Leinster head-coach Leo Cullen has hailed Devin Toner on the day when the lock becomes the province's most capped player.
The 34-year-old Meath man will line out for his 262nd appearance in this evening's Guinness PRO14 Grand Final against their rivals Munster.
Toner sat on the bench for Leinster's first three Heineken Champions Cup final wins, competing with Cullen for a place in the team following the latter's return to Leinster from Leicester.
The current Leinster coach says the commanding second-row
“He's incredibly skillful, Dev,” Cullen said of Toner, who is hoping to play for two more seasons. “I think that he doesn't get enough credit for that. He's got really nice, soft hands for someone that is so big.
“Obviously there is a lineout piece, but his work from restarts as well, it's pretty exceptional how good he is in the air, as in terms of how skillful he is with his hands above his head.
“He's not just a really big bloke, he's skillful as well. Really, really skillful. And when he's on song in terms of his contact piece as well, he's able to hit guys, and there's a lot of him.
“When Dev is in the right frame of mind he's as good as anyone there is out there. Playing for Ireland in particular, there are images in my head of him playing against the All Blacks in the famous win in the Aviva, and he was outstanding in that game in terms of some of his contacts in the game."
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