The next Kiwi recruit who could help Leinster get back to European glory

It’s been five European losses for Leinster since their last European title, including three on the bounce from 2022-24. The latest loss to Bordeaux is the most disheartening, a first half flop that essentially sealed their fate early.

While on the day, Bordeaux were clearly the better team, Leinster are still just about the only European side able to match it with the French powerhouses.

They have the budgets, the Irish player pipeline, and the system to produce a contender year-after-year. No one else can lay claim to that. But one problem area persists since the retirement of Johnny Sexton.

They’ve tried and tried to fill Sexton shoes with academy graduates, and it hasn’t worked.

Leinster invested a lot in Ross Byrne at flyhalf, even prior to Sexton’s retirement, giving him years and years to become the successor. He was never able to progress his game from mid-tier distributor to elite level playmaker. There was a lot of sunk cost in Byrne, which has led to trying to fast-track the next option after his departure.

They’ve cycled through Sam Prendergast, the great hype project of Irish rugby, Ciaran Frawley, who is heading to Connacht next year, and currently have their eggs in the Harry Byrne basket.

The lack of a true system fit at No.10 has been an issue for Leinster, who are not the pure passing team that they were under Sexton.

The Byrnes are game managers that don’t have major upside in playmaking ability. Harry has been better than Ross, but it’s a long way off the elite level. Prendergast had attacking genius in spurts, but lacked control, defensive resolve and situational awareness at times. Frawley for whatever reason, was viewed as a stopgap 10 and a utility player, shuffled around to suit whatever hole needed a plug.

This has meant relying on the forward pack and Jamison Gibson-Park, who has been a top three halfback in the world, to run a power game off No.9. It was still efficient enough, but couldn’t quite get there twice against La Rochelle. Leinster, and by extension Ireland, are at their best when running intricate attack laced with precision passing.

Last year with All Black midfielder Jordie Barrett on a short-term rental, Leinster were able to get back to playing a wider game with more potency. Leinster’s attack in 2025 looked unbelievable once they found a playmaker in Barrett to hinge their attack from 12.

Their European season in 2025 only came undone from the puzzling decision to bench Barrett for that fateful semi-final against Northampton.

This year they brought in Rieko Ioane as the star recruit, but the fit was not the same. Barrett brought the skills they lacked at 10, and transformed their backline. Ioane did not bring any of that, and they found themselves putting a centre on the wing in the end.

There is no surprise that the Hurricanes are the best attacking side in Super Rugby Pacific in 2026 with Barrett back from his sabbatical, blitzing teams off the park scoring in excess of 40 points a game. In fact, it seems like Barrett has brought back a lot of attacking concepts from his time at Leinster.

Barrett leads the competition in try assists. The Hurricanes’ wingers are scoring tries in bucketloads. Fehi Fineanganofo has broken the season record and Josh Moorby is not far behind him. The Hurricanes ability to hit the edge fast is killing teams, Super Rugby has not seen this style before. It’s Irish-inspired attack shapes and set plays.

The Hurricanes have multiple players in and around Barrett who help bring this to life, namely Ruben Love and Callum Harkin at 10 and 15 who are playing at a high level, and of course a well-drilled forward pack nailing the cleaning at the breakdown and the pullback passes.

While Leinster will not be able to get their hands on Ruben Love, who’s signed in New Zealand until 2028, or get Jordie back, the No.10 who can actually help them is 29-year-old Brett Cameron.

The one-time All Black has actually been a revelation for the Hurricanes since returning to New Zealand. In 2024 he piloted the team to the number one seed ahead of the playoffs, but injury has disrupted his last two seasons. When healthy, he’s as good as any running these attacking schemes.

In 2024, when Ruben Love was playing fullback, Cameron would pull the trigger from flyhalf. While he wouldn’t have the assist, he was laying the platform for Love to deliver the final blow. Love himself finished with seven try assists that season. The attack coach for the Hurricanes was Tyler Bleyendaal, who is the current attack coach at Leinster.

Brett Cameron is a better No.10 than every flyhalf on Leinster’s roster right now. He’s completed the international stand down period having been last capped in 2018.

He’s off-contract after 2026 and could have another eight years to play at this level. He could qualify for Ireland on residency just like James Lowe, Gibson-Park, and Bundee Aki.

Cameron would be an immediate upgrade and provide a decent system fit for Leinster. They simply don’t have a capable 10. It’s time to go get one instead of trying to grow one.