THERE ARE A fair few farewells to be said over the course of the coming rugby weekend, with the goodbyes beginning at Thomond Park tonight.
Shane Jennings plays in Ireland professionally one last time before hanging up his boots this summer, while the Barbarians’ Nathan Hines is also moving on from playing into the coaching world.
Gopperth starts at out-half for the Baa-Baas this evening. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Brad Thorn, a man who made the biggest of impacts in the shortest of stays at Leinster, will be on the sidelines. And then there’s Jimmy Gopperth, who is not retiring, just moving on.
Typically, the laidback Kiwi says that playing against so many of his Leinster friends in Limerick this evening is “going to be a pretty cool way to finish” before heading for pastures new with Wasps.
Gopperth is almost universally liked by his fellow pros, with Leinster’s squad genuinely unhappy to see him leaving for the Premiership. Such is life.
“Two years goes fast in a way but you make good friends and you go through tough times and good times playing alongside them,” says Gopperth, who will wear the 10 shirt in opposition to Ian Madigan this evening [KO 19.45].
It’s always going to be tough to leave. What better way to finish playing against them?”
Gopperth’s entire stint at Leinster was played out under the stewardship of the now departed Matt O’Connor, even if he was signed by the province at the tail end of Joe Schmidt’s final season in charge.
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As such, the former Newcastle Falcon bonded with the Australian head coach and says the announcement that O’Connor would be out of a job despite having a year left on his Leinster deal was hard to swallow.
“It was a tough week, I think the whole team were pretty gutted. Matt is such a likeable character and everybody enjoyed working with him. It was a big shock to be fair, we didn’t really see it coming.
Gopperth rates the Pro12 success as his Leinster highlight. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“Every player is wishing him all the very best for his future because he is a very, very good coach.”
Indeed, Gopperth is certain that O’Connor will bounce into a new job almost immediately.
“I would say teams would jump in there trying to get him,” says Gopperth. “He is one of those coaches that you don’t find too many of. Unfortunately for some reason he didn’t get to see his way out here. He won’t find it hard to get another job for sure.”
Those feelings of sympathy towards O’Connor have been widespread among Leinster’s playing group, who have professed their fondness for the former Leicester coach time and again this season.
Asked if Leinster’s playing staff had felt a sense of guilt to go along with the sympathy, Gopperth was honest.
For sure. At the end of the day the coaches aren’t out there kicking the ball, passing or tackling. It’s all players. We do feel like we let him down, but we let ourselves down as well as players.
“There were three or four games we easily should have won and probably would have easily been in the top four of the Pro12. But that’s rugby, it’s hindsight. We have just got to move forward and be better as a player and as a team. Whoever comes in next year, the boys will be up for it.”
In terms of moving on, Gopperth believes Leinster need “a strong person” in as their next head coach, though he argues that there isn’t a huge amount that needs to be fixed within the group. The out-half believes all the elements are in place, waiting to be refined.
Gopperth togged out for Leinster one last time in Edinburgh. Robert Perry / INPHO
Robert Perry / INPHO / INPHO
Personally, Gopperth reflects on last season’s Pro12 title as the highlight of his time with Leinster, though he also recalls his first game in blue, against the Scarlets, and an away trip to Castres as good days.
The out-half took more than his fair share of flak from a minority portion of frustrated supporters and pundits during this most difficult of seasons, oftentimes seen as the man holding Madigan back from playing more often at 10.
“As a player you are always trying to be better and you always think you can give a bit more and be better,” says Gopperth when asked if we saw the very best of him in Ireland over the last two years.
“Of course there is games… I wished I hit the drop goal in Treviso away and in Toulon, we’d be in the final, those little things. But look, every time I put on the blue jersey I tried to give my best, wore my heart on my sleeve. I tried to play for Leinster as if it was my home team, as if I had been there for years.
If people could see that, it makes me happy.”
Hopeful that Leinster fans viewed him as such, Gopperth this evening prepares for his final game before heading for his holidays, no doubt involving a surfboard, and then on to Wasps.
He’s confident the Barbarians can “express ourselves and throw the ball around” against Joe Schmidt’s Ireland, and is looking forward to having a little fun with less pressure on his shoulders.
