Tommy O'Brien: 'I don't want to be a one-cap wonder'
The fact that it's taken the Blackrock man so long to nail down his place in Leinster's starting XV has been more down to his injury record than any lack of will or ability.
Just over six months ago, he made what would have been a bold statement when he said he believed he just needed a run of games to prove to the Irish coaches he was ready to make the step up to Test rugby. He's backed up that talk.
At the time, he was priming himself for a return from a hamstring injury which sidelined him for three months. He cruelly picked up the injury in the process of scoring a try in Leinster's opening game of the BKT United Rugby Championship away to Edinburgh, and it was one that ruled him out of the Emerging Ireland tour of South Africa.
The Irish coaches showed faith in him by giving him a chance to impress for Ireland A against England A towards the end of February and he impressed enough to be brought into the wider senior squad later in the Guinness Six Nations.
His form since then has been as good as any winger in Ireland, starting nine of Leinster's final 13 games of the season, scoring three tries and establishing himself as first choice on the right wing for the province, with a highlight reel of moments in both attack and defence.
"I've loved my rugby the last few months," the wing said this week, ahead of Ireland's summer Tests in Tbilisi and Lisbon.
"I love just getting a run of games. It's something I haven't really had in my career, getting an extended period of games, and thankfully that tied in with the [URC] trophy.
"I guess I've known what I can do in training, but it's obviously behind closed doors so the general public wouldn't see it, but I had a bit of confidence in what I was doing, and the fact you're training in Leinster with such high level players, such international quality players, I took a bit of confidence from that and I felt I just needed to get a chance to get a couple of games under my belt."
Despite missing three months with that hamstring injury, the 12 games he played for Leinster this season are the most he's ever logged in a season, with his injury history limiting him to just 31 games in the previous five campaign.
If there is a silver lining to O'Brien's (below) injury this season, it's that he's coming into the summer feeling fresh rather than fatigued.
"It probably is something that potentially stood to me. I think I played 13 or 14 games this year where some guys would be in the 20s.
"It's not something I'd trade, I would rather play the 20-something games, but it's almost as if my season started in February or whenever I started playing games. So I'm enjoying that now and the body's feeling good.
"Injuries-wise I guess it was weird, I always would have been able to come back and have full faith - it's probably a credit to all the physios - but I never really felt coming back that I was running at 80% or 75% or whatever.
"Once I was back, I felt like I had full confidence in myself to be able to do whatever I felt like I needed to do."
Now that he's in the Ireland squad, he's planning to stay there.
With 16 Ireland regulars currently away on the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, this summer's squad has an inexperienced feel to it, and O'Brien is one of 12 uncapped players in the squad of 32, which will be captained by Craig Casey and coached by Paul O'Connell.
And having got a taste of international rugby for Ireland A in February (below), he believes he's ready for the real thing, either on the wing or at centre.
"I definitely don't want to be a one-cap wonder. Hopefully this is the start for me now of being in this squad and pushing for places.
"Obviously, there's guys away, Lowey [James Lowe] and Mack [Hansen] are away with the Lions, so there's two wingers there for Ireland, but I want to try stake a claim and make myself a mainstay in this squad and try to push [for a place in future squads].
"Obviously there's this summer tour and then you've November internationals and Six Nations and stuff.
"I'm dying to play a game for Ireland, so wherever they play me, I'll happily play.
"I think I probably have been viewed more as a winger at the moment, but if it's wing, if it's centre, if it's the 23 role, yeah, I'm happy to play wherever.
