Leinster A 2016-17

[goreyguy]

In donnybrook at 7pm.

[goreyguy]

Ulster A team to play Leinster tomorrow.

1 Kyle McCall
2 John Andrew
3 Jonny Simpson
4 Dan Tuohy
5 John Donnan
6 Matty Rea
7 Nick Timoney
8 Lorcan Dow
9 Angus Lloyd
10 Jonny McPhillips
11 Conor Kelly
12 Mark Best
13 Jacob Stockdale
14 Aaron Cairns
15 Callum Smith
16 Adam McBurney
17 Tom O'Hagan
18 Craig Trenier
19 Stephen Muholland
20 Marcus Rea
21 Brett Herron
22 Rob Lyttle
23 Ollie Brown
24 Tom Stapley

[goreyguy]

Leinster 'A' side

15. Jack Power - academy
14. Terry Kennedy - academy
13. Jimmy O'Brien - academy
12. Tom Daly - senior
11. Hugo Keenan - academy
10. Cathal Marsh - senior
9. Nick McCarthy - academy CAPTAIN
1. Peter Dooley - senior
2. Bryan Byrne - senior
3. Jeremy Loughman - academy
4. Mick Kearney - senior
5. Jack Regan(u20) - sub academy
6. Dominic Ryan - senior
7. Will Connors - academy
8. Max Deegan - academy

Replacements
16. Sean McNulty - senior
17. Andrew Porter - academy
18. Oisin Heffernan - academy
19. Hayden Triggs - senior
20. Oisin Dowling(u20) - sub academy
21. Peadar Timmins - academy
22. Charlie Rock - academy
23. Ross Byrne - academy
24. Jordan Larmour(u20) - sub academy

[leinsterforever]

Interesting side, but what's the point in including Triggs? I suppose they want to keep him ticking over in case they need to call upon him, but surely it would be better to have a look at a young player. Is David O'Connor fit?

[goreyguy]

Interesting side, but what's the point in including Triggs? I suppose they want to keep him ticking over in case they need to call upon him, but surely it would be better to have a look at a young player. Is David O'Connor fit?

Nope, serious hip injury, James Ryan injured too.

[Flash Gordon]

Larmour is obviously on the fast track!!!

[goreyguy]

Larmour is obviously on the fast track!!!

not surprising, he is in the top 3 prospects in Leinster at u20 level, even if he is small.

[macboomba]

Larmour is obviously on the fast track!!!

not surprising, he is in the top 3 prospects in Leinster at u20 level, even if he is small.

Loved seeing him play schools, such a dangerous runner.

It would be great to have a potent try scorer on the wing again.

[COYBIB]

Is Mick Kearney just coming back from injury or anything? Surprised to see him left out of the senior squad if he's fully fit. I'd personally probably rate him as our third choice lock behind Toner and McCarthy when all are fit. But I suppose it's no bad thing if Nagle has been enough of an impression to make the first team and Molony is a very handy player. Nagle has looked good so far, but I wouldn't be surprised if Cullen said to him to go out and show up the Munster locks, the whole redemption against the old team type thing. God knows enough Leinster rejects have tried to do that against us in the red of Munster.

Also interesting to note is Ross Byrne being fit. Again, is he just coming back from injury? It's tough to say, but he arguably could have come into this season as the favourite to deputise for Sexton, but he was very poor when he got game time for the senior side, it's great to see Carbery's rise, but also disappointing if Byrne would now be 4th choice 10. I've been wrong on this before and it's probably early to call it, but I'm not sure Marsh has much future at Leinster. Was hoping to see a good battle between Carbery and Byrne for the senior jersey this season. More than happy to see just one excel to be fair.

Lastly, Adam Byrne? Where is he? I hope he's injured, because I rate him very highly and the part of his game that need work, let's work on it, because it's the age old Leinster problem, not using players with the physical attributes of someone like Adelokin (power and pace, I know he wasn't half the player he is now when with Leinster, but it's a good example of training the trainables and retaining players with the attributes you can't train - Pace and Power and Physical size) and Healy (pace). I would be extremely disappointed if we didn't make every effort to develop Adam Byrnes skill set and give him every opportunity to make the grade. It's not like we have top class prospects coming out of our arse in the back three either.

