Leinster Squad 2015/2016

[goreyguy]

Mike McCarthy[33][2016]
Hayden Triggs[33][2016]
Devin Toner[29][2017]
Tom Denton[27][201?]
Mick Kearney[24][201?]
Tadhg Beirne[23][201?]
Gavin Thornbury[21][201?]

Ross Molony[21][Year 3]
David O'Connor[20][Year 1]

Locks in squad now.

[Oldschool]

Mike McCarthy[33][2016]
Hayden Triggs[33][2016]
Devin Toner[29][2017]
Tom Denton[27][201?]
Mick Kearney[24][201?]
Tadhg Beirne[23][201?]
Gavin Thornbury[21][201?]

Ross Molony[21][Year 3]
David O'Connor[20][Year 1]

Locks in squad now.

What's MOC's young fella like?

[goreyguy]

Mike McCarthy[33][2016]
Hayden Triggs[33][2016]
Devin Toner[29][2017]
Tom Denton[27][201?]
Mick Kearney[24][201?]
Tadhg Beirne[23][201?]
Gavin Thornbury[21][201?]

Ross Molony[21][Year 3]
David O'Connor[20][Year 1]

Locks in squad now.

What's MOC's young fella like?

younger brother of former leinster sub academy and current Ulster lock Alan O'Connor.
Undersized lock(6'5 max), tough and abrasive but personally i'd be surprised at this stage if he had a significant leinster career.

[goreyguy]

Updated current squad.

Tighthead
Mike Ross[35]
Michael Bent[29]
Royce Burke Flynn[28]
Martin Moore[24]
Tadhg Furlong[22]

Academy
Oisin Heffernan[20]
Jeremy Loughman[20]

Loosehead
Michael Bent[29]
Cian Healy[28]
Jack McGrath[26]
Ian Hirst[25]
Ed Byrne[22]

Academy
Peter Dooley[21]
Jeremy Loughman[20]

Hooker
Aaron Dundon[33]
Richardt Strauss[29]
Sean Cronin[29]
James Tracy[24]
Bryan Byrne[22]

Academy
Sean McNulty[20]

Second Row
Mike McCarthy[33]
Hayden Triggs[33]
Devin Toner[29]
Tom Denton[27]
Mick Kearney[24]
Tadhg Beirne[23]
Gavin Thornbury[22]

Academy
Ross Molony[21]
David O'Connor[20]

Backrow
Jamie Heaslip[31]
Sean O'Brien[28]
Dominic Ryan[25]
Rhys Ruddock[24]
Jordi Murphy[24]
Tony Ryan[23]
Jack Conan[23]
Josh Van Der Flier[22]
Dan Leavy[21]

Academy
Peadar Timmins[21]
Josh Murphy[20]

Scrumhalf
Isaac Boss[35]
Eoin Reddan[34]
Luke McGrath[22]

Academy
Nick McCarthy[20]
Charlie Rock[20]

Outhalf
Jonathan Sexton[30]
Ian Madigan[26]
Cathal Marsh[23]

Academy
Ross Byrne[20]
Joey Carberry[20]

Centre
Ben Teo[28]
Luke Fitzgerald[28]
Noel Reid[25]
Colm O'Shea[24]

Academy
Steve Crosbie[22]
Tom Daly[22]
Tom Farrell[22]
Rory O'Loughlin[21]
Garry Ringrose[20]
Harrison Brewer[20]

Back Three
Isa Nacewa[33]
Zane Kirchner[31]
Rob Kearney[29]
Fergus McFadden[29]
Darragh Fanning[29]
Dave Kearney[26]
Mick McGrath[24]

Academy
Adam Byrne[21]
Cian Kelleher[21]
Ian Fitzpatrick[21]
Billy Dardis[20]

[simonokeeffe]

Jamie Hagan joining Melbourne Rebels apparently according to Leinster's twitter, would seem a strange use of an overseas player slot

[Dave Cahill]

Jack Conan has been deregistered from our European squad and Nick McCarthy added in his place

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Is it still the case that we could drop down to the challenge cup or was that done away with?

Sorry, that's probably been answered multiple times.

[Dave Cahill]

Is it still the case that we could drop down to the challenge cup or was that done away with?

Sorry, that's probably been answered multiple times.

No longer the case alright, swept away by the new broom

[simonokeeffe]

Is it still the case that we could drop down to the challenge cup or was that done away with?

Sorry, that's probably been answered multiple times.

No longer the case alright, swept away by the new broom

Hail Hydra

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Excellent, thanks!