"It's what you dream of as a kid, getting to represent your country. There's 12 of us in here who haven't done it yet, so fingers crossed now as many of them can get that first cap."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The 42
6 hours ago
- The 42
5 Irish players set for regular Premier League football and 7 on the periphery
5 players likely to get substantial game time Caoimhín Kelleher Kelleher joined Brentford from Liverpool in the summer for €14 million, potentially rising to €21 million in add-ons. The 26-year-old looks set to be finally given a chance as a regular number one, having spent years at the Reds as arguably the Premier League's most reliable back-up stopper. The Cork native already has 25 Premier League appearances under his belt and featured 67 times in all competitions for the Anfield outfit, so he's not short of top-level experience. It'll be interesting to see how he fares with a team that doesn't invariably dominate the ball and concede minimal chances, although he has some experience of that too with Ireland. Nathan Collins Since joining Brentford for a club-record €26.6 million in the summer of 2023, Collins has swiftly developed into a key player for the Bees. The 24-year-old's importance has been highlighted by the fact that new manager Keith Andrews has appointed his fellow Irishman as club captain. Collins was the only outfielder to play every single minute of Premier League action last season, and such reliability has drawn interest from elsewhere, with Tottenham and Liverpool among the clubs rumoured to be admirers of the Leixlip native. Josh Cullen Another Irish international who is the captain of his club. The 29-year-old featured in 44 of Burnley's 46 appearances as they were promoted from the Championship as runners-up last season. And Cullen featured in 25 of 38 matches as the Clarets were relegated from the Premier League the season before last. And the 42-times capped Ireland player is expected to play a prominent role again. The Lancashire-based outfit will be among the favourites for the drop again, but Cullen now has over 100 appearances to his name at Burnley alone, and that level of experience will be invaluable in their bid to avoid relegation. Jake O'Brien Having looked surplus to requirements in the first half of last season after moving to Everton from Lyon in a €20 million deal, O'Brien became a regular after David Moyes replaced Sean Dyche as manager. The 24-year-old made 20 top-flight appearances in total, scoring two goals, and the majority of those came at right-back. The Toffees have been linked with a player who specialises in that position, Kellen Fisher, but O'Brien is expected to get plenty of game time regardless, potentially in his favoured position at centre-half. Advertisement Matt Doherty Another Irish player who benefited from a change in manager last season. Doherty ended up making 30 Premier League appearances last season, but it was only when Vítor Pereira replaced Gary O'Neil as coach that he became a regular starter. The Dubliner will be 34 in January, but, after difficult spells at Tottenham and Atletico Madrid, he has looked increasingly rejuvenated since returning to Wolves. Key to his resurgence has been a positional switch — Doherty now mainly operates as a right-sided centre-back and is no longer required to exhibit the immense physicality required to be a Premier League wing-back. He has made 60 top-flight appearances overall in his last two seasons at Wolves, compared to 44 in three campaigns at Spurs, and he can expect plenty of game time again this season as he is a player Pereira trusts. 7 on the periphery Alan Browne of Sunderland lifts the EFL Championship Play Off trophy. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Alan Browne Much like with the Irish national team, Browne appears to be considered a squad player rather than a guaranteed starter for Sunderland. The midfielder made 22 Championship appearances for the Black Cats last season, 13 of which were starts. The 30-year-old was unlucky because he suffered a leg fracture that meant he missed a substantial portion of the 2024-25 season and was playing catch-up by the time he returned to full fitness. So he could conceivably play a role in the upcoming campaign if he avoids further injuries. But while Jobe Bellingham's €37 million departure to Borussia Dortmund frees up one place, the arrival of four midfielders – Enzo Le Fée (€22 million), Habib Diarra (€35 million), Noah Sadiki (€20 million), and Granit Xhaka (€20 million) — suggests it won't be any easier for Browne to get in the team and a move away may be required. Nathan Fraser One of the young players who has tended to go under the radar, the 20-year-old Ireland underage international made seven Premier League appearances for Wolves in the 2023-24 campaign, though it was amidst an injury crisis at the club. He has yet to score in the top flight, but he did find the net in both the FA Cup and League Cup last season. However, the fact that he started just once in the league suggested he had some way to go before establishing himself as a regular and the theory was backed up last season, when he failed to make a single appearance for the club and had a disappointing loan spell with Belgian side Zulte Waregem that was brought to a halt after five appearances. According to The Athletic, a substantial part of the last campaign saw Fraser work on a programme 'designed to improve his physicality'. The youngster has a contract at Wolves until 2028, though he still appears to be well down the pecking order and is expected to make another loan move this season. Seamus Coleman A hugely respected figure at Everton, but despite a total of 428 games for the Toffees and a one-year contract extension awarded to him last June, it seems the 36-year-old's days as a regular starter are over. Coleman made five Premier League appearances last season, only three of which were starts and the most recent led to his withdrawal in the 18th minute due to injury. He made a total of 12 appearances the previous season, and the odds are against the Donegal native getting into double figures this term. But his influence around the club as long-time captain is ostensibly the reason why he has been kept on, and it would be no surprise