Leinster and Ireland player Ciaran Frawley has claimed he was made aware of interest from the Australian rugby team in the past.
Frawley can play at outhalf, centre, and fullback for province and country, and he made his first Six Nations start this year against Wales in round 3.
The 26-year-old was born in Sydney but has lived in Ireland since he was three years of age, so he is effectively as Irish as they come, having lived here for 23 years.
Last week, Frawley, speaking to reporters, was asked about a past approach from Australia when former boss Eddie Jones was there. The Leinster star admits that he knew about the Wallabies' interest, but the recruitment phone call to get him to switch never materialised into anything substantial.
“I was in and out of camps in 2021, and I felt my time was coming. I had a few injuries along the way, and obviously I was still qualified for Australia,” he said.
“But I never had a phone call with Eddie Jones. I knew there was interest from over there, but I was never going to go.
“I’ve lived in Ireland since I was three years old; Ireland is my home. I don’t want to move to the other side of the world when I felt I had the potential to do what I actually wanted to do.”
Ciaran Frawley of Leinster is tackled by Will Stuart of Bath during the European Rugby Champions Cup match =. (Photo by Oisin Keniry/Getty Images)Frawley has played three times for Ireland, one of which included the Welsh win in Dublin this year. After Hugo Keenan's injury, the Leinster player slotted into Keenan's fullback role and performed admirably.
His versatility is sure to be a key weapon for his province and country in the coming years. He now wants to play regularly in "big games" to show what he can do.
“I just want to play. That’s the main thing. I want to play in big games,” he said. “The way I see it, I think like a 10. I feel like I play like a 10, but I probably have the ability to jump into other positions and do a job there.
“So for me, it is understanding that and then knowing that it will get me into the big games. That’s what I take satisfaction from.”
Ireland vs. England kicks off at 4.45 on Saturday. The game will be broadcast live on ITV (UK) and RTÉ (ROI).
