “sabbatical” with, Leinster rather than the customary hop to Japan.
It could also start a trend. Witness the signing of Ioane, although the following World Cup year could prove trickier for such sabbaticals.
As with the aforementioned trio of Barrett, Slimani and Snyman, for sure Leinster have also been mindful of their forced move out of the RDS this season and their need to sell tickets to the Aviva and Croke Park. But then sport is a business too and that part of the equation has clearly worked too.
Barrett’s time with Leinster has already revived memories of Brad Thorn’s short-term signing in the latter stages of the 2011-12 season. The multi-decorated former All Blacks lock only signed for three months and only played eight games, albeit one of them was alongside Leo Cullen in the Heineken Cup final in Twickenham when Leinster beat Ulster.
But his influence, and particularly his sheer professionalism, had a profound effect on even Brian O’Driscoll and other experienced members of that Leinster team.
One ventures that Barrett, ridiculously complete and accomplished on both sides of the ball, is having a similar effect. Cullen speaks of Barrett conducting coaching sessions with kids in Dundalk and in St Mary’s College, and of the benefits in, say, Barrett working one-on-one with Caspar Gabriel on Leinster’s recent two-match tour of South Africa.
In all of this, it’s also worth noting that all bar Robbie Henshaw and Snyman of Leinster’s 23-man squad against Ulster this weekend are indigenous players who came through the province’s pathway. While the vast bulk are products of schools whose budgets and facilities dwarf their rivals in the other provinces, Jamie Osborne, Ciaran Frawley and Tadhg Furlong, Ciarán Frawley and Jamie Osborne were products of the clubs and youths system. In addition, five of the Ulster 23 also came through the Leinster pathway.
But this is all the more reason, therefore, why a sprinkling of stardust ticks plenty of boxes. And, of course, the biggest benefit of signing Barrett, Snyman and Slimani might still be yet to come.