The out-half might even be at the core of a few Baa-Baas trick plays as he simply enjoys being out on the rugby pitch, playing with and against good mates.
“We’re the Barbarians aren’t we? We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Gopperth plans to go out in style after 'tough' last months with Leinster
THERE ARE A fair few farewells to be said over the course of the coming rugby weekend, with the goodbyes beginning at Thomond Park tonight.
Shane Jennings plays in Ireland professionally one last time before hanging up his boots this summer, while the Barbarians’ Nathan Hines is also moving on from playing into the coaching world.
Brad Thorn, a man who made the biggest of impacts in the shortest of stays at Leinster, will be on the sidelines. And then there’s Jimmy Gopperth, who is not retiring, just moving on.
Typically, the laidback Kiwi says that playing against so many of his Leinster friends in Limerick this evening is “going to be a pretty cool way to finish” before heading for pastures new with Wasps.
Gopperth is almost universally liked by his fellow pros, with Leinster’s squad genuinely unhappy to see him leaving for the Premiership. Such is life.
“Two years goes fast in a way but you make good friends and you go through tough times and good times playing alongside them,” says Gopperth, who will wear the 10 shirt in opposition to Ian Madigan this evening [KO 19.45].
Gopperth’s entire stint at Leinster was played out under the stewardship of the now departed Matt O’Connor, even if he was signed by the province at the tail end of Joe Schmidt’s final season in charge.
As such, the former Newcastle Falcon bonded with the Australian head coach and says the announcement that O’Connor would be out of a job despite having a year left on his Leinster deal was hard to swallow.
“It was a tough week, I think the whole team were pretty gutted. Matt is such a likeable character and everybody enjoyed working with him. It was a big shock to be fair, we didn’t really see it coming.
“Every player is wishing him all the very best for his future because he is a very, very good coach.”
Indeed, Gopperth is certain that O’Connor will bounce into a new job almost immediately.
“I would say teams would jump in there trying to get him,” says Gopperth. “He is one of those coaches that you don’t find too many of. Unfortunately for some reason he didn’t get to see his way out here. He won’t find it hard to get another job for sure.”
Those feelings of sympathy towards O’Connor have been widespread among Leinster’s playing group, who have professed their fondness for the former Leicester coach time and again this season.
Asked if Leinster’s playing staff had felt a sense of guilt to go along with the sympathy, Gopperth was honest.
“There were three or four games we easily should have won and probably would have easily been in the top four of the Pro12. But that’s rugby, it’s hindsight. We have just got to move forward and be better as a player and as a team. Whoever comes in next year, the boys will be up for it.”
In terms of moving on, Gopperth believes Leinster need “a strong person” in as their next head coach, though he argues that there isn’t a huge amount that needs to be fixed within the group. The out-half believes all the elements are in place, waiting to be refined.
Personally, Gopperth reflects on last season’s Pro12 title as the highlight of his time with Leinster, though he also recalls his first game in blue, against the Scarlets, and an away trip to Castres as good days.
The out-half took more than his fair share of flak from a minority portion of frustrated supporters and pundits during this most difficult of seasons, oftentimes seen as the man holding Madigan back from playing more often at 10.
“As a player you are always trying to be better and you always think you can give a bit more and be better,” says Gopperth when asked if we saw the very best of him in Ireland over the last two years.
“Of course there is games… I wished I hit the drop goal in Treviso away and in Toulon, we’d be in the final, those little things. But look, every time I put on the blue jersey I tried to give my best, wore my heart on my sleeve. I tried to play for Leinster as if it was my home team, as if I had been there for years.
Hopeful that Leinster fans viewed him as such, Gopperth this evening prepares for his final game before heading for his holidays, no doubt involving a surfboard, and then on to Wasps.
He’s confident the Barbarians can “express ourselves and throw the ball around” against Joe Schmidt’s Ireland, and is looking forward to having a little fun with less pressure on his shoulders.
The out-half might even be at the core of a few Baa-Baas trick plays as he simply enjoys being out on the rugby pitch, playing with and against good mates.
“We’re the Barbarians aren’t we? We’ll just have to wait and see.”
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