Former Munster, Connacht, Ulster and Ireland centre, Sam Arnold, has spoken about the bitterness he feels towards the southern province and the way in which his time there ended.
The English-born Arnold first came to Ireland in 2015 to play for Ulster, as he qualified for Ireland through his mother who is from Wexford.
Arnold then moved to Munster for more game-time, which initially worked out well as he managed to gain a place in the starting XV before winning his sole Ireland cap in 2018.
However, following the news of Damien De Allende's transfer to the province for the following season, Arnold was unsure whether or not to accept a new three-year contract with offered by the province.
Sam Arnold vs Munster
31 December 2018; Sam Arnold during Munster Rugby squad training at the University of Limerick in Limerick. Photo by Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile
In an interview with the Irish Independent, Arnold outlined what happened as he stalled on signing the contract, insisting he needed more time, before Munster eventually got fed up and withdrew it.
Munster offered me a really good three-year contract and I just said, ‘Look, I need a bit more time, I need to do what’s best for me.’
It got to January and they were really putting loads of pressure on me. ‘We need an answer now or we are going to withdraw your contract.’
“Obviously I was 23 and I was going, ‘I’ve just been capped by Ireland. If this is the way you are going to treat me then I don’t really know if I want to play here.’
“Anyway, they put the foot down again and said, ‘We need to know if you’re going to stay.’ I said, ‘Look, I can’t sign this contract, I need to wait and see what happens.’
“But they actually ended up withdrawing my offer. That was bizarre. It left a real sour taste."
The pandemic hit that March, and Arnold would soon be on his way to Connacht, where he spent two seasons before moving to Jeremy Davidson's Brive this year.
While Arnold is clearly bitter over how he was treated at Munster, one can sympathise with the province, who, as Arnold admitted himself, offered him a 'really good' contract, and had to do what was best for the club.
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