LEINSTER’S DEVIN TONER says that two recent high-profile incidents were ‘isolated’ and not representative of the province’s culture.
On Monday, the IRFU sanctioned Sean O’Brien over an incident in a Dublin pub in the wake of Leinster’s Guinness Pro14 final win over Glasgow Warriors.
In a separate incident last month, an academy player was punched and knocked out by a former player, who was then invited on stage three days later when Leinster celebrated the 10th anniversary of their first Heineken Cup win.
In rugby, terms like ‘values’, ‘culture’ and ‘standards’ are often used as a means to both promote the game and maximise a team’s ability on the field.
“If you ask me when I went to build a team, ‘What do you look to get right first?’ You look to get the culture right,” said Leinster senior coach Stuart Lancaster last year.
During their run to Heineken Champions Cup victory in 2018, Leinster used the phrase ‘brothers‘ to describe their player-driven culture.
And, when it’s put to Toner that the young player knocked unconscious may not have much cause to feel like a ‘brother’, Leinster’s second-most-capped player says the incident could have been handled better.
“It could have been handled a bit differently but, I’m not in the position to be doing that,” said Toner as Energia were announced as new sponsors of both the men’s and women’s All-Ireland league.
In dismissing the need for a review of the culture, the Meath lock lamented the ‘two isolated incidents’ in question.
“I don’t think there’s a need to review anything, to be honest. It is a player-driven thing.
“The people that have been involved know that it’s not what they do, and it’s not what we do. There have been apologies and they’re two isolated incidents, and that very rarely happens. “
Nice knock out but he’s a fu#king idiot
He acts like a tool in the cage, he was on the MMA hour and I was expecting more of the same but he was actually really sound. That said it did predate the Pokemon stunt
Paul, is the Alex Reid that fought last night the same guy that was married to the page three girl Jordan? If it was I can’t believe he’s still fighting.
It is, Gary. His first fight in about four years or so.
Cheers Paul.
has to have been some pent up anger issues there :)
You mean improved on it with an awesome pokemon refrence
Too many macho men around here with no sense of humour it seems
I feel like that this morning
Ouch.
He’s had 6 Bellator fights without a title shot so theyre still spoon feeding him, they only have 20 Welterweights on their books