La Rochelle trip marks end, and start of, an era for Leinster at out-half

The choice this weekend - if there ever was one - fell between Harry Byrne, Ross’ younger brother and Ciaran Frawley after his impressive effort when coming on early against Munster.

NEW ERA: Ciarán Frawley and Harry Byrne of Leinster. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

The rugby world had no reason to rock on its axis when Joey Carbery limped off with an ankle injury 15 minutes into Leinster’s Champions Cup tie away to Northampton Saints this very weekend seven years ago.

The Athy man’s real injury torment was still almost three years and another ankle issue down the line. It’s only now, with the benefit of all this hindsight – and some digging through the archives – that the game in Franklin’s Gardens takes on added meaning.

Why? Because that 37-10 win was the last time Leinster started a ‘European’ fixture with anyone other than Johnny Sexton or Ross Byrne wearing the No.10 jersey. 

A roll call of 53 games that only ends tomorrow with the former’s retirement and injury to the latter.

It’s a remarkable run.

Take Munster. Six men have filled the same brief for the two-time Heineken Cup winners in this same window. Tyler Bleyendaal, Ian Keatley and Carbery. JJ Hanrahan, Ben Healy and Jack Crowley. The province started three tens in one campaign alone.

None of that is unusual. It is Leinster, with their dual playmakers hogging the pivot, that are the outliers and, while Sexton’s absence is the angle that garners headlines, Byrne’s absence in La Rochelle is no less significant.

It was Byrne who replaced Carbery - currently enduring another period recovering from injury with Munster - that day in the English East Midlands and helped steer the visitors to a comfortable 27-point win.

The last time Leinster played a Champions Cup tie without some form of input from him was the final defeat to Saracens in St James’ Park in May of 2019. And that was merely a blip given his heavy involvement earlier that season and long before.

Byrne’s centrality to Leinster can’t be argued. He started every European game last season while Sexton was unavailable and he has been the main man more often than the former world player of the year ever since that loss in Newcastle.

Take that backdrop into account and it follows that the arm injury Byrne suffered a few weeks back against Munster, which keeps him sidelined until the New Year, could hardly have come at a worse time.

“It’s a great challenge this week for whoever wears the ten jersey, and all the 23 jerseys, when you go to France,” said head coach Leo Cullen this week. 

“It’s a magical place to go to, France, and play in this competition and it’s the defending champions.” 

Magical, yes. Imposing too.

It stands to reason that Leinster’s heavy reliance on Sexton and Ross Byrne would leave the other tens in their squad painfully light on the experience you might think necessary when it comes to filling their boots at a heaving Stade Marcel Deflandre.

The choice this weekend - if there ever was one - fell between Harry Byrne, Ross’ younger brother who started away to Galway last weekend, and Ciaran Frawley after his impressive effort when coming on early against Munster.

Cullen plumped for the younger Byrne.

“Him and Ross are similar in some ways,” said full-back Hugo Keenan. “They're great leaders, they have great rugby brains. I'm sure their house is rugby, rugby, rugby. They get on so well so they probably have that ability to bounce ideas and thoughts off each other.

“I think Harry was our top carrier at the weekend [against Connacht], 15 carries, one more than James Culhane. So he's got that physical element to him. He's not shy in contact, he's a good defender as well as having the kicking game and the ability to take it flat on the line.” 

All that being said, Harry Byrne has only played seven times in ‘Europe’. Now 24, he has never started at out-half and just three of his appearances off the bench have come in place of the man who had been wearing the No.10 shirt at kick-off.

Frawley, named in reserve, is similarly low on reps in the position at this level. The Skerries man has featured 14 times in the competition but his only taste of life in the pocket came back in 2019/20 when he replaced Ross Byrne in a trio of pool games.

Andy Farrell has clearly earmarked Frawley as an out-half, and used him in that manner on the 2022 summer tour to New Zealand against the Maoris, but Leinster have always seemed to be less bewitched by his charms there.

As with Carbery, who they deemed a better fit at full-back, the province clearly see more value in him in other departments, and Leo Cullen continues to avoid any definitive statements when asked where his long-term future might be.

“It’s whatever fits,” he said yesterday. “You saw him step into the game against Munster and he controlled the game very well. He was definitely a bit nervous coming into the game because it was, what, six or seven minutes in?

“We’re really comfortable with the lads we have here. Ross is out for a bit but it is a brilliant opportunity for Harry and Ciaran because … we want real impact from the lads on the bench and we will get that from Ciaran.” 

Both men have been flavours of the month with the mob. If Frawley is something of a cause celebre right now then it’s worth remembering how Harry Byrne was seen as the anointed one until injuries stalled his progress at club and Test level.

Frawley has been held back by his own fitness issues at critical points in time. Leinster also have 20-year old Sam Prendergast adding to their options post-Sexton so there are more tough decisions down the line. 

A nice 'problem' to have, really.