Seán O’Brien is Leinster’s new contact skills coach, a role which Denis Leamy will vacate to take up a position as defence coach with Munster from next season.
The 35-year-old O’Brien has spent the last three seasons as a player with London Irish but returns to the province for whom he played on 126 occasions following his debut against the Cardiff Blues in 2008.
O’Brien was part of Leinster’s Pro12/14 winning squads in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2019 and has four Heineken Champions Cup winners’ medals, starting in the Heineken Cup Finals of 2011 and 2012, and won a Challenge Cup (2013). He was European Player of the Year (2011), won 56 caps for Ireland and played five Tests for the Lions in the 2013 and 2017 series.
The Tullow native said: “This is a brilliant opportunity now to get back and to get back to work with Leinster Rugby. I’d like to thank Leo for the opportunity and it’s an exciting one. Building on the great work of Hugh Hogan and most recently Denis Leamy, I can’t wait to get stuck in.
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“Working with players that I already know but there is also some real talent coming through and to be having my first coaching opportunity back home at Leinster, is pretty special. They’ve got a busy week in advance of them with Glasgow to come on Saturday and I’ll be a very keen supporter watching them to the end of the season.”
Leinster head coach Le Cullen said: “On the rugby pitch, Seán at his best was virtually unplayable. In a Leinster shirt, he played a key role in some of our greatest days on the European stage and we hope he can pass on some of his vast experience and winning mentality to our current squad. Seán has always been a brilliant presence in the Leinster changing room and I think our group will be excited and energised by having him back involved.
Leamy will join Mike Prendergast as part of Graham Rowntree’s new looking coaching team for next season working alongside Prendergast (backs/attack), Andy Kyriacou (forwards) and Rowntree (head coach).
Leamy, who initially joined Leinster in 2019 as an elite player development officer (EPDO) was appointed to his current role in 2021. Leamy made 144 appearances for Munster following his debut in September 2001 and was a member of the teams that won the 2006 and 2008 Heineken Cup finals.
He was also capped 57 times by Ireland, played in two World Cups, was twice a Triple Crown winner and was a member of the 2009 Grand Slam-winning side. Following retirement in 2012 due to a hip injury, the Tipperary native coached in Rockwell College, Garryowen in the AIL and with age-grade provincial teams in Munster.
Leamy also spent time working as head coach of Cashel RFC as well as being part of Tipperary’s 2016 All-Ireland hurling back room winning team. As an EPDO with Leinster Rugby, he worked with the sub-Academy and Academy players in the Ken Wall Centre of Excellence in Energia Park, as well as the Ireland U-20s as defence coach.
Cullen said: “Everyone at Leinster has really enjoyed having Denis in blue as we know it was a big move for him when he first joined. Since then, he has gone on to work with the senior squad and he has added hugely to the group from his many experiences in the game.
“We’re sorry to lose him but we all fully understand his decision to move back closer to family and the opportunity to progress his coaching career. We wish Denis and his family the very best for the future.”
Leamy said of his decision: “I feel I have developed myself as a coach working with Leo and the rest of the coaching and back room staff and this season in particular will live long in the memory. I’d like to thank the players, in particular, for a brilliant three years at Leinster.
“The opportunity to continue my coaching career and to join Munster and be closer to home, is an opportunity that I feel I have to take to grow as a coach and for family reasons and I look forward to working with Graham (Rowntree) and the rest of the team there in due course.”
