Yet another young Irish rugby player is close to retirement due to injury.
Johnny Holland, for whom last season was a breakthrough one with Munster, will make a decision later this week regarding the future of his rugby career.
According to Brendan Fanning in today's Sunday Independent, a hamstring injury which Holland sustained nearly two years ago is the reason.
Holland, who will turn 25 later this week, tore his hamstring from the bone during a game for the Munster development team in November 2014. It is the same injury which Paul O'Connell suffered during Ireland's World Cup game against France last year. Such was the damage done, O'Connell was eventually forced to retire due to the injury.
The hamstring tear kept Holland out of action until March of this year when he made his return to the Munster senior side against the Dragons. Once given his chance, Holland seized it.
He was preferred at out-half to Ian Keatley for Munster's game against Leinster back in April. Holland scored all of his side's points as they lost 16-13. The game featured his first competitive try for Munster.
If Holland does decide to call time on his career, he would become the latest in a series of young Irish players forced to end their careers early. Last year, Felix Jones retired at 28 while earlier this summer Luke Fitzgerald also hung up his boots at just 28.
Picture credit: Diarmuid Greene / SPORTSFILE
