New winger makes super impression but it is an All Black that's outstanding (2025)

Tommy O'Brien finds himself Leinster's new sensation, the latest player off the blocks at the club with a world famous Academy system. He will be 27 next month.

And admitted afterwards to being as thrilled a try in a resounding win as to have been on the pitch to witness a sensational display from All Black Jordie Barrett first-hand.

The Dubliner's debut was far back as 2019/20 but it's been a career super-plagued by injury, he has never played more than 11 games in any season, Friday night was his 42nd appearance for the club and, remarkably, his second European quarter-final.

The first of those entailed eight minutes in the 14-23 win over Leicester Tigers at Welford Road in 2021/22, this time it was 80 minutes in a blistering 52-0 win over Glasgow at the Aviva.

“It’s awesome," he said of his big chance to shine, a performance that included an excellent first-half try. "I always say to myself that this is what you’ve done all the work for over the years.

"I’ve had a lot of injuries, I’m 26 now and that’s my first start in a Champions Cup game. There are so many times when you’re looking back and thinking this is rough, another scan, results, whatever, another bout of rehab but when you have days like this, it kind of makes it all worth it.

"I’m buzzing, delighted to be fit, got a run of games, and we’re into such an exciting part of the season now so we’ve got Ulster next week, a couple more URC games, then a semi and please god a final of a Champions Cup."

There were two sides to the story as well as Leinster's defence proved watertight.

"We just talked in the room about how probably the most pleasing thing from the last two weeks was not just that we scored a lot of tries, but keeping teams to zero.

"They were in it for the whole game, it was a credit to them in fairness. We know them well from playing them regularly in the URC as well. They are always a top quality outfit. We just were on it tonight.

"We know that down the line it’s going to be even more challenging to score those tries so we’re just not giving anyone any easy points, that is the most pleasing thing for us."

There was particular credit for Barrett who went from being on the bench last week to starting this week and taking the Man of the Match award.

"He’s class, unbelievable, so good and he’s just having such good craic, chatting away when he’s out there as well.

“There is kind of a different perspective. The Irish system, we’ve all come up through similar ways and heard similar ideas, his are a breath of fresh air, different ideas.

"The way he poses different questions in meetings, different perspectives, gets us all thinking so obviously the way we do things are not always going to be the perfect way so we’re always open to taking suggestions and obviously feeding them in.

"When you back it up with those performances, you cannot ignore what he has to say."

The 68-times capped All Black, who debuted for Leinster in late December and will be gone at season-end, was outstanding whether kicking, running or defending.

“He’s rare in that players are very rarely as good as a kicking threat, a passing threat, and a running threat. He’s so well rounded.

"When I’m on the wing and he’s inside, I am thinking he can get me the ball. Whether I’m 30 metres away from him and in space, it’s like he can get me the ball with a kick or a pass, because his basic skills are so incredible.

"And the same with a carry, you’re on his shoulders for offloads because you know he can dominate carries and throw. I think he's just unbelievably well-rounded as a player."

The New Zealander's influence is just as important off the field.

“It would be just we would be talking about video analysis and there would be a general consensus and he would pop it and it would ‘Oh, I hadn’t thought of that’ whether that’s how we change the picture for them in attack or defence.

"It’s more just a different perspective that maybe a lot of us haven’t seen before. And because he’s played however-many caps for the All Blacks, he’s got that kind of standing behind him. You obviously listen to what he has to say."