Ireland fly-half hits out at ‘treatment’ as he seeks ‘fresh start’ in France

Joey Carbery wants to “prove people wrong” and get back into the Ireland reckoning, hoping that his stint at Bordeaux-Begles can do just that.

The fly-half has joined the Top 14 outfit on a two-year deal after leaving Munster in unsatisfactory circumstances.

Carbery’s time with the Limerick outfit had been hampered by injuries but he also fell out of favour, particularly under Graham Rowntree.

The 28-year-old only made four starts last season, hinting that he was “treated” badly by some of the people in the province’s hierarchy.

“I’m only 28 so I’m trying to use this as a springboard to kick-start everything again and kind of prove people wrong,” Carbery told Newstalk.

“I do think that I’m better than the way I was treated, so hopefully I will prove people wrong.”

Fresh start

Carbery stated that the situation with Ireland, where he was similarly discarded, also led to his frustration, but that he hopes his move to France can rekindle his love for the game.

“It was kind of at the end of the 2023 season, when I didn’t get picked for the World Cup and the Six Nations [before that],” he said.

“I wasn’t enjoying it [rugby] at all and I was like ‘Is it worth it? Was it worth all the hard work?’

“I suppose I’ve always played my best when I’ve enjoyed it and went into work with a smile on my face. And then I wasn’t enjoying it. I don’t think it [quitting rugby] was ever a realistic option as I had a year left on my contract with Munster.

“I had an inkling that I had another few options coming up where I could get a fresh start.”

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The fly-half admitted that he discussed the situation with Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, who was understanding of his decision to move away from Ireland.

“I won’t go into any details but… I suppose, he understood my frustration and he understood that this is a good new challenge for me and a fresh start because you do sometimes get in a bit of a rut,” Carbery said.

“And when we were having those conversations I hadn’t been picked for Ireland for over a year so I think he completely understood where I was coming from.

“For him, he could see it from a personal side, that’s it’s been a really tough year for me because playing for Ireland has always been a number one target so for that to not happen was affecting my confidence on the pitch so I couldn’t be myself out there.

“I think this fresh start will regather everything and hopefully kick me forward.”

Test ambitions

Despite leaving the system for the time being, Carbery has still not given up on his international ambitions and hopes to force his way back into Farrell’s squad.

“My thinking is I’m 28, in two years time after my two-year contract I’ll be 30 so I’ll still be raring to go. I’m just thinking of putting my best foot forward over the next two years and showing how good I can be,” he said.

That may come at full-back, which is where he is more likely to play in the big games with France star Matthieu Jalibert the linchpin in that Bordeaux backline.

“To be honest, if that’s where I was picked, I’d be more than happy to stay there. I do really love 15. I think the freedom you get from it, especially playing with the right team,” he added.

“I played 15 back when I was playing with Johnny [Sexton], back in Leinster, and it was just an incredible backline to play in. The players we had around, it made my job so much easier.

“But I’ve also been on the other side where you play 15 with probably not the best backline and you don’t get much of the ball, you might touch it twice in a game. I suppose that’s the difficult side of playing 15 – you don’t get as much involvement unless things happen.

“But I think the way the Bordeaux backline lines up, it’s very exciting because if you’re at ‘15’, you get a lot of ball, a lot of touches. So, if the opportunity came around, I’d grab it with two hands.”

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