[colster]

Jack Conan has been deregistered from our European squad and Nick McCarthy added in his place

Probably due to Luke McGrath's injury.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Wouldn't he just replace Luke then?

[All Blacks nil]

Conan obviously won't be back for January. McGrath might be.

[hugonaut]

Mike McCarthy will have played 300 pro club games if selected against Toulon: http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/e ... -1.2469007

It will also be Rhys Ruddock's 100th game for Leinster. He has now passed out Sean O'Brien in terms of Leinster caps. The latter has started just 10 games for us in the last 24 months.

[COYBIB]

Updated current squad.

Tighthead
Mike Ross[35]
Michael Bent[29]
Royce Burke Flynn[28]
Martin Moore[24]
Tadhg Furlong[22]

Academy
Oisin Heffernan[20]
Jeremy Loughman[20]

Loosehead
Michael Bent[29]
Cian Healy[28]
Jack McGrath[26]
Ian Hirst[25]
Ed Byrne[22]

Academy
Peter Dooley[21]
Jeremy Loughman[20]

Hooker
Aaron Dundon[33]
Richardt Strauss[29]
Sean Cronin[29]
James Tracy[24]
Bryan Byrne[22]

Academy
Sean McNulty[20]

Second Row
Mike McCarthy[33]
Hayden Triggs[33]
Devin Toner[29]
Tom Denton[27]
Mick Kearney[24]
Tadhg Beirne[23]
Gavin Thornbury[22]

Academy
Ross Molony[21]
David O'Connor[20]

Backrow
Jamie Heaslip[31]
Sean O'Brien[28]
Dominic Ryan[25]
Rhys Ruddock[24]
Jordi Murphy[24]
Tony Ryan[23]
Jack Conan[23]
Josh Van Der Flier[22]
Dan Leavy[21]

Academy
Peadar Timmins[21]
Josh Murphy[20]

Scrumhalf
Isaac Boss[35]
Eoin Reddan[34]
Luke McGrath[22]

Academy
Nick McCarthy[20]
Charlie Rock[20]

Outhalf
Jonathan Sexton[30]
Ian Madigan[26]
Cathal Marsh[23]

Academy
Ross Byrne[20]
Joey Carberry[20]

Centre
Ben Teo[28]
Luke Fitzgerald[28]
Noel Reid[25]
Colm O'Shea[24]

Academy
Steve Crosbie[22]
Tom Daly[22]
Tom Farrell[22]
Rory O'Loughlin[21]
Garry Ringrose[20]
Harrison Brewer[20]

Back Three
Isa Nacewa[33]
Zane Kirchner[31]
Rob Kearney[29]
Fergus McFadden[29]
Darragh Fanning[29]
Dave Kearney[26]
Mick McGrath[24]

Academy
Adam Byrne[21]
Cian Kelleher[21]
Ian Fitzpatrick[21]
Billy Dardis[20]

Lads in red would be getting the boot if it was up to me. There's needs to be a bigger than usual turn over in playing staff for next season, culling the dead wood as I mentioned before, I feel a lot has gone stale at Leinster, a lot of players too comfortable and you can just see how squads that are largely the same for prolonged periods just eventually become stale.

Are Oisin Heffernan or Jeremy Loughman showing as much promise as Furlong and Moore did at that stage? I think you need three high quality props on either side in your squad, and we have that at loose-head with McGrath and Healy leading the way, with the likes of Ed Byrne and Michael Bent giving some really top quality depth players.

I don't trust Bent on the tight side and I think it's about time we put Rossy out to pasture. The Hayes syndrome looks like it's setting in, and when we've too top quality young props, probably amongst the two best tightheads in Europe for their age, I can think of a few, but not many like them at that point in their career, we really need to focus on them now rather than trying to drain every last bit of blood out of Ross, it's just counter productive for all concerned. Personally I think he should see out his career with Munster as they badly need a tighthead, he's from there, and to stop the never ending conveyor belt of NIQ players in their squad.

Other than that, front row couldn't be in better standing in terms of quality and depth.

Second row needs a complete overhaul. With this squad turnover, a lot of cash and NIQ spots are freed up, really we just have to to get the IRFU to agree on a big name, world class signing, in return we'll take on Nagle or someone like that back into the Irish fold. We could really do with Kearney keeping fit too, but major refurbishment required in the engine room.

Back-row is just about keeping the best quality and culling the numbers. People are looking to milk the Leinster resources for the back-row talent, I think that is condensed into the perfect blend of numbers, talent and experience with more to come in academy.

