IT SHOULDN’T HAPPEN at this time of the year. Rugby is supposed to be looking at a season of limitless possibility. Yet it does.
Nobody should be forced to give up on the career they’ve set their heart on for over a decade, but today Leinster Rugby broke the news that Eoin O’Malley’s knee has ended his life as a professional sportsman.
Our first reaction was, ‘he could have been great’.
Scratch that.
O’Malley was about to be great, an heir to Brian O’Driscoll’s pressure-laden number 13 jersey for both club and country.
His retirement comes not only before he was fully formed as a rugby player, but also before we and the rest of the watching public got to know him fully as a person.
As much as we’ll remember his flashes of brilliant promise in midfield, we’ll remember him as the clean cut, polite man in training gear who was never slow to smile or acknowledge your presence while many of his peers retained a steely glare towards the training field.
(©INPHO/Ryan Byrne)
His last true game for Leinster – before the saga of false dawns on the comeback trail began – was the 2012 RaboDirect semi-final.
The following Monday morning, despite the province being on the cusp of the greatness that back-to-back Heineken Cups and an (ultimately failed) Pro12 title tilt would bring, the mood around Leinster’s old training base in Clonskeagh was decidedly gloomy.
Forwards coach Jono Gibbes ordinarily jokes as he tries to rhyme off the weekend’s injury news. On this day, though, the ex-All Black lumbered out cradling the folded sheet of paper and bearing a painful wince.
Before the number 23 shirt had been extended to international Tests, O’Malley had been Declan Kidney’s 23rd man in that year’s Six Nations. He was there as emergency injury cover, but more importantly as part of a grooming process to make his transition to senior international a seamless one.
His comeback from injury last season was a series of false starts, but he was finally thrust back into the firing line, a surprise late call-up on the trip to Cardiff.
“It was more excitement,” he told TheScore.ie in February.
“I wasn’t really in my head. I didn’t have the time to be nervous for that one. Whereas I had a good sense I was starting [his second game of the season against Treviso] so there were a good bit of nerves, good bit of excitement. It was nice to be back playing in the RDS, it’s been a while.”
It’s a feeling he will never again enjoy. Rather than being at the heart of the bull-ring, he’ll have to learn to be satisfied being one of the crowd. It won’t suit him, not with that talent.
If this feels like a wake then it shouldn’t. The scars of real life and death situations are too deep and too fresh on rugby’s macho exterior to be forgotten lightly.
His first attempt at a career may well be over, but life begins at 25 for Eoin O’Malley.
Good luck in the future, such a shame.
I really thought that someone had died.
This is a truly ridiculous article.
Best of luck to Eoin in his retirement.
Must be tough been a pro athlete one day,getting an injury that ends your playing days and having to go out into the world and find a normal job.
with a pension and compensation AND a pay off.
You don’t know how tough it is.
At his age I’d doubt he’s to much of a pension built up and if he does get compensated I’d doubt it will see him out to the end of his days.
Nelly. I don’t dispute that it’s tough for him and I feel sorry for Eoin.
I’m sure it’s a difficult thing for him to come to terms with and plan for a different future.
But seriously, the tone of the article is completely OTT.
Well, he should get the quivelant of his wages over the next 10 years.
I presume his insurance would kick in – an injury that finishes his career would pay well !
Forget about the money end of it.going from been a pro athlete to a 9to5 worker would be tough that’s what I’m saying
Gutted for him and Irish rugby. He had an awful lot of potential and was one of the names I was really looking forward to seeing this year at Leinster.
Good player but saying he was about to be great is a bit of a stretch. Hope it all works out for him in the future.
I agree with you John. He is a gent of a man but I wouldn’t necessarily rate him high at international standards. If he has a college qualification along with his rugby background he won’t have any problem finding a great job. Companies will be lining up for a pro athlete.
Players aren’t kidding when they say you are only an injury away from the end of your career. Sad to see it happen to another player which such potential and a loss for Ireland. Just thinking in recent years at Munster we have had Ian Dowling and Barry Murphy careers that ended almost before they began.
Super young talent, pity he’ll never realise his full potential. Will always remember the joy on his face as he galloped through the Racing Metro defense for a try at the RDS in the H Cup. At least he has plenty of medals to console him, a lot more than many a player has after a full career #trueblue
A terrible shame. A really exciting player to watch. Big loss to Irish rugby.
A talented centre yes, just not physically strong enough for the modern game. I am sure he will find plenty of other opportunities in life and just as rewarding. Good luck.
Getting to this level was an achievement in itself. Hopefully he will find a suitable alternative career. Best of luck to him,
Never heard of him
His performance against Clermont Auverne in the away match in 2010 was class, and was instrumental to Leinstefr gaining a losing bonus point that got them out of the group and on their way to H Cup success in 2011. You’ll be missed Eoin, best of luck in whatever new career awaits
That’s a real shame and a great loss to Irish rugby. Best of luck to him in the future.