LEINSTER HAVE TODAY announced their latest southern hemisphere import in the form of Ben Te’o from, NRL side, the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The New Zealand-born Samoan international will offer an inside centre option for head coach Matt O’Connor once the Rabbitohs second row completes the season in Australia this autumn.
“I was home during the summer and met with him a number of times,” O’Connor said in today’s statement He is keen and eager to make a lasting impression at Leinster and to develop into a world class rugby player.”
“He is a dynamic and explosive ball carrier and that physicality will enhance our offering both in attack and in our defence. I think the Leinster supporters are going to like what they see.”
For what it’s worth, here he is laying a hit on Sonny Bill Williams earlier this year.
With the Rabbitohs currnetly sitting second in the Premiership, 27-year-old Te’o says he is still fully focused on the business end of the NRL season in Australia.
“There is a lot of footy still to be played in this season and I owe it to Michael Maguire, his staff, and the rest of the players and of course the South’ Members and fans to focus all of my attention on those games starting this Thursday against the Broncos. There will be a time for farewells and thank yous when all is said and done.”
What happened to developing home grown players?
It’s one foreigner in a position Leinster are light in. He will see us through to the world cup and if some young Irish player becomes a fantastic centre by then all the better.
Unfortunately it’s not part of MOC’s job description
There’s that too. To be fair, Teo isn’t going to hault anyones development. Noel Reid will still see plenty of game time.
If he pulls off a tackle like that in union there’s a good chance he will end up with a yellow. No attempt to use his arms, going high and completely intentional. Rugby league savages.
That’s legal in league.
It’s not legal anymore , listen to the clip he gets put ‘on report’ by the ref
Same issue with Munster. Not enough very good young centers coming though. I’m all for bringing in lads from outside if they can help the young lads but this doesn’t seem to be happening for us. The new inside center we signed for this year seems to be a stopgap measure and I don’t know in the long run if that’s a good or bad thing. Be interesting to see how this lad gets on and best of luck to him.
Doubt Noel Reid will be too happy after all his progress last season.
Lads, you all need to stop fixating on what appears to be a misinterpretation by The Score. Nowhere in Leinster’s press release does it say he’s an inside centre.
The exact wording is “The 27 year old has played rugby union in the past and will provide options for Matt O’Connor in the centre”.
All previous reporting of this story suggested he was coming in as an outside centre & nothing in the official announcement suggests otherwise.
Perhaps they should have signed local Eamonn Sheridan. A couple of years ago, we had a prop shortage now we have a midfield shortage. Foreign signings don’t address this.
And to solve the prop problem we got Mike Ross. Hopefully in a few years we’ll have James Hart back competing for scrum-half and others like Robin Copeland who gained the necessary (and valuable) experience abroad to bolster the up and coming young talent.
Ireland doesn’t have a midfield shortage.
Olding, Henshaw, Payne, Fitzgerald, D’Arcy, Marshall, Cave, Earls, also JJ, Keatley,and Maddog can also do a good job at 12, and there’s some good new talent coming through also.
Not a position Leinster needed and seems a job for a mate.
Reed and Darcy might end up getting shafted in a World Cup year.
Seriously don’t like m’oc
Like many have said, he’s not being signed as a 12. We will have our ball players at 10 and 12 and this man can punch holes at 13. We’ve signed a massive pacific islander back, I’m excited.
Another inside centre?!? This must mean that Madigan will be used predominantly at 10 or D’Arcy will be moved out to 13. Otherwise, this makes no sense. 12 isn’t a position of weakness, certainly not to the same extent as 13 or 10.
Reid, D’Arcy and madigan will most likely be in the Ireland set up for autumn and 6 nations. So there will be a need for an inside centre
Valid point. Incidentally, I’m looking forward to Cathal Marsh getting some minutes during Autumn and the Six Nations.
Not exactly the Tomkins or Burgess siblings but evidence what a player dual registration scheme with Super League clubs should deliver. In the vaccum 3rd or 4th tier Irish players are being encouraged by agents to go to the English 2nd division, when a move to a Super League club may provide improved opportunities. Dual registration scheme with Super League clubs would deliver rugby league players to the provinces that may at least be Irish Qualified.
Seems a bit of a wacky suggestion to me. The differences between league and union, especially at the breakdown, would be to much for short term switches to work
Wacky short-term switch? Maybe if that was being suggested.
In league the tackle’s function is firstly to stop ( drive back ) the opponent, seal off the ball to stop an offload, hold him up long enough for support to get there and bring him to ground on your terms so as to slow up the next play as long as possible.
Mostly in union we want to get the man to ground as quickly as possible so to poach/steal the ball at the breakdown and win the ruck.
But in Ireland have perfected the choke tackle to stop the off Load and get the put in in the scrum, which is basically a rugby league tackle without putting him to ground.
He will suit this aspect of the tackle area ( and hit very hard in doing so if Leinster continue this tactic).
The rugby league tackle is completed when the referee calls held, more often than not ending in what resembles a choke tackle. In terms of how transferable his skills will be, will be dependent on well he adapts to the ruck and how well he learns to retain and recycle possession. In rugby league players retain the ball in the tackle and can only compete for the steal one v one. If he has a broken field kicking game, then maybe Leinster will be able to fully implement what MoC has been trying to achieve.
Poor signing.
Fits MOC’s prototypical centre, big and physical with little no to finesse or skill.
Leinster have buckets of options in the squad but none that are from the SH who are as big and physical as Teo.
I dunno about this Te’o signing. It might have been better to bring in Adam Ashley-Cooper or Conrad Smith
No chance of that happening with RWC15 on the horizon.