‘He knows what Leinster are about’: Hugo Keenan welcomes ‘exciting’ Noel McNamara appointment

Hugo Keenan is excited about the mix of familiarity and change that Noel McNamara will bring to the Leinster head coach role when he succeeds Leo Cullen next summer.

McNamara’s appointment was confirmed by the province on Tuesday morning. The 43-year-old Clare man will finish up with Bordeaux-Bègles at the end of the season after three years as an attack coach with the Top 14 side. His time with Bordeaux included back-to-back Champions Cup wins, seeing off Leinster in last season’s decider.

McNamara has also worked in New Zealand and South Africa, prior to his move to France, but Keenan remembers him fondly from his time with UCD. McNamara was head coach when the fullback played AIL between his time with the Leinster Academy and the Ireland Sevens, and later as part of the Leinster A team set-up.

“I think it’s great news,” said Keenan of McNamara’s appointment. “I’ve got a good relationship with him, I know him well. Obviously, that was a couple of years ago, and he’s progressed so well since.

“We know what he’s achieved at Bordeaux, and been on the better side of a few results than us recently, so it’s an exciting appointment. It’s good to have him on board, and that’s the general feedback amongst the squad.

“I’m sure he’s got a different perspective of things, getting out of the building, going down to South Africa, challenging himself down there, and then going so well and thriving at Bordeaux.

“And you see what their backline and attacks have been producing. I suppose, that’s his fingerprint on it, and yeah, excited to see what he has and to work with him. It’s positive for me and everyone, and for Leinster. It’s obviously big boots to fill with Leo, and there were lots of candidates in the mix as well.”

McNamara was senior head coach at Clongowes Wood before he started working with Leinster and the IRFU in 2012 as schools head coach for the provincial and national side. Four years later, he took up coaching full-time, working with the Leinster Academy before he became Ireland under-20 head coach in 2017.

After his time with Leinster A, he then became Academy manager and, in 2019, guided the Ireland under-20s to a Six Nations Grand Slam. His extensive work at the province means he’s already encountered many of their current frontliners.

“He knows the club, what Leinster are about,” said Keenan. “He’s been through the ranks, whether it’s through the Academy system, the As. But he’s also gone off, and I’d like to think he’s got an ability to grow the club now and grow the way we play while keeping how we like to play and the Leinster identity as well. That’s important.

“His man management and his presence in a room – I still remember it from the get-go, from when he was a head coach back in the day, how well he speaks. I’m sure that’s the same. And then we have talked about the technical points on the backs and the attack that he can bring as well. So yeah, it’s exciting.”