SPORT CAN BE cruel, and Tommy O’Brien surely feared for his future in rugby in the years when his own body was the biggest obstacle holding him back from pushing on at Leinster, leaving him laid up on treatment tables as his peers rose through the ranks and became regulars in the Ireland squad. 

While the winger always believed in his ability, it would only be natural if there were also concerns the people paying his wages would doubt the long-term investment in a talented, yet injury-plagued player. Maybe, he’d be one of those for whom it just wouldn’t work out. Fortunately, that has not proved to be the case.

A talented athlete in his school days – finishing second in the 110m hurdles at the national championships – O’Brien has run into plenty more fences along his long, challenging journey to becoming a key man for club and country.

But finally O’Brien is right where he belongs, flying high after the most consistent and impressive run of his career. Since returning from injury in March 2025, O’Brien has started more games for Leinster (23) than he did across his first five seasons combined (21). 

Those first five seasons brought a total of 10 tries. He crossed four times for Leinster last season and twice in each of Ireland’s two summer Tests. This season, his tally is at 14, including four for Ireland [v Japan, England and Scotland (2)].

O'Brien scored four tries for Ireland this season. Nick Elliott / INPHO Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO

Good things come to those who wait, and O’Brien’s journey is testament to his dedication and self-belief.

A highly promising player at age-grade levels, the Dubliner’s first season at Leinster consisted of three appearances for a total of 130 minutes.

In his second, O’Brien featured six times, including three starts, before 11 caps (six starts) in 2021/22. Then the trouble started, an ACL injury stopping him in his tracks just as things were taking off. Ankle and hamstring problems would follow later down the line. The long recovery from the ACL meant he was back down to three caps in 2022/23, a season in which he didn’t get his first run out until mid-April.

At one point, O’Brien travelled to Qatar in a bid to put his injury issues to bed, working with physio Enda King on the recommendation of Johnny Sexton. They were tough years as the players who came up with O’Brien started to really excel – Caelan Doris, Rónan Kelleher and Tom O’Toole were all teammates at U20 level. 

The bumps kept coming. After a promising 2023/24 O’Brien was selected to tour with Simon Easterby’s Emerging Ireland squad, only for the former Blackrock man to tear his hamstring and not make the plane.

But O’Brien’s belief in his ability and potential never wavered. Now, finally, the body is allowing him to deliver on what he always felt was possible.

This season has been his best yet, lining out 14 times for the province while also earning his place in Andy Farrell’s Ireland side. The 28-year-old started all four November Tests and featured three times in the Six Nations (twice as a starter), with his explosive pace adding a new dimension to an Ireland backline which was also invigorated by the presence of Ulster fkyer Robert Baloucoune – O’Brien has previously recalled hitting a top speed of 10.7 metres per second in a game against the Lions.

With his body holding up across a demanding campaign, O’Brien admits it has felt like something of a breakthrough after so many injury-troubled years.

“Yeah, definitely. It’s my first season – touch wood – where I’ve gone through a season without any proper injuries, so just being able to consistently back up games, back up your learnings and not feel like you’re starting again, getting back up to speed is something that’s really stuck to me massively.

The winger has benefitted from an injury-free run. Dan Clohessy / INPHO Dan Clohessy / INPHO / INPHO

“Then, obviously, getting the exposure of some of the Irish games and the levels that you’re playing out there and then being able to bring that back in kind of just points to the difference that I’ve been trying to tell myself, that whenever I get exposed to those Irish games is knowing that’s the level, and then when you’re back here, don’t just drop down to the club level.

“You want to try and replicate that international level so that when you hopefully get a chance again, you’re ready for that and you know that it’s not a big shock.”

O’Brien’s strong run of form started at the back-end of last season. Having played just twice between the start of the 2024/25 campaign and Christmas, after the turn of the year he notched up 10 Leinster caps – leading to his first two Ireland caps on the summer tour to Georgia and Portugal.

That consistency has allowed the 6ft, 95 kg O’Brien feel more confident in his body, but also in using his voice.

“I felt like I was getting a bit of momentum at the end of that season and then we went on a break,” he says.

“So I had a good pre-season and felt like my body was in a good spot and then was thankfully involved in those four November games for Ireland.

“So it just felt like we’re into it straight away and you’ve really enjoyed some of the rugby in here in Leinster, and kind of probably stepped up a little bit more in the leadership role than I previously would have.

I always find that you lead by example, but you also have to have a bit of credit in the bank that people have seen you do it on the big days before you’re speaking up a little bit.

“So I feel like I’ve started to maybe build a little bit of that credit in the bank up and as a result probably have stepped into a little bit more of a leadership role, which I’ve enjoyed.”

That leadership has been evident from a young age, with O’Brien captaining his country when Doris was injured during his Ireland U20s days. At the start of this season he was voted into Leinster’s leadership group. That in itself is evidence of his growing influence. Held in high regard by his teammates, O’Brien’s development led to him earning Leinster’s player of the year award at the province’s annual awards bash last week.

“It was a massive honour. It’s a weird one when you’re still in the middle of the season and it’s hard to kind of soak it all in, but yeah, it’s kind of ‘pinch me’ stuff.

“A couple of years ago, you were not sure if you were still going to be playing, so to get that level of award or a level of recognition from so many unbelievably good players in here as well, it’s one that I’ll probably be looking back at the end of my career. I’d be pretty proud of that one.”

This week he’ll be part of the Leinster team that takes on the Bulls in Friday’s URC final. And in a team packed with internationals, the Bulls will note the Leinster flyer one of the key threats in Leo Cullen’s side.