'He just gets it' - Jamie Osborne getting better and better says Johne Murphy

Leinster centre Jamie Osborne appears to be an Ireland international in waiting, and his former Naas coach Johne Murphy believes the sky is the limit for the Kildare man.

Still just 21-years-old, the versatile centre has played more than 30 times for Leinster, including three appearances in the Champions Cup, while he's been included in Andy Farrell's Six Nations and pre-World Cup squad this year.

While he didn't make the final 33-man squad for the tournament in France, Osborne has hit the ground running with Leinster this season, impressing in their wins against both the Sharks and Edinburgh, and winning Player of the Match in the latter.

Former Munster and Leicester wing Murphy coached Osborne briefly at Naas RFC in the Energia All Ireland League, and said he could tell that Osborne was a special talent, even as a teenager.

"From the very first time I would have coached Jamie, the Covid year in the AIL, he actually played for Leinster before he played for Naas in the AIL, he only has one cap for Naas," Murphy told the RTÉ Rugby podcast.

At 6ft 4in and 97kg, he is physically up to speed with what the professional game requires, while Murphy says his game is based on far more than size and power.

"Automatically when he came down training he picked up things instantly, he's one of those players where you don't think he’s travelling that fast but he just glides across the ground, covers so much ground," he said.

"Defensively his reads are excellent and he has a left foot which opens up the other side of the pitch.

"He just gets it. He's big, strong, he’s a real rugby student like he would have spent a lot of time on our 'Hudl’ platform, in terms of watching [clips], trying to get up to scratch on calls and plays.

"There’s a thing