to see the Toffees legend graduate to a coaching role eventually. Mark Travers Another Irish Evertonian, Travers joined the club from Bournemouth for €4.6 million in the summer. However, the Maynooth native is not expected to displace Jordan Pickford as first-choice and will likely have to settle for a role as back-up goalkeeper. The 26-year-old had a similar status for most of his time in the first team at the Cherries (he spent nine years there in total), making four Premier League appearances last season in addition to 18 on loan at Middlesbrough in the second half of the campaign. Alex Murphy Since joining from Galway United in 2022, the 21-year-old has made two Premier League substitute appearances for Newcastle in the 2023-24 campaign. The defender also played 13 times on loan in the second half of last season at Bolton, as they finished a few points off the League One play-off places in eighth. Murphy is not expected to break into Newcastle's star-studded team this campaign, so another loan move might be his best option, though the fact that he signed a new long-term contract with the Magpies last year suggests the club rate him highly. Andrew Moran One of Ireland's most promising youngsters, Moran has already made one Premier League appearance for Brighton, coming off the bench in the January 2023 win over Everton. In the last two seasons, the midfielder has made 70 Championship appearances in respective loan spells at Blackburn and Stoke City. This form has seen him rewarded at international level, with Moran winning three Ireland caps — one under Stephen Kenny and two since Heimir Hallgrímsson took charge. It is still a big ask for the 21-year-old to break into a Brighton side with considerable depth, so he may be on the move again before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. Michael Obafemi Memorably contributed a goal and assist in Ireland's 3-0 June 2022 Nations League win over Scotland, but it's fair to say that it hasn't worked out as hoped for player and country alike since then. The striker has 12 caps in total, but has only featured once since 2023, largely owing to injury and form-related issues at club level. The 25-year-old did appear twice in Burnley's 2023-24 Premier League campaign, but has not worn the club's colours in almost two years, while he has not made a single league start for the team since joining from Swansea in January 2023. In the last two seasons, he has had relatively underwhelming loan spells in the Championship with Millwall and Plymouth, scoring four goals in 43 appearances. Another exit — either temporary or permanent — is expected, with a move to the Turkish side, Kasimpasa, already falling through during the summer.
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Irish trainer at centre of surreal RTE moment with Gordon Elliott discovers ‘ultimate decision' of Galway Races appeal
NOEL LUCK Irish trainer at centre of surreal RTE moment with Gordon Elliott discovers 'ultimate decision' of Galway Races appeal NOEL MEADE has failed in his appeal against the outcome of a race in Galway that led to a surreal TV moment with Gordon Elliott. Initially Meade's runner Helvic Dream had pipped Ndaawi to the post in the Galway Hurdle. 2 Noel Meade's appeal against the overturned result of the Galway Hurdle has been dismissed Credit: Matt Browne/Sportsfile 2 He was involved in a bizarre TV moment with Gordon Elliott after the race Credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile However, an inquiry was immediately called as the former had seemed to bump the latter towards the inside fence. The review process played out on live TV as Gordon Elliott - who trained Ndaawi - discovered his horse had won while standing right next to Meade. Meade subsequently appealed the result, with the IHRB hearing evidence from him, jockey Donagh Meyler, Gordon Elliott, and his jockey Jack Kennedy. In his evidence, Meade, Trainer opined that the best horse won, and it was impossible to say that Kennedy was ever going to pass Helvic Dream. He argued that Kennedy's body language was that he was leaning out to meet Meyler and Helvic Dream and he never had to stop riding at any point Jack Kennedy, however, insisted he started to feel contact between 200 and 150 yards from the finish. He explained that he switched his whip from his left hand to his right hand because he was tight for room on his left side. The rider likened it to "two cars locked together" and concluded that he felt very hard done by passing the line as his horse didn't get a "fair crack at the race". When all evidence was heard, the three-person IHRB committee ultimately rejected the appeal. Mrs Justice Siobhan Keegan said on their behalf: "We do reflect that all of the participants in this appeal are experienced professionals, and we understand the positions that they respectively hold. Gordon Elliott and Noel Meade in surreal live RTE moment as they react to controversial Galway Hurdle ruling "The ultimate decision that we have to reach is whether the stewards erred in their decision on the day and whether we should uphold the decision or reach a different view on this. "Having viewed all the recordings of the race and considered all of the evidence we have to come to our decision, mindful that these determinations are on the balance of probabilities. "We also want to say that we can well see why an appeal has been brought in this case. "(We are) dealing with a case where each side has made some valid points and there are points to be made on each side of the argument. "Looking at the notice of appeal in summary, we think it is an underestimate to say that there was minor contact in this race. "We think it is an oversimplification to say that the second horse always had racing room. "In coming to our conclusion, we cannot be satisfied that the stewards erred in their decision to reverse the placings. "In summary that is because interference has occurred, and it was caused by Mr Meyler. "Whilst Mr (Jack) Kennedy's horse may not have obviously lost its own momentum, he was clearly significantly pressed for space so near the rail and he was not able to ride his strongest race. "We must therefore dismiss the appeal." While unsuccessful in his appeal, Meade was awarded some of the cost of lodging it.
