LEINSTER DUO ADAM Byrne and Peter Dooley are set to join Connacht from next season.
Former Ireland hooker Bernard Jackman, who played for both provinces, reported the moves on Thursday’s episode of The42 Rugby Weekly and said he expected Andy Friend’s impending recruits to give Connacht “a big boost” along with that provided by the already confirmed signing of Josh Murphy from Leinster.
Athletic wing Byrne, 27, was capped once by Joe Schmidt in 2017 and returned to action for his native province in October after a rotten run of 21 months spent on the sidelines with a succession of injuries.
The Kill, Co. Kildare native has scored 24 tries in 63 competitive games for Leinster, including two on his return from injury against Zebre Parma in the United Rugby Championship earlier this season, and two more since against Glasgow Warriors and Cardiff respectively.
Loosehead Dooley, from Birr Co. Offaly, will likely leave his home province after more than a century of appearances after coming off the bench against the Lions last weekend for his 99th Leinster cap.
Also 27, Dooley is a former Ireland U20s team-mate of Byrne’s and has scored five tries for Leinster since his senior debut in 2014. He was called up to Andy Farrell’s squad for last summer’s Tests but is yet to be capped as a senior international.
“I think it’ll give them a big boost,” Jackman said of Connacht’s new signings. “I know other provinces have to cut their budgets but if Connacht have to cut their budget next year because of the financial implications of Covid, I think you would take their competitiveness away.
“I don’t know what their budget is but I’m certainly heartened to see players of the quality of Dooley and Byrne going down there if that does happen, which I believe it will.
“I think they’ve got 25 players at the moment where there’s absolutely no worries about starting them or bringing them on”, Jackman added of Connacht, “and then they have about 15 players who are in the development stage, who need to get that time in the saddle to show whether they’re good enough or not.
“But when you sign a Josh Murphy or an Adam Byrne or a Peter Dooley, they’re developed, they’re ready to go, they’ll have a point to prove, and that’s a safety net [for a coach]. For Connacht, you probably want 30 guys — two in every position — who you’re comfortable with.”
Jackman stressed that Connacht will maintain their emphasis on developing talent but added that “it’s great to see them with what looks like on paper a fighting chance”.
You can listen to the lads’ full discussion on Byrne, Dooley, the development of Cian Prendergast and Connacht’s upcoming URC fixture away to Edinburgh on Thursday’s The42 Rugby Weekly.
This will be the final free-to-air episode of the Thursday pod: From Monday, Bernard, Murray and Gavan will shift to a members-exclusive format, with Murray and performance coach Eoin Toolan also going under the hood for The42 members every Wednesday. For a 20% discount an annual membership of The42, visit members.the42.ie and use the promo code THE42RW.
