O’Driscoll Blames Standard Of Imports For Provinces Decline

Ulster may have secured a huge bonus-point victory over Toulouse last night but the reality is Irish provinces are on the decline.

You can blame the academy system, the coaches, the IRFU’s control but Brian O’Driscoll has his reason and he thinks it’s the current standard of the province’s imports and their lack of marquee signings.

No longer can the provinces seem to attract the Jim Williams, Rocky Elsoms and Doug Howletts of the glory era. Citing Ruan Pienaar as the one exception – O’Driscoll doesn’t believe there are any imports in any of the Irish provinces that are having a huge impact on the provinces both on and off the field. Low level French clubs are instead attracting these marquee players and the IRFU needs to answer to this.