20-year-old out-half Gabriel set to stay with Leinster despite Munster interest

20-YEAR-OLD out-half Caspar Gabriel is set to stay with Leinster next season despite interest from Munster in signing him.

Austrian native Gabriel, who moved to Ireland at the age of 14 to play rugby at Terenure College, is seen as a player of high potential within Irish rugby.

He played for the Ireland U19s in 2024 but was deemed to be ineligible for the Ireland U20 side in 2025 due to a trip home to Vienna during the pandemic, which interrupted his residency in Ireland.

Gabriel joined Leinster’s academy ahead of the 2024/25 season. He has impressed in the All-Ireland League for Terenure College RFC, as well as featuring for the Leinster A team.

The young playmaker made his senior debut for Leinster in a URC win over Zebre at the Aviva Stadium last October, playing five minutes off the bench.

He hasn’t featured again for Leo Cullen’s side since, with Leinster having strong options at out-half in Harry Byrne, Sam Prendergast, and Ciarán Frawley.

Gabriel’s potential has understandably caught the eye of other provinces and The 42 understands that Munster explored the possibility of signing him ahead of next season.

Jack Crowley is well established as Munster’s starting out-half but it’s believed that Gabriel was seen as being a strong back-up there and possibly an option to play at fullback for Clayton McMillan’s side.

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McMillan’s Chiefs teams in New Zealand often operated with a second playmaker in the number 15 shirt, with All Blacks international Damian McKenzie even occasionally used at fullback.

However, it’s understood that Gabriel is convinced that his future lies with Leinster and he has decided to stay where he is.

While Frawley is leaving the province this summer to join Connacht, there is likely to still be plenty of competition at out-half in Leinster, with Joey Carbery expected to return to the province ahead of next season.

That said, Carbery suffered an ACL injury in February and is expected to miss the start of next season, while Byrne and Prendergast seem likely to have their minutes managed if they remain involved in the Ireland set-up.

There is also the possibility that Gabriel is used at fullback, while some even view inside centre as a position in which the 6ft 3ins playmaker could impress.

As supporters of Terenure know, Gabriel is a clever playmaker but he also has strong aerial skills and a notable appetite for making aggressive tackles. 

He will hope that skillset sees him pushing into the mix for lots more minutes with Leinster in the near future.

- This article was updated at 5.41pm to correct the photo in the body of the article.