EADESTOWN’S JIMMY LOOKING TO END SEASON ON A HIGH NOTE

By Daire Walsh 

Following a frustrating spell on the sideline, Eadestown’s Jimmy O’Brien is now feeling fresh and rejuvenated as Leinster aim to challenge on all fronts at the business end of the 2023/24 season.

Initially selected at full-back for the New Year’s Day clash against Ulster in the United Rugby Championship at the RDS, the former Newbridge College student was ultimately a late withdrawal from the game and it was confirmed a week later that he was due to spend several months on the sideline with a neck injury. This ruled him out of Ireland’s successful defence of their Six Nations Championship crown and a plethora of provincial fixtures, but the Kildare native finally made his return off the bench in Leinster’s tense Champions Cup semi-final win over Northampton Saints at Croke Park the weekend before last.

He was subsequently named on the left-wing for the Blues’ comprehensive victory against Ospreys in Ballsbridge on Saturday and in addition to claiming a third-minute breakthrough try, O’Brien delivered an impressive all-round performance that helped him to secure a player of the match award.

“It was frustrating to miss out on European games, the Six Nations and stuff like that. Definitely. It was frustrating, but you can’t really do anything. There’s a timeline and you’re focused on trying to get back and, when you get back, trying to put your hand up for selection and try and play well,” O’Brien remarked after Saturday’s game.

“A lot of lads are carrying bangs from during the season. I’ve been doing that the last few years. I’m feeling very fresh, the shoulders feel good for once. There is that benefit, I just need to get up to match fitness and that 80 minutes helped. That’s the other side of the coin.”

Although they ultimately came away with a 61-14 bonus point victory that left them just a single point behind pace-setters Glasgow Warriors in the URC table, Leinster didn’t always have it their own way against the Ospreys in the Ballsbridge venue. Despite storming into a 14-0 lead with converted tries from O’Brien himself and Ross Molony, the hosts’ cushion had been wiped out by the end of the opening quarter.

Leo Cullen’s men were also temporarily reduced to 14 players as a result of Ciaran Frawley being sin-binned for his role in a 19th minute penalty try for Ospreys. Yet Leinster eventually regained control with the first of three tries from O’Brien’s fellow winger Jordan Larmour and after bringing a 21-14 buffer into the dressing rooms, Leinster clinically registered 40 unanswered points on the resumption.

“They’re a good side. We talked about it all week that they’re going to put us under pressure. They put our exits under pressure especially, coming out in that first half. We weren’t that accurate getting out of our own half. We let them in and they took advantage of that. Frawls [Ciaran Frawley] getting yellow carded was a hard period to manage. He was unlucky, there was no malice in it.

“You have to manage that period, myself and Jordo [Jordan Larmour] talked about playing full-back and wing. We train sometimes with 13 on 15 to get used to that, to try and put yourself in the pressure. So when something like that happens in the game, you’re not too fazed.”

Considering his complete lack of on-field action in 2024 up to that point didn’t prevent him making the match day 23 for Northampton’s visit to GAA HQ at the beginning of the month, O’Brien will be confident of also featuring in the Champions Cup final showdown with Toulouse at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday week – particularly now that he has an extra 80 minutes under his belt.

Yet given the length of his absence – his previous appearance before the Northampton game was a Champions Cup pool stage encounter with Sale Sharks on 16 December of last year – O’Brien is also eager for a run-out against Ulster in the URC at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast this coming weekend.

“To be honest, I just want to play as much as I can at the moment. That’s the one thing I’m missing, game time. I’ve no issue, I’d love to play next weekend. Selection for the Champions Cup final is going to be tough. There are so many good players, you see the lads still injured at the moment,” O’Brien added.

“There are so many players stepping into their position and playing well at the moment, so it’s such a tough team to get into. No doubt whoever gets selected next week will play well. Hopefully I get selected and then turn the page to the Champions Cup final after that. Next weekend is huge for us at Ulster.”