Sean O'Brien
Ireland
player portrait
Full name Sean Kevin O'Brien
Born February 14, 1987, Tullow, Carlow
Current age 37 years 34 days
Major teams British and Irish Lions, Ireland A, Ireland Under-20s, Leinster, London Irish, Ireland
Position Back-row
Height 6 ft 1 in
Weight 238 lb

Test career
Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop Won Lost Draw %
All Tests 2009-2019 61 53 8 35 7 0 0 0 32 26 3 54.91
Ireland 2009-2019 56 49 7 30 6 0 0 0 30 24 2 55.35
British and Irish Lions 2013-2017 5 4 1 5 1 0 0 0 2 2 1 50
Five/Six Nations 2010-2019 29 27 2 10 2 0 0 0 14 13 2 51.72
IRB Rugby World Cup 2011-2015 8 7 1 10 2 0 0 0 7 1 0 87.5

Career statistics
Test debut Ireland v Fiji at Dublin, Nov 21, 2009 match details
Last Test Wales v Ireland at Millennium Stadium, Mar 16, 2019 match details
Test Statsguru Main menu | Career summary | Match list | Most points | Most tries | Tournament list

English Premiership
Team Span Mat Start Sub Pts Tries Conv Pens Drop Won Lost Draw %
All matches 2020-2021 15 5 10 0 0 0 0 0 4 8 3 36.66
London Irish 2020-2021 15 5 10 0 0 0 0 0 4 8 3 36.66
Profile

Sean O'Brien took the long way round to becoming a regular with Leinster, progressing through the ranks of Tullow Community School, Tullow RFC and then the Irish Youths before winning an academy contract in 2005-06.

A dangerous, aggressive flanker or powerful ball-carrying No.8, he made an immediate impact on the openside and won recognition with Ireland 'A' and the full Test side at the end of 2009. In November 2010 he made a first Test start against Samoa at Lansdowne Road, but it was his Heineken Cup form for his province later that season that sounded alarm bells that a major talent was emerging.

Scoring four tries in Leinster's six Pool games, he also ably deputised for Jamie Heaslip - and not just at provincial level because he was entrusted with the Ireland No.8 jersey for the Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome in February 2011.

Heaslip returned for the following week's encounter with France but O'Brien's services were retained by head coach Declan Kidney, who switched the versatile Carlow native to blindside flanker, thus underlining his growing importance to the current Ireland side.

And O'Brien found himself in the 30-man squad for the World Cup despite being injured going into the warm-up Tests. O'Brien played in all six of Ireland's games in the global gathering as they were knocked out at the quarter-final stage of the tournament. He went on to play in four of Ireland's five matches in the 2012 Six Nations.

O'Brien continued his strong form into the following season and after being one of Ireland's better players during the 2013 Six Nations, he was selected for the British & Irish Lions squad.

Latest Articles
Mike McCarthy, Sean O'Brien and Dave Kearney out of Six Nations (Feb 19, 2016) Ireland flanker Peter O'Mahony ruled out, Sean O'Brien cited (Oct 12, 2015) Sexton and Heaslip fit to face Wales (Mar 10, 2015) Ireland recall Lions for France (Feb 12, 2015) Ireland prepare to welcome back injured Lions (Feb 9, 2015) Sean O'Brien news and articles (85) »
Latest Photos
Sep 19, 2015
Ireland's Sean O'Brien breaks the tackle of Matt Evans
Ireland's Sean O'Brien breaks the tackle of Matt Evans
©  Getty Images
Jan 5, 2015
Leinster's Sean O'Brien and Cian Healy arrive for training
Leinster's Sean O'Brien and Cian Healy arrive for training
©  Leinster
Aug 5, 2014
Sean O'Brien, Gordon D'Arcy and Jimmy Gopperth show off Leinster's European shirt
Sean O'Brien, Gordon D'Arcy and Jimmy Gopperth show off Leinster's European shirt
©  Leinster
Nov 24, 2013
Sean O'Brien is tackled by Brodie Retallick
Sean O'Brien is tackled by Brodie Retallick
©  Getty Images
Sean O'Brien rugby photos (46) »

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