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File photo of Connacht CEO Tom Sears. ยฉINPHO/James Crombie

Connacht: McCarthy staying would have been a beacon for upcoming talent

Tom Sears believes that the lock could have inspired a generation of Connacht players had he stayed in the west.

MIKE McCARTHYโ€™S DECISION to move from Connacht to Leinster is more than just a case of losing an important player, according to Connacht CEO Tom Sears.

The second row will make the move east at the end of this season to fill a position which has long been a weak link for the back-to-back European champions in a move which has irked the westerners.

โ€œWe made Mike an exceptionally good offer and we know he found it a very hard decision,โ€ Sears told Newstalkโ€™s Off The Ball this evening.

โ€œHe has been very open and weโ€™ve had excellent dialogue. But eventually, after repeat approaches, his head has been turned and thatโ€™s a huge disappointment for us.โ€

Sears insisted that he and his club were โ€œnot naive enoughโ€ to believe that an out of contract player would always shun the advances of a bigger, more successful organisation.

However, in an impassioned interview, he reaffirmed his stance that it would be to the benefit of the game in this country in the long run if Connacht were better equipped to retain top-bracket internationals such as McCarthy. Not only for the benefit he brings to the team on the field, but what he is capable of representing.

Beacon

โ€œWeโ€™ve got a responsibility to develop Irish rugby. Mike has come through our system, weโ€™ve developed him as a player.

โ€œHe wasnโ€™t on the radar of Leinster when we picked him up. He has developed into an Irish international. We wanted him to be the beacon for all our young players to see that a guy can come through and represent Ireland.

โ€œWeโ€™ve got a great calibre of players coming through our academy system and we want good players around those youngsters. If we lose players like Mike and players that have gone before then itโ€™s going to be very difficult.โ€

Sears stuck by his assertion that the move is bad for Irish rugby as it will force Connachtโ€™s hand in recruiting overseas, โ€because there is not another Irish lock as good as Mike McCarthy.โ€

He also lamented the current contracting structure which gives the western province more budget constraints over personnel than if they housed a stable of Irish internationals.

โ€œWe donโ€™t compete on even footing as the other provinces. We donโ€™t have the financial muscle they do, we donโ€™t have players on national contracts which frees up more money.

โ€œIt would have been nice if Mike McCarthy could have got a national contract. What a message it would have given to young players coming through our province: that they can come through and win a national contract and see whatโ€™s achievable.โ€

Listen back to the full interview in the second part of tonightโ€™s Off The Ball show here.

Latest round of European rugby talks end in stalemate

Oโ€™Kelly backs โ€˜tried and testedโ€™ McCarthy to thrive at Leinster

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4 Comments
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    Mute 5โ˜†Fily
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    Dec 12th 2012, 9:49 PM

    Hard to agree with him, Muldoon is a fabulous player and has been wonderfully loyal to the province

    I think if heโ€™d gone to one of the other 3 provinces heโ€™d be sitting on a lot more Ireland caps.

    The mindset of the IRFU towards them is wrong and unhelpful

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    Mute Chris Tobin
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    Dec 12th 2012, 10:09 PM

    what are the odds McCarthy gets a national contract now

    25
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    Mute Steve O'Brien
    Favourite Steve O'Brien
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    Dec 13th 2012, 10:35 AM

    Not likely to be honest, there isnโ€™t even 15 players centrally contracted anymore.

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    Mute Aenghus Geoghegan
    Favourite Aenghus Geoghegan
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    Dec 13th 2012, 1:38 AM

    Feck the IRFU, and there short-sited attitude not giving him a central contract. McSharry, Henshaw, Mariom, Buckley and Harris-Wright could all be capped for Ireland, Connacht should be given equal rights and opportunity to hold on to these players. Maybe they could take a case to the Court of arbitration in Switzerland if this blatant disregard the IRFU have of representing the โ€œ4thโ€ province continues.

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