Some very exciting players in that team though, should be a good game.

[leinsterforever]

Why do sprinters bother training if you can't train pace?

[Dave Cahill]

Leinster A are way better at Rugby than Ulster A

[neiliog93]

Score?

[LeinsterLeader]

Score?

46-10 after 72 minutes.

Hayden Triggs scored a Try too. Delighted for him after the time he's had recently. Small consolation I know but I think it's great that he's even decided to play.

[LeinsterLeader]

51-10 FT

[riocard911]

What sort of an account did Oisin Heffernan give of himself? 'Cos Mike Ross on today's showing v Munster looks like he's fast running out of steam.......

[neiliog93]

Wow, that's very emphatic. Wasn't a bad Ulster side on paper either.

Yeah, tight-head depth is an area of concern for us. Bent has proven beyond doubt he can't be trusted (as a tight-head) at Pro12 level and Ross has declined this season. After that we have Loughman and Heffernan, who I don't think are ready for Pro12 action against the league's better teams. When Ross goes next season, I wonder will we be allowed draft in a Peikrishvilli-type figure for a year to cover when Furlong is away/injured, and give time for Loughman and Heffernan to develop.

[leinsterforever]

It must be difficult for Bent to be dropped in after usually not playing for a while. Maybe he'd look better after a run of games. But I agree. It would be a concern if he was higher than third choice tighthead.

I don't think Loughman and Heffernan will be ready for a while so it looks as if Leinster's options once Ross retires are:
a. Re-sign Hagan
2. Sign an NIQ (would we even be allowed a project player if the Kebble deal goes through?)
d. Find someone in the AIL (seems a long shot)

[neiliog93]

Re-re-signing Hagan can't be an option.

White is gone from Connacht and Wiehann Herbst becomes IQ next season, and with Triggs, Nacewa and Kirchner all leaving/retiring next season, an NIQ tight-head for Leinster is definitely on the cards (assuming Ross leaves or retires, which looks likely based on age and form). Munster have two relatively young, decent standard IQ tight-heads + John Andress (decent player), Connacht have Bealham, Loughney and Cleary, and Ulster will have Lutton, Ah You and Herbst all IQ.

We probably wouldn't be allowed to sign someone who could take Furlong's starting place (he's likely to be first choice Irish tight-head or certainly on the bench). It's pretty frustrating now that Marty left, he almost certainly would have displaced Ross if he'd stayed around. I wouldn't mind taking on Ulster's temporary signing Georgian prop Peikrishvili for a season, he's not over the hill and carved out a very respectable Top 14 career, and has plenty of Georgian caps.

[cormac]

Re-re-signing Hagan can't be an option.

White is gone from Connacht and Wiehann Herbst becomes IQ next season, and with Triggs, Nacewa and Kirchner all leaving/retiring next season, an NIQ tight-head for Leinster is definitely on the cards (assuming Ross leaves or retires, which looks likely based on age and form). Munster have two relatively young, decent standard IQ tight-heads + John Andress (decent player), Connacht have Bealham, Loughney and Cleary, and Ulster will have Lutton, Ah You and Herbst all IQ.

We probably wouldn't be allowed to sign someone who could take Furlong's starting place (he's likely to be first choice Irish tight-head or certainly on the bench). It's pretty frustrating now that Marty left, he almost certainly would have displaced Ross if he'd stayed around. I wouldn't mind taking on Ulster's temporary signing Georgian prop Peikrishvili for a season, he's not over the hill and carved out a very respectable Top 14 career, and has plenty of Georgian caps.

A NIQ tight-head on a one-year deal with a commitment to try our utmost to get Moore back asap

[leinsterforever]

In my opinion it would be foolish to turn our noses up at Hagan given the circumstances. He's played Pro12, Premiership, Heineken Cup and Super Rugby, and picked up an Ireland cap. Let's see how he gets on in his second season at the Rebels, but with all the experience he has accumulated he could potentially be the best he's been after next season.

If we can locate a better option, and are allowed sign him, then all well and good, but Hagan could be the best available signing