Irish Examiner
8 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Ireland miss out on EuroHockey semi-final following gruelling stalemate with Germany
An elusive semi-final berth for Irish women's hockey went begging last night — and so did a first goal at these EuroHockey Championships — as Germany knocked Gareth Grundie's side out of medal contention with a gruelling 0-0 draw. Needing to win by two goals to set up a last four clash for the first time with Belgium, Ireland missed a first-half penalty stroke and failed to make inroads from a 20th penalty corner taken at these Championships. Yet they dominated passages of play on a tense night for the host nation, as they put in their best all-round performance to stifle the world No.6 side. 'We knew it was a tall order coming in and on another day we could have got the 2-0 over them,' said Sarah Hawkshaw, Ireland's captain. 'We have to look at our penalty corner as we need to be converting more. That could have changed the tournament for us. As a nation we need to be producing performances where we are matching opposition sides throughout the entire game, not just through corners.' Hawkshaw had insisted pre-match that her team needed to keep Germany out of the Irish circle and they did that with some aplomb throughout, yet the hosts had two early penalty corner sighters. Their first found the net but was ruled out for height while the second saw Lizzie Murphy go down early to smother out danger. With six minutes left of the first quarter, Emily Kealy was then illegally tackled as she lined up her shot after a swift break into the German circle. One could sense the nerves as Hannah McLoughlin — with Roisin Upton off the pitch — stepped up and her shot was easily saved courtesy of Julia Sonntag's left glove. Kathryn Mullan weaves her way through two German players. Picture: Frank Uijlenbroek/Inpho Still, Ireland played with tempo, rhythm and created a flurry of meaningful attacks during a bright first-half. The telling touch was missing, however, with a first circle entry in the third quarter seeing Katie Mullan misdirect her shot wide. As the third quarter drew to a close, Ireland went down to nine players after two green cards in quick succession, but Ireland managed to defend stoutly with the German overload. A match of few clear cut chances saw Germany come close to breaking the deadlock in the final quarter when a corner sweep to the far post went inches wide. With 10 minutes remaining, Murphy remained in Ireland's goal when offering an extra outfield threat and causing nerves for the hosts was needed most. A fourth penalty corner routine of the night was then easily dealt with by Germany's post runners. Murphy was eventually hauled off with under five minutes left. At the other end, Ireland's 20th corner of the tournament was then cleared at the second attempt as the hooter sounded on the Green Army's fruitless campaign. 'We had better connections through the lines and manipulated their shape against a German side which pride themselves on structure,' said Hawkshaw. 'It shows that we can compete. It's a long year of hockey and now we are in the Pro League we will come up against them a few more times. 'There's never been a Europeans I have played in where the decider has happened after your second game of the pool. That's the beauty of this tournament and it shows how close the European standard is.' Ireland will now aim to finish fifth for a third time in the last four editions. This time, however, there is no jeopardy of relegation from Europe's top flight. The 2027 Championships in London will be reformatted with more teams, meaning no demotions at the current tournament.
