Club legend Shane Horgan: Carbery exit could cost Leinster
Leinster’s selection issues at fly-half underline just how important Joey Carbery was to the double winners, Shane Horgan believes.
Leinster get their Guinness PRO14 title defence underway on Friday at Cardiff Blues with Ross Byrne and Ciarán Frawley both unavailable due to workload issues and an arm injury respectively.
With Carbery leaving for Munster in search of more gametime at 10, head coach Leo Cullen’s options have been further limited by the early-season unavailability of captain Johnny Sexton due to IRFU player welfare protocols.
That leaves Leinster with the option of academy out-half and Ireland U20 Harry Byrne or experienced centre Noel Reid, who started at 10 against Montauban earlier this month.
“This is one of the reasons why they didn’t feel they wanted to let go of Joey, although they wouldn’t have expected all their out-halves to be unavailable for the first game,” said Virgin Media Sport analyst and former Leinster star Horgan.
“Because there were decent opportunities for him to play, whether at 10 or 15, he would have got game-time.
Ultimately for him and for Ireland, it’s a better move but it does leave Leinster in a tricky position in a crucial position.
"Noel Reid has had some gametime there, he has been around the squad long enough at 10 and 12 to be able to deliver some early-season performances for Leinster. And if he can’t deliver them, then why is he in the squad?
“He must have been there for about 10 years. If he can’t step up in that position, then that is an issue for him, it is not an issue for Leinster.”
Horgan understands the rationale for Carbery’s move to Munster although he said he doubted the 22-year-old was issued with an ultimatum regarding future Ireland selection, as has been reported.
I don’t think it’s ‘go or in you are in trouble’. It was certainly pointed out, or he read between the lines, that the opportunity to represent Ireland, this year and into the World Cup, was probably predicated on the move.
“For a 10 to deliver high-level performances at international level, you actually have to be playing a lot.
“What level of opportunity would he get at Leinster if he was not injured? They played him at full-back which was the issue but for him (joining Munster) was an opportunity for him to play every week, maybe at 10. We’ll see how that pans out, to be able to run a team and play for a brilliant side who are going to do well, who are going to be competing, as they’ve done in the last number of years, and with the ability to maybe actually just get over the top, and put himself in the position where he can challenge, if not Johnny at 10, be a very able back-up.”
