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.
An honourable mention to Eddie Hekinui surely?!
And Steven Sykes
And Mariano Galarza
And Maks Van Dyk
People are always going on about how bad Hekenui was. I remember watching him in 2001 or whenever it was and thinking he was great. Suppose I was only 11 or so at the time
Didn’t Tiquri head home after he was caught having an affair
It wasnt the first time he was caught. He was axed by the ARU for something similar.
CJ Van Der Linde didn’t do much got Leinster. Jean De Villiers was very unimpressive for a season at Munster. Christian Cullen was past his prime and also didn’t drop much for Munster.
So which player are people disagreeing with?
Cj van der Linde was far from a flop excellent replacement and competition for Healy started some big games over Cian also.
Van Der Linde came over on good money but he was hardly ever fit. A toe injury kept he out and he was eventually released. Van Der Merve was Healy biggest treat when Healy really started to make a name for himself.
Cullen was past his prime to a degree. If he hadn’t broken his leg just before signing he would have made a great player for Munster, especially at that time when it was mostly stars 1-10 and solid but unspectacular outside. Having a strike weapon like him might have seen a Heineken cup a few years earlier than it came.
CJ was a tighthead Healy a loosehead they were never in competition. CJ was a sicknote.
CJ would definitely be on my list of flops.
Rob Sidoli at Munster!!
Forgot MOC signed Tuqiri. Every signing MOC made was a turkey except for Ben Te’o, who did well considering he was switching codes at 28 years of age. Even Te’o is now making noises about heading back to Sydney. Leinster will be counting the cost of hiring MOC for years to come. Shame on his media defenders BOD, Ward and Hogan. Credit to Shane Horgan for stating the bleeding obvious regarding MOC.
Harsh on Lima. Unlike the others, he never actually got a chance to play.
Surely Jean De Villiers deserves to be on this list, if not top of it!
World class before he arrived in Munster, world class after he left Munster, couldn’t catch the ball while in Munster.
Yep Steven Skyes was mine too
Suppose Tuquiri did best out of all those guys,headed back to NRL and won the Premiership with Souths as his swan song. Not a single mention of his couple of months in Ireland was made.
Ulster gets some abuse for loving their Saffas, but they rarely pick up a bad one!
Robert sidoli at munster? Chris wyatt your thinking of no?
you’re spot on, mixing up my welsh men!
Will Chambers, Munster. Made one decent run in the miracle match against Northampton at home. That was it. Now back playing league in Australia and rightfully so.
Thought Chambers had a good spell at Munster actually. Came in with little expectation and had a few good outings against Leinster too.
He’s recognised in league as a classy footballer, scored in the State of Origin this year iirc too.
The props on the list were all woeful.
Borlase was pathetic from the moment he stepped off the plane. This was a guy knocking around the crusaders squad and brought in as a potential Irish international. He only had one gear – reverse. I am not sure I ever saw him in one respectable scrum.
Gomez – this guy conned several clubs, Leinster among them, Stade Francais too if memory serves me, he had a very lucrative very short term contract with them. The guy wasn’t related to a prop. He’d have looked bad at J3.
Newlands – muck.
Save Tukula for Munster; total Turkey