Leinster stalwart Ross Molony looks likely to join Bath this summer, ending a nine-year stint with the club. The second row is set to sign a three-year contract with the English side, who are coached by former Munster head coach Johann van Graan.
Gerry Thornley reports in today's Irish Times that Molony will likely head to England next season and park his Ireland ambitions for now.
Molony has made 172 appearances for Leinster to date and has been a regular fixture in the team since making his debut against Zebre back in February 2015. He was Man of the Match on his European debut ironically against Bath the next year and went on to start in two Champions Cup finals. Molony isn't a flashy player but he is known his running of the Leinster lineout and his durability, rarely missing time through injury over the last five years.
The sudden rise of Joe McCarthy for Leinster and Ireland over the past 12 months has left Molony's minutes numbered and with the signing of two-time World Cup winning Springbok RG Snyman for next season, Molony may have been left surplus to requirements.
Ross Molony will go down as one of the best players in the modern era to never be capped for Ireland. He earned 10 caps at under-20 level and has made several training squads, but has made an Ireland appearance. The closest he's gotten so far came in 2022 when he played for the Irish Wolfhounds against an All Blacks XV at the RDS.
The potential Molony move to Bath can open a new door for a potential international career for the second row. Molony is actually English-qualified and can be capped by them immediately having not been cap-tied by Ireland. However, it is not believed that the motive behind the move is to get a cap for England.
Where Would Ross Molony's Departure Leave Leinster?
From the outside looking in, Molony's move leave Leinster a bit light when it comes to second rows next season. While the first choices of Joe McCarthy, James Ryan and RG Snyman and even Ryan Baird moving over from flanker looks very strong on paper, if any one of them are unavailable options become far and few.
It is currently unconfirmed if one-time Springbok Jason Jenkins is staying on at Leinster next season. The former Munster man has had a better time of it since his move to Dublin from Limerick in 2022, but it would seem unlikely that Leinster will use two of their NIQ (Not Irish Qualified) spots for the same position. With Snyman coming in that could mean Jenkins too will be surplus to requirements.
Molony's departure opens the door for a few youngsters in the form of Brian Deeny, Alex Soroka, Conor O'Tighearnaigh and Diarmuid Mangan to make the first team.
Both Deeny and Soroka are both part of the first team squad and have played bit parts for Leinster over the last few years, mainly off the bench or on tours to South Africa but have struggled with injuries this season and haven't been able to take the next step forward.
Mangan and O'Tighearnaigh are in the academy currently and were both part of back-to-back Grand Slam Ireland under-20 sides in 2022 and 2023. However, only O'Tighearnaigh has made a first team appearance for Leinster so far, playing against the Bulls down in South Africa last year. Both academy products are playing for UCD in the AIL currently.
It's always sad to see a stalwart like Molony leave a club they've been a part of for near a decade but when one door closes, another opens and there's now another opportunity to see if the Leinster conveyor belt can produce another top player.
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