Fergus McFadden to retire at end of 19/20 season

[limecat]

https://twitter.com/leinsterrugby/statu ... 0952421377

[limecat]

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/fergus-mcf ... nd-season/

[wixfjord]

What a Leinster legend. The type of guy you can really build a club culture around.

Hopefully we get a few more games in this season and he gets a proper send off.

Don't think I've ever seen a winger who loves melting rucks and tackling as much as him, but that was tempered by a great nose for the line.

Seems great craic off the pitch too. I'd imagine he'll be badly missed.

Fave moment - 79 mins into this game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsYcFuzE8_0

[Ruckedtobits]

When it comes to defining "A Legend" for Leinster Rugby, Ferg & Isa are my two submissions for wingers.

Thanks Ferg, I hope you enjoyed the last 13 years as much as we did.

[LeinsterLeader]

Ferg summed up in one Gif. Think he made 12 tackles in that match. Gonna miss him. Don't make wingers like that anymore

https://twitter.com/i/status/942064240994738176

[alanair]

Ferg always left it all on the pitch - never gave anything less than 100% ....loved him as a player - thanks Fergus

[Blueberry]

Never ever gave anything less than 100%, always fearless and endless tooth jarring tackles. Always felt comfortable when he was on the pitch as you knew he would give everything for the cause and really that is all you an ever ask of a man.

Let's hope he gets one or two last spins in blue after all this nonsense is over.

Thanks Ferg.

[Oldschoolsocks]

My favourite back line player to play for Leinster. He lacked the top end skills of Bod, Darce, Hickie, Isa, Shaggy, Luke. But Janey Mack he played with his heart in his sleeve.

Don’t know if he drinks but he deffo looks like he’d be good craic for a few pints too...

[hugonaut]

One of my favourite Leinster players of the last decade. Huge ticker - both in terms of what he would do for his team and his industry around the pitch. Ferg always got stuck in to a ferocious degree.

[riocard911]

If there's one moment that sums up Ferg's contribution to Leinster rugby, for me it's the lead up to the James Ryan try in the 2018 Heino semi in the Aviva, when he sees he won't make the line, but prevents three!!!! Scarlets bundling him into touch. Amazing to watch, how he goes to ground and braces for the impact of Patchell, Williams and 0.5p. Hugely impressive!!!! A picture says a thousand words:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/ ... l-scarlets

GRMMA, Ferg!!!!

[RoboProp]

One of my all time favourite players in blue. Would run through a brick wall for you, and then make a defensive line with his battered bones. He'll always be Mr. Leinster to my match day crew and me

[ronk]

Really enjoyable player to watch, a fans favourite. Mr Leinster.

He was a fast evasive runner who made the hardest of the hard yards. Unlucky with injury and coming through behind BOD, still had an amazing career and was a key part of our successes over the years.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

No mention of this yet???



I was just above that so had a perfect view of it and it's one of my all time favourite Leinster moments. I know ronk and Robo just referenced the "Mr Leinster" nickname and I remember that I was going to mention it in a post after that game but someone had already beaten me to it.

Ferg was a great man for coming up with a big hit when we needed it and never left it to his more illustrious colleague, and it didn't matter if it was a European final or in a run out with the kids at an empty stadium, his attitude was always the same. His eagerness to get stuck in is what comes to mind first but he was a phenomenal kicker and super quick as well. I loved the phase he went through of taking BOD's role of coming off his wing and picking and going to raise the tempo and just because he was a really smart player who read things really well.

It's a real pity he couldn't finish off that try against Italy or else it would have been everywhere today, but that pace, selflessness, and ability to step in whenever he was required sums him up really well. His tweet thanking everyone for the great ovation after he replaced BOD was top class as well!

Thanks Ferg

[neiliog93]

Leinster and Ireland legend. Maybe not the biggest but tenacious and aggressive with his frame, clever, versatile, a natural try-scorer, and a top class kicker to boot (excuse the pun). Will be sorely missed including in leadership terms.

Back in 2009-10, I remember asking Cheika who the fastest sprinter he'd coached in Leinster was and surprisingly, he said it was Fergus McFadden over every sprinting distance they measured, with the exception of 10 metres (arise, Trevor Hogan!).

[Dave Cahill]

A look back at McFadden's tries tells the tale of his career in many ways. When he first broke into the Leinster setup his main asset was his pace, he scored tries against Racing Metro and Ulster early in his career that showed his speed. After a couple of serious knee injuries he seemed to lose that top end pace (though he was never slow), but he turned other elements of his game into his primary assets. He scored a lot of tries off running great support lines, a lot of tries by keeping his width, and a lot of tries by just being unstoppable from short range due to an utter lack of concern for his own health! Its funny how many times players just 'fell off' tackles on McFadden. Some of them were just bad tackles, but it happened too often for it them all to be bad tackles and too many of those players were decent tacklers. He had a jackhammer of a handoff and was a powerful guy (he is supposedly 6' tall, which I'd question). On top of this he was an excellent goalkicker, 68 successful pens and 46 conversions for Leinster was a tidy haul

[jimbobjoe]

No mention of this yet???



I was just above that so had a perfect view of it and it's one of my all time favourite Leinster moments. I know ronk and Robo just referenced the "Mr Leinster" nickname and I remember that I was going to mention it in a post after that game but someone had already beaten me to it.

Ferg was a great man for coming up with a big hit when we needed it and never left it to his more illustrious colleague, and it didn't matter if it was a European final or in a run out with the kids at an empty stadium, his attitude was always the same. His eagerness to get stuck in is what comes to mind first but he was a phenomenal kicker and super quick as well. I loved the phase he went through of taking BOD's role of coming off his wing and picking and going to raise the tempo and just because he was a really smart player who read things really well.

It's a real pity he couldn't finish off that try against Italy or else it would have been everywhere today, but that pace, selflessness, and ability to step in whenever he was required sums him up really well. His tweet thanking everyone for the great ovation after he replaced BOD was top class as well!

Thanks Ferg

One of my favourite Leinster photos of one of my favourite players. Few have Ferg's determination to get to the tackle/ruck/tryline - a look on his face to say, 'I'm not here to f*** around'. BOD had it, Sexton has it.

I'd love to see one of the wider squad take up that role and lead by example for the games when internationals are away - Adam Byrne, Cian Kelleher or ROL could od a whole lot for their careers by watching some old Ferg footage.

[deco]

f%~k it. I'll miss Ferg. He was like a young fella at Glasgow v Leinster this season. I got a grin and thumbs up from him after he put in a massive tackle on the line. Leinster to the core.

[cormac]

Utterly fearless with or without the ball. Ferg will be sorely missed. A player who deserves a big send off in front of the fans whenever that eventually becomes possible.

184 appearances (joint 11th on all-time list, level with Big Mal and only one behind Isa and two behind Drico.)

444pts (29 tries, 68 pens, 1 dg and 46 convs) - 7th on scoring list in the professional era.

[riocard911]

For anyone who hasn't heard it yet, here's the Off the Ball interview with Ferg re retirement decision, the prospects for the 2019/2020 season, covid, minding babies and a one-off digging match with BO'D in training....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKg68H1sxAI