This comes from nowhere. The Irish Examiner are today reporting that Donnacha Ryan, the Munster and Ireland second row, is to leave the province at the end of this season having signed a two-year deal with Racing 92 in the Top 14.
Ryan is 33, and despite being the elder statesmen of both province and country, has been in very fine form this year, and has completed a very impressive Six Nations campaign for Ireland, in which he played in all but one of Ireland's games, and it was Devin Toner, rather than Ryan, who was subbed off in Cardiff and dropped against England. He was also an integral part of the Irish side that beat the All Blacks in Soldier Field last November.
In spite of that, Simon Lewis of the Examiner reports that Ryan is content to call time on his 13-year career with Munster in pursuit of a move to Racing, who currently employ his former teammate Ronan O'Gara as a coach.
Given the approach of Joe Schmidt up to now, it is hard to envisage Ryan playing for Ireland if he is based in Paris, as players not based in Ireland are rarely selected for the national side.
That means that the summer tour may be the last we see of Ryan in an Irish shirt, should the England game not have been an unforeseen last hurrah.
More to follow
[Irish Examiner]
See Also: Involvement At Soldier Field Had A Hidden Cost For Donnacha Ryan
