Leinster rugby's best player in Bilbao still determined to leave club

There may have been, on the face of it, similarities between the 2011 and the 2026 Heineken/Champions Cup finals. Leinster were behind on the half-time scoreboard, the last train looked to have left the platform with the red rear-carriage light disappearing into the night. Cue 2011 Johnny Sexton giving, he says, an impromptu speech which, he further claims as an avid Man Utd fan surprised even himself, referencing Liverpool's comeback against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final. The out-half goes back out - angry, determined, - leading from the front, scoring two tries, three conversions and two penalties for 22 points as Leinster turn 6-22 to 33-22.

We don't know what happened Leinster half-time dressing room last Saturday but the out-half who was brought on four minutes into the second-half was Leinster's star player on the night; and they won the second-half 12-6. Meet Ciaran Frawley - that is say hello, wave goodbye, to Ciaran Frawley - as he signed a two-year deal, committed to joining Stuart Lancaster's burgeoning Connacht project next season. “Well, there was no real conversation," answers the sub out-half about how the Leinster half-time dressing room had fired him up. It hadn't. “You’re leaving the 15 players that are on the pitch to speak amongst themselves, in terms of what I was told. "I didn’t know what time I was coming on at but I got a bit of a heads up on the sideline as the second half started that ‘you could be coming on soon.’ “So then I was trying to get myself ready.

In terms of the half-time messaging, it's just the lads trying to, ‘battle by battle, the next moment is the most important moment’, "And as I said, we alluded to the win against Northampton back then (2011), so we were taking confidence from that, and belief from that that we could do it if we just stuck to our process. So that was the main messages at half-time." There was no inkling during the break that he was going on within five minutes, a tactical switch-in with Harry Byrne; the first Frawley knew was as he was walking out to take his seat on the bench. "So as the half started, they said, look, you might be on in five minutes, we'll see it. "Because you have to see how the game pans out, so obviously normally you can't, it's always tough decisions for coaches in finals, in any game really but you have to weigh up a lot of different options of what can happen.

"So yeah, they just said, look, you could be on in five minutes, so I just got myself ready to be on in five minutes." Professional rugby ain't what it's like in the movies or, on TV in Premiership football, where people are drawing and explaining on white boards and i-pads, gesticulating and motivating, before a run on! Perhaps Frawley, leaving the club, is already something of an outsider. Perhaps Harry Byrne is down to front the rest of the URC campaign, maybe Sam Prendergast returns next week as the bench needs to be configured differently. Maybe incoming Joey Carbery is on management's minds.

Either way Frawley made quite an impression for 36 minutes at San Mames, made quite a point. And it looks like Lancaster recognised the rabbit in the Leinster hat as he one of three, along with Will Connors and Jerry Cahir, heading west for 2026/27. “I'm just taking it week by week," says Frawley. "It’s going to be knockout rugby now and I don’t want any week to be your last and I want to make the most of the time I’ve left because Leinster have given me so much. “It was my boyhood club, I grew up supporting Leinster and I love Leinster at the end of the day, so it was always a tough decision to move, but I want to end on a high. “I said to myself the on the Friday night, 'Jesus what a great way to end if I win the double...', but sport is just incredibly cruel at times and that’s just not the way it is." Connacht with Lancaster as coach proved a big attraction. “Yeah, well, you look at what Connacht are building, Stuart Lancaster after coming back - I worked under Stuart for quite a while, an unbelievable coach. “I have a lot of respect for him, he has a lot of respect for me. I think Connacht are trending in the right direction.

It came down to where am I guaranteed game time or whatever, and jumping to Galway, that could be it. “It was a tough decision to make, it is never easy leaving the club you grew up supporting, it’s so special to play for Leinster. "I’m absolutely chuffed to have the caps I do and if you told me when I was a kid that I was going to have these caps, I wouldn’t believe you so it’s unbelievably special. "It’s also really sad to leave but we’ll dust ourselves down from this Champions Cup loss and get on with the Lions next week. Connacht will be getting a 28 year-old, 13-times capped Ireland (2023-) international who has been lightly raced at Leinster, 70 starts (54 percent) in 123 appearances across eight seasons.

Breakdown those 70 starts for me? He has played 28 times at inside-centre, twice on at outside centre, 23 times at full-back and 19 times at out-half. He has not, he says, been 'promised' the no10 jersey in Galway specifically but is happy to accept a broader picture. “I think it's just getting game time was the main thing for me. Look, I feel like I'm in good form at the minute, I'm getting the game time now with Leinster. “Things are going well towards the end of the season, in terms of the form or whatever, but it was at the time when the conversations were going on, it was just probably the guarantee the game time more so.” Click here to sign up to our sport newsletter, bringing you the top stories and biggest headlines from Ireland and beyond