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'He just gets it' - Jamie Osborne getting better and better says Johne Murphy

Jamie Osborne has continued to impress for Leinster this season
Jamie Osborne has continued to impress for Leinster this season

Leinster centre Jamie Osborne appears to be an Ireland international in waiting, and his former Naas coach Johne Murphy believes the sky is the limit for the Kildare man.

Still just 21-years-old, the versatile centre has played more than 30 times for Leinster, including three appearances in the Champions Cup, while he's been included in Andy Farrell's Six Nations and pre-World Cup squad this year.

While he didn't make the final 33-man squad for the tournament in France, Osborne has hit the ground running with Leinster this season, impressing in their wins against both the Sharks and Edinburgh, and winning Player of the Match in the latter.

Former Munster and Leicester wing Murphy coached Osborne briefly at Naas RFC in the Energia All Ireland League, and said he could tell that Osborne was a special talent, even as a teenager.

"From the very first time I would have coached Jamie, the Covid year in the AIL, he actually played for Leinster before he played for Naas in the AIL, he only has one cap for Naas," Murphy told the RTÉ Rugby podcast.

At 6ft 4in and 97kg, he is physically up to speed with what the professional game requires, while Murphy says his game is based on far more than size and power.

"Automatically when he came down training he picked up things instantly, he's one of those players where you don't think he’s travelling that fast but he just glides across the ground, covers so much ground," he said.

"Defensively his reads are excellent and he has a left foot which opens up the other side of the pitch.

"He just gets it. He's big, strong, he’s a real rugby student like he would have spent a lot of time on our 'Hudl’ platform, in terms of watching [clips], trying to get up to scratch on calls and plays.

"There’s a thing that shows how much time someone has viewed stuff on Hudl, his was always the highest by a long, long way.

"I can’t speak highly enough of him, and he’s a great lad as well."

Jamie's younger brother Andrew starred for the Ireland U20s this season

Osborne has four younger brothers, one of whom - Andrew - was part of the Ireland U20 side that won a Six Nations Grand Slam title and reached the Junior World Championship final this summer, and has since joined the Leinster academy.

And with three more Osborne boys coming down the tracks, Bernard Jackman made the tongue-in-cheek prediction that the family might become the next great rugby dynasty.

"I'm going to go on the record here... the All Blacks have the Barretts, and we have the Osbornes, there’s more coming!

"They only have three of their family to be All Blacks at the same time, watch for the Osbornes, the Osbornes making up most of a backline in years to come," Jackman said.

"The problem for Jamie is he's in a very competitive area full of world-class players, both at province and for Ireland, but every time you see him play he stands out, doesn't he?"

Maintaining regular game time and getting a break with Ireland appears to be the next step for Osborne.

And while his versatility ensures he is a valuable addition to Leinster's matchday squad, Murphy warns that he can't allow that versatility dilute his worth to the starting team.

"This is now a time where you're going to see him really excel and cement himself for four years' time within that World Cup frame and World Cup cycle, and I think he can really kick forward and get a couple of caps over the next year or so," he said.

"It’s where you play him. Is he going to be that number 23 when everyone is fit because he covers from 12 out. Does that help him?

"It helps him in a World Cup year but does it help him in every other year, where he plays a lot of URC but comes off the bench in [Champions] Cup games? Or, does he get the opportunity to usurp the centres that are ahead of him, or at full-back?

"That’s the only thing that, even though it’s a huge strength, being so versatile, is something that could go against them when it comes to selection for starting [places]."

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Watch Ulster v Munster in the URC on Friday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on RTÉ.ie/Sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1 Extra

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