Macca and Cronin had both been capped when they left. I'd be nearly sure Birch was too, if not it was very soon after.

Another important difference, those player were not from Connacht and had not come through the Connacht system - unlike Robbie. Also, none of them (bar Macca maybe) had broken into the Irish setup when they left, Robbie has been there for 2 years and can't say that he moved to enhance his International career, he became a nailed on starter while at Connacht

menacethedenis wrote: It's sad to think that like former star performers such as Macca, Cronin, Keatley, Carr, Jackman etc who left that I'll now be completely indifferent to Robbie. I don't wish him ill or well. I just won't care about him. It's all about Connacht for me..

I struggled with exactly the same issue when I heard the news. But all of those other players left because connacht were rubbish at that time and we wished them the best and hoped for them to do well. Its a different ballgame this year. We are succeeding which is why this move is so offensive. We are succeeding but not good enough for henshaw.

Having slept on it, there's one thing that sticks in my mind, if he had stayed he would have been an absolute hero to kids and supporters across the province, the face of Connacht Rugby, our first centrally contracted player, our first professional Lion, and a die hard Connacht man through and through, someone to take up the baton when Muldoon eventually retires.

At Leinster he's just another player. And whatever success he has on the pitch or off it, he'll never have that kind of adoration or respect again.

As people have said, he's a good guy and has always given us his all, but I think he's been a bit susceptible to the whispers in his ear here, he may well look back when he's older and wiser and think again on it.

mary hinge wrote: This is a question of loyalty to the club that invested in his development, and we are repaid by him leaving at the first opportunity he had to do so.

He was offered contracts by the other 3 provinces, 2 years ago during negotiations to get him off an academy contract and on to a pro one. I think we were all massively relieved at the time that he signed. So in fairness, it's not his first opportunity to leave.

If you want a stress-free morning stay off Twitter. So many Leinster fans claiming Connacht have taken far more of their players than vice-versa. As if us developing players they didn't even want into quality performers is anything like them continually stealing our best players in their prime. And they wonder why everyone hates them.....

If it turns out that he is indeed on a central contract and they are essentially getting him for free that is just disgusting. Talk about adding insult to injury. I don't agree that he shouldn't be picked or used sparingly now, if anything I'd absolutely flog him and use him every minute he's available, let Leinster worry about the fatigue. He is utter quality, one of the best we've ever produced and has been the crucial difference in many tight games, even if he hasn't played that much and he could still be a deciding factor in how our season finishes. It worries me that that x-factor might be irreplaceable but in Lam we trust. It's sad to think that like former star performers such as Macca, Cronin, Keatley, Carr, Jackman etc who left that I'll now be completely indifferent to Robbie. I don't wish him ill or well. I just won't care about him. It's all about Connacht for me.

And just on the IRFU, I seriously doubt they 'forced' him to move or anything remotely like that as some have suggested. However this situation is ultimately the culmination of decades of neglect of Connacht Rugby. Matt Williams said a few years ago that an "institutionalized racism" exists against Connacht within the IRFU. A former Leinster coach said that! They mightn't have pushed him to move but what did they do to get him to stay? Yes in recent years our operating budget has increased and they've relaxed the rules about NIQ players for us but that's sweet FA in the grand scheme of things. Robbie leaving shows that we are not equal. We are not even viewed as equal by one of the best homegrown players we have ever produced! What does that say about how the IRFU backs us? The fact is that Connacht's best and brightest are still up for grabs by the other provinces. Their top Irish players do not switch provinces. It never happens and we will never be on an equal footing until that reality exists for us as well. It is as much up to the IRFU as it is to ourselves to change it.

This is a question of loyalty to the club that invested in his development, and we are repaid by him leaving at the first opportunity he had to do so.
I agree with all the points Greyingbeard's post about the damage to the brand in his upping sticks at the first opportunity, and especially about his point of the only inter-provincial movement being out of Connacht.
It's pathetic really and shows up for the load of tosh it always was the IRFU's statements of support for developing Connacht Rugby over the past 18 months. When it came to it they didn't deliver, and let's not forget that Schmidt has form in this area from his Leinster days in denuding Connacht.
This has a lot to do with desperate attempts by the IRFU to bulwark the decaying edifice of Leinster, coached by an out of his depth Leo Cullen, and Robbie of course has had his head turned by all the Leinster Goys in the Irish squad (and O'Driscoll of course) telling him how much better it would be for him to join Leinster. Pathetic really!
And while I'm at it - WTF was Fergus McFadden doing in the 23 in Paris on Saturday with Craig Gilroy, Matt Healy, and Tiernan O'Halloran sitting at home. Can't wait for Pat to take over the coaching of the national side at the end of his Connacht contract in June 2018. We might start to play some rugby then.
Connacht Abu.

