Sean O'Brien

[Leinster Fan]

Deserves his own thread. One of the best players I've been privileged to see play for Leinster or Ireland. Would have gone down as an all time great with less injuries.

I hope he gets the sendoff he deserves with Leinster and Ireland, and that he gets to go to one last World Cup. Best of luck to him with London Irish after that.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

One last Lions tour in SA? Be interesting to see if he gets picked if Gatland gets a third stint.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Let's send him away with a double, only fair as he missed last year!

One last Lions tour in SA? Be interesting to see if he gets picked if Gatland gets a third stint.

I'd be amazed, Leavy, Curry, Underhill, VdF are all still improving while SOB is on the way down.

It would be fitting though, he was a great Lion, very unfortunate that his runs of fitness were Lions tours rather than the grand slam, Six Nations wins and Heino cups.

I think he only had one 6n and two HECs?

 

[General Melchett]

One last Lions tour in SA? Be interesting to see if he gets picked if Gatland gets a third stint.

Not a chance. Gatland loves a grudge. If England carry this form into the WC then it'll be hard to see past Eddie or Schmidt assuming they'd want it.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Let's send him away with a double, only fair as he missed last year!


I'd be amazed, Leavy, Curry, Underhill, VdF are all still improving while SOB is on the way down.

It would be fitting though, he was a great Lion, very unfortunate that his runs of fitness were Lions tours rather than the grand slam, Six Nations wins and Heino cups.

I think he only had one 6n and two HECs?

Think he came off the bench in the 2009 Heineken Cup final as well as the starring roles in 2011/2012. Just the 2015 Six Nations. Missed everything else including both wins over the All Blacks. Bar his stupidly good performances for Joe Schmidt's Leinster his best moments probably came on Lions Tours.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Think he came off the bench in the 2009 Heineken Cup final as well as the starring roles in 2011/2012. Just the 2015 Six Nations. Missed everything else including both wins over the All Blacks. Bar his stupidly good performances for Joe Schmidt's Leinster his best moments probably came on Lions Tours.

Ah yeah, the NZ wins were the big ones I was forgetting, at least he beat them for the Lions but I doubt that was half as good as Chicago or November.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

There are only two NH players who have genuinely impressed and excited me as being top tier World XV quality when they reached their peak on the international stage. SoB is one (Gordon D'Arcy is the other with is player of the 6N being just about the best thing I've seen in the 6N). Sadly I dont think SoB has been the same player for many years, as was also the case with D'Arcy post injury. Still a good pro, but his days of looking like a man amongst boys lie well in the past.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Love this SOB ruck clearout!!!

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Love this SOB ruck clearout!!!

Genuinely superhuman

 

[munstermuffin]

A hard man. Even in Munster we loved him. Very down to earth and a tough tough oyster.

Deserves to get payday but equally, and Leinster lads will back this up, he is going to Nots Nots to achieve.
If he is fit he will perform no doubt

 

[Leinster Fan]

A hard man. Even in Munster we loved him. Very down to earth and a tough tough oyster.

Deserves to get payday but equally, and Leinster lads will back this up, he is going to Nots Nots to achieve.
If he is fit he will perform no doubt

One of the things worth noting about him is that he did a huge amount to changing perceptions of Leinster and dismantling the 'posh boys' stereotype that followed is around in the 2000s. Before him, more or less everyone outside South Dublin preferred Munster to Leinster. For Leinster to have a star player from a place like Tullow was massive and paved the way for the likes of Furlong, Adam Byrne etc.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Always reminded me of Haskell.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Always reminded me of Haskell.

Must be joking, Haskell's got 2 inches and 12kg on O'Brien. Comparing O'Brien to a weapon like that is just unfair.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Always reminded me of Haskell.

When I say 'All-time great', I mean that at a push he might one day be considered worthy to be talked about in the same paragraph as the likes of Haskell.

 

[General Melchett]

His initials are very fitting. Just like Stone Cold - one tough SOB.

 

[Every Time Ref]

When I say 'All-time great', I mean that at a push he might one day be considered worthy to be talked about in the same paragraph as the likes of Haskell.

Paragraphs that start with "Unlike James Haskell, Sean O'Brien is not worthy to be talked about in the same sentence as Chris Robshaw. Nonetheless..."