The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
FORMER Munster and Ireland flanker Alan Quinlan has told The Clare Champion that the emergence of Ennis native Luke O’Dea and 20-year-old Doonbeg man Brian Haugh, who played in Munster As’ 15-0 win over Plymouth Albion last Friday night, is a signal that players from non-rugby areas can make careers in the game.
O’Dea has featured regularly in the Munster match day squad this season. He made the move up from the sub-academy at the start of the 2010/2011 season and is a regular in the British and Irish Cup squad. He made his senior debut, scoring a try, against Edinburgh in the RaboDirect PRO12 in November 2011.
Haugh, who turned 20 on January 14 and played underage for Kilrush, won a Munster Senior Cup medal with Rockwell College in 2011 and plays his club rugby with Young Munster.
“It sends out a good message that if you’re good enough, it doesn’t matter where you come from; there’s an opportunity to get into the academies or some of the clubs from Limerick and put yourself in the shop window. It’s really nice to see guys from non-traditional rugby areas getting those opportunities,” Quinlan commented. He was in St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield’s GAA complex in Gurteen last Saturday for the launch of the Hurley Hoey memorial 10km run/walk on March 9.
“Luke O’Dea is an undoubted talent. He’s a fantastic player with a bit of that X-factor. It’s shown with the emergence of Brian Haugh as well that there’s a pathway there for young guys,” Quinlan added.
The Tipperary man expressed some surprise at Declan Kidney’s announcement last week that Jamie Heaslip will succeed Brian O’Driscoll as Irish captain for the 2013 Six Nations.
“It might be a little bit soon. Declan could have waited until November. The positives are it’s time to build some new leadership around the team. There’s a lot of young guys coming through. Declan Kidney is the coach, he sees that and that’s what coaches do. They have to make big calls. Hopefully, they’ll get the best out of Brian O’Driscoll as well,” Quinlan said.
His admiration for the now former Ireland captain is crystal clear.
“He’s a real leader, a warrior and a winner. He would not have wanted to relinquish the captaincy. But knowing the guy as I do, he’ll still approach the wearing of the green jersey with 100% commitment. It’s a big decision for sure. I think it’s with a view to building for the 2015 World Cup.
“There’s been a lot of debate about it in the last week. If it works out well, I think everyone will say it was a great call from Declan Kidney. If the team struggles a little bit and lacks a bit of leadership, everyone will go back to this debate again. It’s a brave call but I don’t think it’s as big as people are making out,” Quinlan suggested.
He feels O’Driscoll will put the disappointment of losing the captaincy to one side once the Six Nations tournament starts next month.
“O’Driscoll will surely be disappointed and it probably would have been nice from an emotional point of view to see him captain the team, probably for his last Six Nations. His contribution to Irish rugby has been phenomenal. I was lucky enough to play with him and under his captaincy. He’s a fantastic guy and a great leader. He’ll play his best for Ireland, no matter whether he’s captain or not,” Quinlan asserted.
He doesn’t accept that O’Driscoll’s chances of captaining the Lions later this year have reduced significantly due to Heaslip’s promotion as national captain.
“I don’t think it’ll affect his possible leadership of the Lions. He’s got to concentrate now on playing. If he plays well for Ireland, I still think he’s in the running. He hasn’t played a lot of rugby in the last six months. He’s got to get back playing rugby at a high level. I still think he has a very good chance. It was proven with Paul O’Connell in 2009 that you don’t have to be captain of your country to captain the Lions. I think he’s in the running,” Quinlan said.
Speaking to the large crowd that attended the launch of the memorial run/walk, Quinlan said he knows first hand what makes communities tick.
“I’m steeped in GAA in Tipperary where I come from. I come from a rural area and I know what it’s like to be involved in my own GAA club in Clonwilliam in Tipperary. What’s nice to see is the coming together of everybody in the club in memory of lost loved ones. It’s very important to remember those people. There’s a huge effort gone in behind the scenes. I hope it’s a great success,” he said.
“I know what goes on behind the scenes in clubs and the effort that people have to make to keep clubs going. That’s what sport is all about; people coming together to support each other and remember the loved ones that are gone,” the former back-row forward concluded.
