Kane Douglas
One disappointing season into a three-year deal, the Aussie international lock was released by Leinster today after they received compensation – believed to be between €150,000 and €200,000 — from the Australian Rugby Union, with Douglas now expected to join Queensland Reds which will allow him to challenge for a place in the Wallabies’ World Cup squad.
Owen Finegan
Another versatile Australian forward, the signing of Finegan from Newcastle Falcons in 2006 was a pretty good coup for Leinster at the time. Capped by the Wallabies 55 times and a winner of Super Rugby honours twice with the Brumbies, what could possibly go wrong? Plenty, as it turned out. Finegan’s one-year contract wasn’t renewed at the end of the season and the 35-year-old left for a brief spell with Leicester Tigers, after which he hung up his boots. A fine players when in his prime but, unfortunately for Leinster fans, that day had passed by the time Finegan was brought in by Michael Cheika.
Brian Lima
There’s no arguing with Lima’s status as a legend of the game, but his time at Munster wasn’t the most memorable spell of his career. The Samoan, who’s the only man to have played at five World Cups, joined Munster in March 2005. However, after injuring his quad muscle in the build-up to the Heineken Cup quarter-final against Biarritz, he left two months later without playing a single game for the province.
Peter Borlase
The New Zealand-born prop was expected to beef up Munster’s front-row when he joined the province on a two-year deal in 2010, but things never really got going for the tighthead prop who arrived from Canterbury. He played seven times before being loaned to Connacht for a brief stint at the Sportsground. He then returned home in 2012 to play for Hawke’s Bay in the ITM Cup. Still only 30, Borlase is now a coach with the USA’s Under 20 team.
Joeli Veitayaki
Veitayaki had just played for Fiji at the 1999 World Cup when he signed for the then-European champions. What Ulster fans remember from Veitayaki’s six-game spell with the province was that he was big and he was bad — but not in a good way.
David Pusey
Pusey arrived at Munster on a two-year deal in 2003 with a good reputation, having represented Australia at Schools and Under 21 level, as well as making 23 Super Rugby appearances for the Brumbies. He showed fleeting glimpses of promise during his 17 games for Munster but his time in Ireland was mostly a disappointment.
Mils Muliaina
Securing the services of an All Blacks legend last summer was a big deal for Connacht but, in spite of his quality and experience, Muliaina seldom delivered for Pat Lam’s side. The 34-year-old failed to score in nine appearances for Connacht and his time with the province ended on quite a sour note when he was arrested at Kingsholm in April after their defeat to Gloucester. Muliaina, who’ll play for Zebre next season, is subsequently due to appear in court in Cardiff on 7 August on a sexual assault charge.
Juan Gomez
An Argetine prop who had just made his international debut the year before, Leinster thought they were on to a winner when they signed Gomez from Stade Francais in 2007. Not quite. Gomez failed to adapt over the course of an eight-game spell and was soon shipped off to Leeds Carnegie.
Anton Pitout
There was a bit of excitement around Anton Pitout when Munster signed the South African sevens international from the Cheetahs in 2005. That he lasted only five games is all you need to know.
Clint Newland
The New Zealand Maori prop, who joined Leinster from the Highlanders, played 12 times for the province after he was brought in to plug an injury gap in 2010. Newland often struggled in the scrum and was sent packing after one season.
Lote Tuqiri
Tuqiri arrived at Leinster on a short-term deal in 2013 with 67 Wallabies caps in his back pocket. Even at the age of 33, the Australian back was a significant acquisition. However, the dual international struggled with injuries and departed having made only five appearances.
What if the corner backs are cynically wasting time passing between themselves – will they be getting black cards too? And if Spillane counts too many hand passes on the Sunday game will there be more sanctions?
Maybe the offending player should hop on their bad leg for 2 minutes or something? That would liven it up!!
Or maybe the GAA should let teams do what they do best and commit everything they have to winning and stop pandering to certain commentators.
Leon — I’d have to disagree with you. The amount of cynical fouling, play-acting, and lack of respect for refs and officials has been doing my head in for the past few years. I think the ‘professional foul’ in particular needs to be addressed. If one team needs a goal to win or draw, for instance, the other team pulls them down on the edge of the square and takes one (a yellow card) for the team. It shouldn’t be like that.
Should they let them have a chance to win or draw then?? Nonsense.
I would love to get rid of the play acting and have a lot more respect for officials and i agree with you there. But this is just trying to “improve” (see increase scores) the game to please certain pundits who spout the same rhetoric week in week out with no constructive input.
The Dublin v Donegal semi-final a few years ago was one of the most fascinating games I’d ever seen because of the tactics, intensity and strategy. Not every game needs 60 yd kick passes and 20 points to be entertaining.
@Leon
You seem to be incapable of disagreeing politely.
Quickly turning into a non contact sport ,with all the rule changes & diving.
What about abusing officials, is that to be condoned?
Dreadful suggestion. The problem is the standard of refereeing. Totally different rules on Saturday evening in a club game than you get on Sunday in an intercounty championship game.
Not great for the small clubs who mightn’t have big panels at their disposal either.
If they’re so insistent on bringing in some sort of rule as a solution to the fouling (rather than addressing the real issue of refereeing), why don’t they try the sin bin exactly the way it’s used in rugby. It works very well.
Sin bin would definitely be good. I think this black card is also worth a go though. Notwithstanding refereeing issues; something does have to change in my opinion. If a team gets 7 or 8 points ahead in the second half they can see the game out by faking injury and cynical fouling. It’s crap to watch.
And how many games have you refereed Cormac ?
This years championship should be good craic … FFS. Change the system and bring in the Sin Bin.
It’ll probably be scrapped because of racism!!
And put diving in there too!!
they are right blackcards :-)
Replace the rte studio with the newstalk crew and we can enjoy the coverage, problem solved.
Newstalk presenters really irritating me lately. Way to far up their own ar*es & ill tell you what newstalk guys & gals ( if you read the journal that is ) you are not really that good or funny. I loved the station initially it’s not even on my saved stations in my car anymore.
Sin bin anyone? Works in rugby and ice hockey. Forget this substituting for another player. That is not a punishment
You’ll need a degree to officiate games and the public wont have a clue. Tripping abuse and cynical fouls red card. Soccer and Gaa need to catch up,manly the players
Sin bin is the only logical solution. This black card can’t work at grass roots for obvious reasons.. They seem to be determined to break What’s not broke..
On a related topic….used to be a great rule in ice hockey….not sure if it still applies. When two players go at each other….the third man in gets red carded. Result is that two guys slug away until seperated by officials. No mass brawls. Would def be worth a shot in GAA.
What about the team who gets a black card and has no substitute? Joke of a rule
Please don’t play the black card
There may be trouble ahead with all the confusion and its all of their own making. Black cards, yellow cards and red cards, why don’t they use a deck of cards cos it sounds like a game of chance. Looks as though the GAA are just putting feelers out to see the reaction from managers. Too much spin from FRC and co. They may dig a hole and bury their report.
I can see it being an absolute nonsense but great for the media of course.
Why don’t they ban them from using their hands, make the pitch smaller and get rid of those sticks on top of the cross bar. Then you’d have a sport
There are too many cynical and violent tackles. I think perhaps stricter refs rather than a new card, would do it.
Just leave the game alone ! Had one on the best inter county championships last fee years last year