It was clear from an early age that he was a special talent. A key figure in Belvedere College's 2005 Leinster schools Senior Cup success, Eoin O'Malley blossomed as a player who was destined for the top. Playing alongside the likes of Cian Healy, Ian Keatley and Paul O'Donoghue, O'Malley provided the creative spark in the Belvo back line that saw them claim their first senior schools title since 1972. His stellar performances didn't go unnoticed and O'Malley was selected for the Irish schools team. A regular with Old Belvedere in the All Ireland League, a natural progression from the Leinster academy soon followed.
Today at the age of 25, Eoin O'Malley has been forced to prematurely call time on his rugby career due to a persistent knee injury. Leinster and more widely, Irish rugby have been dealt a huge blow by the news. O'Malley has been long been tipped as the natural successor to Brian O'Driscoll. Playing alongside Ireland's greatest day in day out at Leinster training, O'Driscoll has regularly spoken highly of O'Malley's talents. O'Malley made his Leinster debut in 2009, aged 21. Under Michael Cheika he was gradually induced into a Leinster back line that was arguably the best in Europe. He went on the feature seven times in his debut season for Leinster, twice more than he managed in the whole of an injury hit last season. It didn't take him long to become a regular starter as O'Malley continued to shine at every given opportunity.
In 2010 he featured 18 times in the Magners League and made 2 appaearnces in Leinster's Heineken Cup winning campaign. A creative centre, blessed with a quick turn of foot as well as a keen eye for a gap, O'Malley seamlessly slotted into the Leinster mould. Luke Marshall now looks the most likely to take over when O'Driscoll does eventually call it a day but up to last season, Ireland have continued to struggle to produce genuine quality centres. O'Malley's footballing nous won admirers from all corners and it was easy to see why. With the ball in hand he effortlessly breezed passed defenders as if they weren't there. Irish rugby fans believed. We hoped.
At the beginning of the 2011/12 season, Leinster's back line was decimated with many of their stars away with Ireland at the World Cup. Suddenly O'Malley became one of the leaders in the back line but true to his playing style, he took it all in his grasp. Joe Schmidt saw enough in O'Malley to regularly include in him Leinster's Heineken Cup side.
Two tries in a scintillating display against Glasgow and an injury to O'Driscoll meant that O'Malley retained his place in the starting XV for the pool games against Montpellier and Bath (back to back). A week before the Heineken Cup final, Leinster took on Glasgow. A horrendous knee injury suffered during the game not only ruled him out of contention for the final but also out of rugby for six months. A day before Leinster lifted the Heineken Cup, O'Malley lay helplessly on a hospital bed after undergoing cruciate knee ligament surgery.
Sadly for O'Malley, he was no stranger to the operating table or the rehab room. Having required double surgery on a hip problem, he returned to the Leinster fold only to suffer a further ankle injury, keeping him out for another three months. With his career hanging by a thread and question marks over his long term fitness, O'Malley's mental strength shone through as he defied to odds to make a blistering return to the game.
Mental strength unfortunately became one of the outstanding qualities of a young player who had the rugby world at his feet. Although O'Malley was never capped by Ireland, he was played 10 times for the U20 side and 3 times for Ireland A. He was also called into the extended Six Nations squad last year, gaining valuable experience.
As Irish rugby fans, we may never have had the joy of seeing O'Malley line out in the green jersey but the sheer amount of well wishes to a player never capped by his country, speaks volumes about how highly he was both rated as a player and respected as a person. One of the most naturally gifted players that Irish rugby has seen in recent years, anyone that has tracked his progression will be fully aware that injuries aside, O'Malley was the inherent successor to the much coveted number 13 jersey.
In an age where the physicality of rugby has scaled to enormous heights, it is hugely disappointing to see a knee injury dash the hopes of one of Ireland's major young talents. But as the game has developed, so have the support systems put in place by the IRFU. Former Munster winger Ian Dowling was forced to retire two years ago and he perfectly summed up the fickle nature of a rugby career:
"There is a lesson here for all those looking to follow a pro rugby path. It can end abruptly. Keep that in your mind if you're sitting in a classroom with only dreams of playing in Thomond Park."
Eoin O'Malley can fondly look back on the mark he has left on Leinster rugby. Although it will be little consolation to him now, at 25 he still has many successful years ahead of him regardless of what path he choses. For now though, Irish fans are left to wonder what might have been.
Cian Tracey is a freelance sports journalist currently writing for The Irish Independent, Examiner, The Sun and Balls.ie.
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