Devin Toner has high hopes for European campaign
Beanpoles from beyond rugby’s pale were the desired catch, a professional contract the bait. Colin McEntee, academy director at the time, and former lock Malcolm O’Kelly were involved. Devin Toner was, inevitably, wheeled out for the photoshoot to prompt men aged between 17 and 23 to try their hand at a lineout or two.
Little, if anything, came from it. Hopes of mining a hidden gem from the ranks of basketball or swimming came to naught but Leinster’s willingness to look beyond the norm has since paid off with Ian Nagle. Cork-born and Munster to the core, injury frustrations and wider ambitions had prompted the soon-to-be 28-year old to walk away from the game after 29 appearances in red and another handful for Newcastle Falcons.
His two years away from rugby were well spent with the pursuit of a Masters in Cambridge and travels to South and Central America and the jungles of Borneo among the boxes ticked before he accepted the offer of the gig with Leinster. The backstory made him an interesting case study long before he crossed the white lines but he did enough in his second Leinster game, against Munster last weekend, to suggest he can still make a mark in rugby.
“The scholar? Yeah, he is an interesting man,” said Toner with a smile. “He was in the Congo or some jungle down in South America so he has a lot of good stories. He is a very interesting man, how he left and he came back into it. It shows a hugely determined player, it shows a talented player to be able to go and come back and do it. But he has kept himself in good nick and he obviously showed at the weekend he is able to do it, so more power to him.”
Leinster have been well-served down the years by long-standing giants - from O’Kelly to current head coach Leo Cullen and now Toner - but there are signs they are adding depth to their height at lock.
Toner and Nagle aside, there is Irish international Mike McCarthy, New Zealander Hayden Triggs, Ross Molony, who enjoyed a breakthrough season last term, Mick Kearney and ex-Ireland U20 skipper James Ryan. It’s noticeable all bar one of the seven are Irish. Not even Leinster can compete with the cash on offer in England and France but they remain confident of returning to Europe’s top table as they get another Champions Cup campaign underway this Saturday, at home to Castres.
“In the past, we’ve liked being underdog,” said Toner. “But, we have a lot of confidence in the squad now. If we can get by under the radar, get a couple of wins, get out of our group and have a home quarter, everyone would have confidence .
“There is a hugely positive mood inside the camp.”
