Leinster blow as O’Malley forced to quit

Leinster’s back line options, already weakened after the summer movements, have been further reduced ahead of the new season with the news that Eoin O’Malley has been forced to retire from rugby at the age of 25.

A long-term knee injury left the Belvedere College graduate with no option but to depart the professional game and he joins Jonathan Sexton, Isa Nacewa, Andrew Conway and Fionn Carr who had already departed Dublin.

With 54 appearances — seven of them coming in the Heineken Cup — to his credit, O’Malley was a highly-rated centre who would have undoubtedly enjoyed considerable game time this season in what will be Brian O’Driscoll’s last as a player.