Hi Robbie,

Me again. Further to our recent correspondence where I said I wouldn't hold it against you if you decided to leave, I lied.
Next time I am on the CityLink, I am going to smoke in the jacks, and there is nothing you can do about it; you're not the boss of me anymore.
I don't even smoke but so help me God I'll take it up.

Bitterly

Pinky

P.S. Seriously, best of luck, you're not a bad skin.

I've waited 24 hours before replying just to let it settle in and tbh, even though I kinda knew it was coming, it still stings.

I really believe that with Henshaw leaving what Connacht have lost can't be replaced by anyone else in world rugby. Robbie is a home produced, world class talent on the pitch but would have also been the 'face' of Connacht Rugby for years to come. Even (however unlikely for many reasons) if we get a replacement as good as Henshaw on the pitch he won't have the home grown feel that is so important to Connacht's image and branding. Maybe some player will step up but how many of us honestly believe that there is any other 'nailed on' Lion in our squad right now. Let's be honest we love having international players in our squad but if Robbie gets selected for the Lions how many on the Clan Terrace will feel pride now?

The IRFU loss of a potential central contract is also a major issue here, had Robbie stayed with us he would have most certainly been on a central contract opening up budget for us to expand our squad by at least a player or two. Now yet another zero cost player goes to a province that isn't Connacht. Our already small squad could have gotten a major boost by us essentially getting a free player from the IRFU.

On a side note there have been 2 Irish capped players that will move between provinces at the end of the season, both leaving Connacht. Is this what the IRFU meant when they said they wanted more movement between provinces?

The way Sexton keeps getting injured they might need to get Madigan back for him to be playing with the Irish Out Half.

Not the most surprising news but think I would have been happier for him to just announce that he was signing for Leinster next season as opposed to saying that he's not re-signing with us. Makes it look like the last thing he wants to do is stay with us.

I have read a lot of comments saying that Robbie didn't add much to this season however I was always glad to see him on the team sheet.

On the team perspective I think we will be OK, we still have a very exciting back line.

On the Connacht brand, the leaving will hurt us in the short run, but that will be all forgotten if we can keep winning.

For Robbie as a player I think he has great rugby ability, however the respect he got from other players will be gone, as they will think he is not loyal to any team and is only on the pitch for his own personal benefit.

dobby wrote: I remember those games also. Robbie was a raw talent. But you simply do not get the visibility that Robbie got without the belief of the connacht management.. There is raw talent and there is developed talent. They believed in him and stuck with him. And today he thanked them

Well said Dobby, sums the whole situation up very well.

I'm disappointed as we all are but have to focus on those loyal players who want to be here.
Onwards and upwards, Connacht Abu!

I remember those games also. Robbie was a raw talent. But you simply do not get the visibility that Robbie got without the belief of the connacht management.. There is raw talent and there is developed talent. They believed in him and stuck with him. And today he thanked them

'And while Robbie is today a fine player he wasn't always. Connacht stuck with him in the early days.'

Can't agree with the that comment, I well remember his first couple of games and from the start he had quality and class. Connacht were delighted to have him available.

Disappointed but not surprised...Leinster was his goal for some time...however the grass isn't always greener on the other side.Wish him well.

Disappointed as I am that he sees fit to leave, it is worth pointing out that most of what we've done so far this season has been done without significant input from him (Munster game apart). I'd be more concerned about the potential damage to the brand (God help me for putting it like that) his leaving might inflict especially on the younger support throughout the province and the message it seems to reinforce i.e. to be successful you have to leave. On a different note, I have it on reasonably well informed authority that the hierarchy, while disappointed, are reasonably sanguine about the departure. Here's hoping that means there's something lined up for next year.