Cheika plots radical SA game-time plan

LEINSTER are contemplating sending some of their young prospects to South Africa to gain much-needed match time in the off-season.

The province’s veteran prop Ollie le Roux will be used as an intermediary for the scheme should it go ahead. The former Springbok is out of contract next month and has already indicated his desire to return home and move into coaching.

Both the player and Michael Cheika are keen to continue their relationship beyond his stay in Ireland and the Leinster coach can see the benefits of having such an ally on the ground of the world champions.

Though nothing has been cemented as of yet, Cheika divulged details of the idea yesterday when discussing the case of highly-rated wing-forward Kevin McLaughlin.

Though 24 years of age, the UCD clubman has won over twice as many Leinster ‘A’ caps (15) as senior ones (7) to date and would clearly benefit from any regular appearances, not to mention a different rugby culture.

“He could go to South Africa and have some games in the off-season,” said the Leinster coach.

Such a willingness to secure regular game time for their players raised the obvious question as to why young Irish players couldn’t be farmed out closer to home, across the Shannon to be precise.

Connacht was once designated as Irish rugby’s development province after all, and the outfit’s funding and very future has been a thorny issue for quite some time.

Cheika preferred not to wade into the precise details of internal IRFU politics or how the union should or should not indulge in such cross-pollination, pointing out that Leinster’s South African plan was very much a sole project.

However, he is not adverse in principal to any of his players opting for a ‘loan’ move which, until now, has been associated much more with the sport of soccer than rugby.

“I’ve got no issues with loans if they are in the right situations. It’s about players getting better. If we thought it was an option to improve a player I would be very pro that idea, whether it is there or anywhere else.

“With Connacht too, it would be about whether they would see themselves in that situation or not. Would they be okay with letting that player back to their province after a year or two? If a player came to me and said ‘I think this is a goer’ I would say ‘go mate’.”