Academy 2017/2018

[hugonaut]

Hooker
Ronan Kelleher(Lansdowne/Year 2)

Big need for talent at this position, Eoghan Clarke(Wanderers) is at under-20 level and may earn an academy place this season, hard to predict now. Richie Bergin(UCD) looks a good prospect at under-19 but probably too early for him to join academy also. No obvious candidate to join straight from school, maybe Ethan Baxter(Gerards) but very unlikely as he is an u18.

Any standout hookers in the AIL? What kind of prospect is Kelleher?

Tracy is serviceable for now and Bryan Byrne is still relatively young, so I wouldn't panic just yet, especially if Cronin hangs around for another couple of years, but it's definitely become the position of most urgent attention required.

Paddy Finlay who plays for Trinity, he is 23 this year. Leinster had a look at him last season in A team.

An excellent one, the best hooker through underage system since David Doyle.

Bryan Byrne is 24, not sure he is young, even relatively. His darts will hold him back.

Tracy is better than serviceable.

I rate Kelleher higher than David Doyle [who was very good]. I thought he had some really good moments for the U20s last year, but his performance in the August warm-up game against Bath was genuinely exciting. He looked very capable of mixing it with pros as a teenager in the front row. It's not something you see every year. I think he's going to be a really, really good player for us, as good a hooker as we've had in Leinster for a long time. I'm very much looking forward to seeing him in the U20 Six Nations.

[ronk]

I haven’t really seen him, I’ll keep an eye out. It’s probably a good thing that he can avoid a bit of hype and concentrate on U20s with our current age profile of hooker.

[mildlyinterested]

I rate Kelleher higher than David Doyle [who was very good]. I thought he had some really good moments for the U20s last year, but his performance in the August warm-up game against Bath was genuinely exciting. He looked very capable of mixing it with pros as a teenager in the front row. It's not something you see every year. I think he's going to be a really, really good player for us, as good a hooker as we've had in Leinster for a long time. I'm very much looking forward to seeing him in the U20 Six Nations.

yeah id probably rate him higher than Doyle too.. altho doyle was very good and would have 50+ leinster caps if he had not been lost to that hip injury.

biggest worry is his throwing as per usual with a Leinster hooker

ill be interested to see if Eoghan Clarke(Wanderers) pushes for an academy place..

Richie Bergin (UCD) playing AIL as a 18 year old is another encouraging sign that he is a talent to keep an eye on..

[mildlyinterested]

Academy and Sub Academy players in Leinster ‘A’ team:
2. Ronan Kelleher(Year 1)
3. Jack Aungier(Year 1)
6. Josh Murphy(Year 3)
7. Max Kearney(Sub)
9. Charlie Rock(Year 3)
11. Tommy O’Brien(Year 1)
12. Conor O’Brien(Year 2)
13. Gavin Mullin(Year 1)
14. Jack Kelly(Year 2)
15. Ciarán Frawley(Year 1)
16. Sean McNulty(Year 3)
17. Adam Coyle(Sub)
18. Óisín Heffernan(Year 3)
19. Óisín Dowling(Year 1)
20. Ronan Foley(Sub)
21. Hugh O’Sullivan(Year 1)
22. Michael Silvester(Sub)

[mildlyinterested]

https://m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/sc ... 82484.html

Article on st. Michaels transformation into top rugby school.

[mildlyinterested]

Some of the Leinster u18's at Ireland u18 trials over christmas period:

Thomas Clarkson(Prop/Blackrock)
Charlie Ward(Prop/Tullow RFC)
Marcus Hanan(Prop/Clane RFC)

Mark Nicholson(Hooker/Wicklow)

Cian Prendergast(2nd Row/Newbridge)
Max Mellet(2nd Row/Castleknock)

Ed Brennan(Backrow/Blackrock)
Anthony Ryan(Backrow/Clongowes)
Jack Cooke(Backrow/Terenure)

Shane Murphy(Scrumhalf/Skerries RFC)
Ben Murphy(Scrumhalf/Pres Bray)*

Paddy McKenzie(Outhalf/Wicklow)
Mick O'Gara(Centre/Pres Bray)
Ben O'Shea(Centre/Clongowes)
Karl Martin(Centre/Boyne RFC)*

Johnny Maher(Back Three/Clongowes)
Tom Maher(Back Three/Blackrock)
Andrew Smith(Back Three/St. Michaels)
Sam Dardis(Back Three/Terenure)
Chris Cosgrave(Back Three/St. Michaels)*

[flustered]

Mark Nicholson and Paddy McKenzie of Wicklow also on that list mildly

[mildlyinterested]

Mark Nicholson and Paddy McKenzie of Wicklow also on that list mildly

Thanks.

