The rise and rise of Ireland’s next rugby star Jamie Osborne

The good ones tend to leave an impression fairly quickly. Back in late January 2021, Jamie Osborne was introduced for his Leinster debut six minutes into the second half away to the Scarlets. Then 19 and in the Leinster sub-academy, within about 10 seconds the Scarlets full-back Johnny McNicholl charged at Leinster’s midfield channel and in his first action in the senior ranks, Osborne stood up the 10-times capped Welsh international and marched him back 10 metres into his own half.

“Is he strong enough for this game?” mused the late, great Eddie Butler on commentary with a pause, before concluding in that inimitably whimsical way of his: “It would appear so.”

For those who’ve watched Osborne’s progress through Naas, the Leinster and Irish underage scenes and Leinster, the manner of his full Champions Cup debut in Gloucester last week would not have been in the least surprising.

Whether playing at fullback, on the wing, or in midfield, he’s always stood out, but pitched in among the Leinster A-listers in a big Champions Cup tie, Osborne flourished in the province’s slick, well-oiled machine. Save for possibly passing on to Garry Ringrose when the latter was engulfed by Chris Harris before Osborne himself was pinged for not releasing in the build-up to Gloucester’s first of two penalty tries off mauls, he hardly put a foot wrong.

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He was in credit within two minutes when accelerating on to Jamison Gibson-Park’s pass, helped by Jordan Larmour’s decoy run on his shoulder, to break between Ben Morgan and Santiago Carreras. Then, as Ben Meehan covered across, where some might have been tempted to use their greater bulk by ducking their heads and looking to charge through the tackle, Osborne had the presence of mind and footwork to stutter to a halt and step back inside the Australian scrumhalf and score untouched.

That was the highlight of his 15 carries (for 85 metres) but there were others too, including another clean break, seven defenders beaten, one stunning offload and the rich variety in his 15 passes as well as four, hefty left-footed kicks into the first-half wind.

In the 77th minute, he received a long flat skip pass from Nick McCarthy, and in one smooth movement motioned to pass on to Caelan Doris but instead pulled the ball back to Harry Byrne for Leinster to create space on the edge and lead to Carreras being binned for a deliberate knock-on.

“Don’t tap and go. We want to see that again,” implored the ex-Scottish international Jim Hamilton as one of the BT commentators. “That was ridiculous. That was some skill from Osborne in the centre.”

It’s only one Champions Cup start. Roy Keane would no doubt advise us not to become too carried away, to give the kid time. Yet to augment the most memorable week of his fledgling career to date, on Thursday Osborne was the only uncapped player named in Ireland’s 37-man squad for the Six Nations and on Saturday afternoon comes his first home start in the Champions Cup at the Aviva Stadium in Leinster’s marquee fixture against Racing 92.

As far ago as November 2021, Andy Farrell (himself, a similar physical, left-footed centre in his Union reiteration) included Osborne in the Irish squad as a development player, before he was picked to start the two big games on the Emerging Ireland tour at the start of the season and for the Ireland ‘A’ team against an All Blacks XV, where he acquitted himself well.

Not having had the advantages of coming through an elite rugby, to break into the Leinster Champions Cup team and the Irish Six Nations squad after turning just 21 last November is a tribute to Osborne’s innate talent and the coaching and culture which has been cultivated at Naas RFC.

The club earned promotion into the All-Ireland League in 2000 and have since risen to Division 1B, and is now flourishing like never before, with the second biggest mini-rugby and under-age section of any club in Ireland behind Cork Constitution.

Akin to Adam Byrne, and unlike Naas old boys Jamie Heaslip, Geordan Murphy, James Tracy and Jimmy O’Brien at Newbridge, or Tadhg Beirne and Osborne’s cousin Rowan (the former Leinster and Munster scrumhalf who was forced to retire last summer with concussion issues at the age of 25) who were schooled at Clongowes Wood, Osborne came through the game at Naas from the minis to the Leinster Academy. He’s proud of it too.

