LEINSTER BOSS LEO Cullen has confirmed that the province are in discussions with Joey Carbery about returning to the province next season.
30-year-old out-half Carbery is leaving Bordeaux this summer and, as first reported by the Irish Independent, Leinster are set to secure his services.
While Ulster had hoped to lure the Ireland international to Belfast, it’s believed that Leinster have swooped in and are very close to copperfastening a deal to bring Carbery back to his home province.
“Yeah, we’ve had some conversations with Joey,” said Cullen this afternoon at Leinster’s training centre in Dublin.
“Yeah, that’ll play out over the next little while.”
If the deal is finalised, as looks almost certain, it will mark an intriguing return home for Carbery.
He broke through with Leinster in 2016 and helped the province to win a Pro14 and Champions Cup double in 2018, playing lots of rugby at fullback that season, before making the move to Munster.
That switch was strongly encouraged and facilitated by the IRFU, who were keen for Carbery to be starting as many games at out-half as possible, with Cullen today expressing his frustration over how it played out back in 2018.
Although Cullen didn’t name then-Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt and then-IRFU performance director David Nucifora, it was clear who he meant when speaking about it.
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“Listen, I don’t think it’s a great secret that I wasn’t a big fan of how that played out at the time and I wouldn’t have blamed Joey in any sense,” said Cullen.
“But some of the people who were involved there, I don’t think covered themselves in glory, did they?
“But you’ll have to do a bit of digging there yourselves to find out what I mean by that.
“Listen, we move forward, a lot of things have happened since then. But if you think of Joey’s last season with us, Leinster won the double so he was obviously doing something alright that season anyway. Because it was the end of that season… it’s a long time ago now.”
The Leinster boss also indicated that there was excitement about bringing a Leinster-produced player back to the province after his time away with Munster and Bordeaux.
“Well, he’s a Leinster person first and foremost, come through the pathways,” said Cullen when asked what they liked about Carbery.
“The experience he has comes into play. We’ll see how it plays out; nothing to be confirmed yet anyway.”
Carbery is set to join as the similarly versatile Ciarán Frawley departs for Connacht this summer.
The flexibility Carbery provides in playing at out-half and fullback was another attraction for Leinster.
“Well, with Ciarán going to Connacht, everyone is asking that same question,” said Cullen.
“So when you’re in a squad sometimes, you need to have that flexibility and do what’s right for the time. Ciarán is playing 15 for us this weekend and making the trip west next season. But the here and now is what interests me. In terms of that conversation, it is all speculation.”
Cullen confirmed that out-half Harry Byrne has signed a new contract with Leinster to stay with the province into next season.
“Yup,” said Cullen when asked if Byrne is staying.
That means there will still be lots of competition at out-half in Leinster between Sam Prendergast, Byrne, Carbery, and academy playmaker Caspar Gabriel.
Athy man Carbery will come back into selection availability for Ireland with this move to Leinster. With the 2027 World Cup looming, Carbery will be keen to get back into a green jersey.
The most recent of Carbery’s 37 Ireland caps came in November 2022, after which he was jettisoned from the Ireland squad by Andy Farrell.
Carbery didn’t feature for Ireland again before he moved to Bordeaux in 2024.
The versatile playmaker helped Bordeaux to their Champions Cup title last season, although he wasn’t involved in the final against Northampton, and he came off the bench in their Top 14 final defeat to Toulouse.
Carbery has continued to back up first-choice out-half Matthieu Jalibert this season in Bordeaux, but he will leave the Top 14 club at the end of the campaign and looks highly likely to be wearing the blue jersey of Leinster once again.
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'We've had conversations' - Cullen confirms Leinster close to Carbery deal
LEINSTER BOSS LEO Cullen has confirmed that the province are in discussions with Joey Carbery about returning to the province next season.
30-year-old out-half Carbery is leaving Bordeaux this summer and, as first reported by the Irish Independent, Leinster are set to secure his services.
While Ulster had hoped to lure the Ireland international to Belfast, it’s believed that Leinster have swooped in and are very close to copperfastening a deal to bring Carbery back to his home province.
“Yeah, we’ve had some conversations with Joey,” said Cullen this afternoon at Leinster’s training centre in Dublin.
“Yeah, that’ll play out over the next little while.”
If the deal is finalised, as looks almost certain, it will mark an intriguing return home for Carbery.
He broke through with Leinster in 2016 and helped the province to win a Pro14 and Champions Cup double in 2018, playing lots of rugby at fullback that season, before making the move to Munster.
That switch was strongly encouraged and facilitated by the IRFU, who were keen for Carbery to be starting as many games at out-half as possible, with Cullen today expressing his frustration over how it played out back in 2018.
Although Cullen didn’t name then-Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt and then-IRFU performance director David Nucifora, it was clear who he meant when speaking about it.
“Listen, I don’t think it’s a great secret that I wasn’t a big fan of how that played out at the time and I wouldn’t have blamed Joey in any sense,” said Cullen.
“But some of the people who were involved there, I don’t think covered themselves in glory, did they?
“But you’ll have to do a bit of digging there yourselves to find out what I mean by that.
“Listen, we move forward, a lot of things have happened since then. But if you think of Joey’s last season with us, Leinster won the double so he was obviously doing something alright that season anyway. Because it was the end of that season… it’s a long time ago now.”
The Leinster boss also indicated that there was excitement about bringing a Leinster-produced player back to the province after his time away with Munster and Bordeaux.
“Well, he’s a Leinster person first and foremost, come through the pathways,” said Cullen when asked what they liked about Carbery.
“The experience he has comes into play. We’ll see how it plays out; nothing to be confirmed yet anyway.”
Carbery is set to join as the similarly versatile Ciarán Frawley departs for Connacht this summer.
The flexibility Carbery provides in playing at out-half and fullback was another attraction for Leinster.
“Well, with Ciarán going to Connacht, everyone is asking that same question,” said Cullen.
“So when you’re in a squad sometimes, you need to have that flexibility and do what’s right for the time. Ciarán is playing 15 for us this weekend and making the trip west next season. But the here and now is what interests me. In terms of that conversation, it is all speculation.”
Cullen confirmed that out-half Harry Byrne has signed a new contract with Leinster to stay with the province into next season.
“Yup,” said Cullen when asked if Byrne is staying.
That means there will still be lots of competition at out-half in Leinster between Sam Prendergast, Byrne, Carbery, and academy playmaker Caspar Gabriel.
Athy man Carbery will come back into selection availability for Ireland with this move to Leinster. With the 2027 World Cup looming, Carbery will be keen to get back into a green jersey.
The most recent of Carbery’s 37 Ireland caps came in November 2022, after which he was jettisoned from the Ireland squad by Andy Farrell.
Carbery didn’t feature for Ireland again before he moved to Bordeaux in 2024.
The versatile playmaker helped Bordeaux to their Champions Cup title last season, although he wasn’t involved in the final against Northampton, and he came off the bench in their Top 14 final defeat to Toulouse.
Carbery has continued to back up first-choice out-half Matthieu Jalibert this season in Bordeaux, but he will leave the Top 14 club at the end of the campaign and looks highly likely to be wearing the blue jersey of Leinster once again.
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Homecoming Joey Carbery Leinster