[mildlyinterested]

5 players from the 1998 Leinster Age Group have full academy offers from Leinster:
Ronan Kelleher(Hooker/St. Michaels/Lansdowne)
Jack Aungier(TH Prop/Suttonians RFC/St. Marys)
Caelan Doris(Backrow/Blackrock College/St. Marys)
Hugh O'Sullivan(Scrumhalf/Belvedere College/Clontarf)
Tommy O'Brien(Outside Back/Blackrock College/UCD)

Another is in Connachts academy:
Sean Masterson(Backrow/Portlaoise RFC/Corinthians)

Remaining prospects from 1998 age group:

Joe Byrne(TH Prop/Blackrock College/DUFC)
Jordan Duggan(LH Prop/Newbridge College/Naas)

Eoghan Clarke(Hooker/CBC Monkstown/Wanderers)
Dan Sheehan(Hooker/Clongowes Wood College/DUFC)

Jack Dunne(Second Row/St. Michaels College/DUFC)
Cormac Daly(Second Row/North Kildare RFC/Clontarf)
JJ O'Dea(Second Row/Navan RFC/Old Wesley)

Ronan Foley(Backrow/St. Marys College/UCD)
Cian Reilly(Backrow/Blackrock College/UCD)
Richard Dunne(Openside/Blackrock College/DUFC)
Max Kearney(Openside/Belvedere College/DUFC)

Patrick Patterson(Scrumhalf/Blackrock College/UCD)
James Kenny(Scrumhalf/Gonzaga College/Lansdowne)

Conor Dean(Outhalf/Blackrock College/St. Marys)

Sean O'Brien(Centre/Mullingar RFC/Clontarf)
James Moriarty(Centre/Blackrock College/DUFC)
Myles Carey(Centre/St. Marys College/St. Marys)

Michael Silvester(Back Three/Clongowes Wood College/DUFC)
Peter Sullivan(Back Three/St. Andrews College/Lansdowne)
Tom Roche(Back Three/Blackrock College/Lansdowne)
Peter Maher(Back Three/Belvedere College/Old Belvedere)

[mildlyinterested]

David Hawkshaw expected to play 12 for Belvedere this year in the schools cup.. long been mooted that long term his position at pro level would be in the centre.. good player comp is Stuart Olding.

[the spoofer]

David Hawkshaw expected to play 12 for Belvedere this year in the schools cup.. long been mooted that long term his position at pro level would be in the centre.. good player comp is Stuart Olding.

I've never seen him live, what sort of size is he?

[mildlyinterested]

David Hawkshaw expected to play 12 for Belvedere this year in the schools cup.. long been mooted that long term his position at pro level would be in the centre.. good player comp is Stuart Olding.

I've never seen him live, what sort of size is he?

under 6ft anyway, but has a good build.

[Justtoby]

I haven't heard of this player before. Roman Salanoa from Hawaii is training with the Leinster sub academy.

http://www.the42.ie/roman-salanoa-hawai ... 5-Jan2018/

[simonokeeffe]

I haven't heard of this player before. Roman Salanoa from Hawaii is training with the Leinster sub academy.

http://www.the42.ie/roman-salanoa-hawai ... 5-Jan2018/

I trust the twitterati will recognise the difference between sub and full academy. Let him IQ playing for Belvo while he gets a degree or whatever THEN he can happily join the academy if hes worth it

[LeinsterLeader]

I haven't heard of this player before. Roman Salanoa from Hawaii is training with the Leinster sub academy.

http://www.the42.ie/roman-salanoa-hawai ... 5-Jan2018/

I trust the twitterati will recognise the difference between sub and full academy. Let him IQ playing for Belvo while he gets a degree or whatever THEN he can happily join the academy if hes worth it

Check out the comments.......... No, they won't!

[Keith]

I haven't heard of this player before. Roman Salanoa from Hawaii is training with the Leinster sub academy.

http://www.the42.ie/roman-salanoa-hawai ... 5-Jan2018/

Happy to have him here. Hopefully he comes good for us.

[simonokeeffe]

I haven't heard of this player before. Roman Salanoa from Hawaii is training with the Leinster sub academy.

http://www.the42.ie/roman-salanoa-hawai ... 5-Jan2018/

I trust the twitterati will recognise the difference between sub and full academy. Let him IQ playing for Belvo while he gets a degree or whatever THEN he can happily join the academy if hes worth it

Check out the comments.......... No, they won't!

It was a forlorn hope

Tbf even I dont know how many are in the subacademy but am guessing its a minority to make it to the academy. Only half of all the academy players have gotten a senior contract

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Given that Hawaii isn't a rugby hotbed, I wonder if the coaches will hold him to aloha standard?

[simonokeeffe]

Given that Hawaii isn't a rugby hotbed, I wonder if the coaches will hold him to aloha standard?

I legit laughed out loud at that

[mildlyinterested]

realistically he wont make the academy