Seemingly born to play rugby, his family are steeped through the generations in both Naas RFC and horse racing. Osborne’s late grandfather, Paddy, was a very good national hunt trainer who went to Blackrock and loved his rugby. His father Joe was an assistant trainer to Osborne’s uncle Robbie, on both the flat and national hunt, and still looks after horses and does some tillage.

As a garrison town once populated with British soldiers, rugby has been played in Naas since the 1880s. The club was disbanded for a period of time before, in 1922, Michael Conway, Laddy Mooney and Bill Osborne, a brother of Osborne’s great-grandfather Joe, re-established Naas RFC. Bill Osborne was also Rowan Osborne’s great-grandfather and his grandfather Michael Osborne played for the club, and was president of Naas from 1969 to 1973, while also being instrumental in bringing Mick O’Dwyer to coach Kildare.

As well as his natural strength and physicality, acceleration, smooth passing range and footwork, he is always looking to offload; a weapon which looks best suited to being on the gain line.

Joe and Fiona have five boys, with Osborne the oldest. Andrew (19) has a similar game to his older brother and has been in the Leinster sub-academy. Jack (16) plays for the Naas Under-18s, Adam (13) plays for the Under-14s and Will (six) has just started with the minis.

Osborne began playing mini rugby at the age of six and as a centre half forward mostly, was also part of a strong, all-conquering, under-age Gaelic football team in the Naas GAA club. Despite having little game time with his school sides at CBS Naas, Osborne began to make a serious impression from around the age of 15 when breaking into the North Midlands set-up, whereupon rugby took hold.

Phil Lawlor, the former Leinster and Ireland number ‘8′ who also started his rugby journey with Naas and is now the province’s Head of Rugby Development, recalls: “I remember talking to one of his coaches at Naas, Mick Cahill, and he was effusive in his analysis of Jamie’s ability from a young age.”

Joey Moran and John Sheehan were other coaching influences at Naas, as was John Bagnall, a development officer with North Midlands, although to the consternation of many in the club, Osborne was initially not picked on the region’s under-18 team when 16. He was the following season and with each progression through the Irish Under-19s, 19s and 20s, has seamlessly looked the part.

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“With each step he just looked very comfortable,” says Lawlor. “I coached him a little at Naas when he was 17 and it was very obvious that it was only a matter of time from watching him play that he would make it. In Jamie’s case it has always been a case of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’.”

The pandemic might have delayed his progression but having come through one of Leinster’s five Centres of Excellence at Kildare RFC in the north midlands, Osborne was one of those fast-tracked into the Leinster environment, exposing him to Leo Cullen, Stuart Lancaster and Felipe Contepomi sooner than might otherwise have been the case.

After one year in the sub academy and one more in the full academy, last summer he was awarded his first senior contract. His versatility has helped him accumulate game time and quicken his development, starting 20 of his 28 games; two at fullback, 13 times outside centre, twice at inside centre and once on the left wing.

As well as his natural strength and physicality, acceleration, smooth passing range and footwork, he is always looking to offload; a weapon which looks best suited to being on the gain line.

Osborne admonished himself when stood up and beaten by Finn Russell for Racing’s sole try in the first meeting in Le Havre, and he will be mindful of that today, but he won’t be the first or last opponent to experience that feeling against the gifted Scottish outhalf.

Given that aforementioned introduction to the senior ranks in Parc Y Scarlets, it may sound strange to say it but perhaps he needs to add more “edge” to his defence. In any event, while that left boot might have more use from full-back, watching him at “12″ last week, it looked a very natural fit.

Watching him last week in his capacity as a co-commentator with Newstalk, the former Leinster outhalf Andy Dunne was struck by Osborne’s uncanny similarity with his former Harlequins team-mate Will Greenwood, particularly in that angular, long-striding running style.

So, he texted Greenwood to ask if he’d had an affair with an Irish woman about 22 years ago.

“Come back to me when he’s got 30 Test tries,” responded Greenwood, as befits a World Cup winner.

But, perhaps a little intrigued, Greenwood subsequently watched a recording of the game and texted Dunne again.

“Good player.”

Yep, Jamie Osborne is a good ‘un.