Half backs, we need to get rid of AT LEAST one from Boss and Reddan and need to sign AT LEAST one player there. I wouldn't be hell bent on a big signing or even a NIQ, I could take Cooney and McGrath battling for the jersey with some good academy players there too.

Centre dead wood cleaned out with lots of academy talent coming through, I think this is the one key area, we need to keep Te'o. He's our only NIQ player who is actually badly needed. Add to that, if Henshaw came here, and Ringrose coming out of academy, we could build up a really powerful and creative blend in midfield.

Back-three needs to be cleaned out and more investment given to the youth coming through and if it meant we could get a second world class signing of a winger, I would be open to adding ISA to that cull list too and being efficient by focusing our entire NIQ allowance (and financial war chest) on just two players of excellent quality. A Nathan Hines and Drew Mitchell quality of player would be nice.

[Ruckedtobits]

We need to recruit smarter, either because of our budget constraints, or Nucifora's insistence on Irish player development. Possibly 2 years ago, Hugonaut suggested on this site the recruitment of Mike Fitzgerald from Waitako Chiefs (there is some Irish connection there), but we ignored that prospect and we now see him as Leicester tight-head lock, playing in Thomond last week

With the same focus, Kieran Treadwell, born 1995, a 6'7", 235lb second row in Harlequins who gave Ireland U.20s a hard time in successive U.20 6Nations, is the sort of player we just don't have here. He is probably ranked about 12th in English second-row rankings with only two of those above him, under age 30. Treadwell is Irish-qualified and should be strongly courted with offer of at least a basic 2-year contract.

Recruitment and scouting must be about more than somebody picking up the phone to an international agency and asking who they have on their books in various positions. Go through the Squad composition of every team in these countries. Quality players can be recruited before they get to the top, players are ambitious and Leinster's reputation is strong enough to be attractive to most guys on the way up.

A similar process is required for scrum-halves. There are quality players, maybe not internationals, in NZ and Aus, who are good enough to do a job for us for 3-5 years with total availability i.e. no international call-ups.

P.S. I would hold on to Dundon who has done a great job whenever selected although now picking up injuries.
PPS. Loughman is a hugh quality prop, schoolboy centre, who is playing both LHP &THP with UCD and Leinster A. He has the ability to get to the very highest level and has acceleration, power and rugby intelligence. We should hold onto him or get him game time at higher level by a judical loan agreement - possibly for a SH - with an Australian franchise.

[goreyguy]

Thornbury tore his pec. out 3-4 months.

so triggs, Kearney and Thornbury all out at the moment.

[jezzer]

Thornbury tore his pec. out 3-4 months.

so triggs, Kearney and Thornbury all out at the moment.

Jaysis, he's injury troubled. You wonder about the wisdom of bulking up these really tall guys and making them compete mobility wise with the rest of the squad until they're physically ready to take it. Well, I do anyway...

[hugonaut]

I'll be irritated if we don't ship out the mediocre Tom Denton this go-round. I have to admit that I've lost patience with him – 40+ caps and not a memorable one amongst them. He's a player who hasn't made any significant improvements whatsoever over the last three years, and needed to make 'em. The difference in the scrum when he replaced Mike McCarthy was [again] a marked decline. That's supposed to be his selling point, that he can scrummage on the right hand side.

To be frank, when I think of the second rows we have shipped out in the last three years - Quinn Roux, Ben Marshall, Mark Flanagan – I really think that any of them could have done better than he did. Hopefully we can get Mick Kearney back within the next few weeks and then draw a line under Denton, with Kearney and Molony as back-ups to McCarthy and Toner respectively.

[Keith]

I'll be irritated if we don't ship out the mediocre Tom Denton this go-round. I have to admit that I've lost patience with him – 40+ caps and not a memorable one amongst them. He's a player who hasn't made any significant improvements whatsoever over the last three years, and needed to make 'em. The difference in the scrum when he replaced Mike McCarthy was [again] a marked decline. That's supposed to be his selling point, that he can scrummage on the right hand side.

To be frank, when I think of the second rows we have shipped out in the last three years - Quinn Roux, Ben Marshall, Mark Flanagan – I really think that any of them could have done better than he did. Hopefully we can get Mick Kearney back within the next few weeks and then draw a line under Denton, with Kearney and Molony as back-ups to McCarthy and Toner respectively.

Denton wasn't signed because he had potential or anything, he was signed because he was IQ; which is just an awful recruitment policy to have. I wouldn't be surprised if they never even seen him play before they brought him over.