Academy 2017/2018

[mildlyinterested]

Top underage club prospects:

1. Daragh Bolger(Clontarf/under-19)
2. Declan Adamson(Clontarf/under-19)
3. Conan Dunne(Kilkenny/under-19)
4. Cormac Daly(North Kildare/Clontarf/under-20)
5. Fionn Gilbert(Clontarf/under-18)
6. JJ O'Dea(Navan/Old Wesley/under-20)
7. Martin Moloney(Athy/under-19)
8. Patrick Kiernan(Greystones/under-18)
9. Shane Murphy(Skerries/under-18)
10. Patrick McKenzie(Wicklow/under-18)
11. Ben Jones(MU Barnhall/under-18)
12. Sean O'Brien(Mullingar/Clontarf/under-20)
13. Karl Martin(Boyne/under-18)
14. Thomas Jones(North Kildare/under-18)
15. Conor Dunne(Tullamore/Clontarf/under-20)

Struggle to find many backs who could make the academy.
Underage club game has taken a step back recently in terms of producing academy prospects IMO.

[A16]

Also, they look pretty hard the personality of the player involved to see if he has the right mindset to be a professional rugby player

Are there any players you can think of who were very talented but just didn’t have the right attitude for the professional game? For some reason, not many spring to mind for me.

[Oldschool]

Also, they look pretty hard the personality of the player involved to see if he has the right mindset to be a professional rugby player

Are there any players you can think of who were very talented but just didn’t have the right attitude for the professional game? For some reason, not many spring to mind for me.

Know it wasn't the pro era but someone like Neil Francis comes to mind.
The big Munster prop who was supposed to be John Hayes' replacement, Tony ??????

[mildlyinterested]

Also, they look pretty hard the personality of the player involved to see if he has the right mindset to be a professional rugby player

Are there any players you can think of who were very talented but just didn’t have the right attitude for the professional game? For some reason, not many spring to mind for me.

Recently? Eoghan McKeever, Ruairi O'Farrell come to mind.

[johng]

Eoghan McKeever.

saw that guy play a couple of times. Cbc wasn't it? He had the goods physically and skills wise. Just not enough interest perhaps?
Is he still playing club rugby or did he give it up completely.

[mildlyinterested]

Eoghan McKeever.

saw that guy play a couple of times. Cbc wasn't it? He had the goods physically and skills wise. Just not enough interest perhaps?
Is he still playing club rugby or did he give it up completely.

Yeah CBC, think he quit completely.

[Peg Leg]

Also, they look pretty hard the personality of the player involved to see if he has the right mindset to be a professional rugby player

Are there any players you can think of who were very talented but just didn’t have the right attitude for the professional game? For some reason, not many spring to mind for me.

Kelleher, JHW, Moorty

[Flash Gordon]

Top underage club prospects:

1. Daragh Bolger(Clontarf/under-19)
2. Declan Adamson(Clontarf/under-19)
3. Conan Dunne(Kilkenny/under-19)
4. Cormac Daly(North Kildare/Clontarf/under-20)
5. Fionn Gilbert(Clontarf/under-18)
6. JJ O'Dea(Navan/Old Wesley/under-20)
7. Martin Moloney(Athy/under-19)
8. Patrick Kiernan(Greystones/under-18)
9. Shane Murphy(Skerries/under-18)
10. Patrick McKenzie(Wicklow/under-18)
11. Ben Jones(MU Barnhall/under-18)
12. Sean O'Brien(Mullingar/Clontarf/under-20)
13. Karl Martin(Boyne/under-18)
14. Thomas Jones(North Kildare/under-18)
15. Conor Dunne(Tullamore/Clontarf/under-20)

Struggle to find many backs who could make the academy.
Underage club game has taken a step back recently in terms of producing academy prospects IMO.

Needs to be looked at alright. I coached an underage team and when they got to the age the lads were moving to secondary, of the groups of 35 or so there were 7 or 8 who weren't going to rugby playing schools. The lads wanted to keep playing and the club tried to keep things going but there weren't enough for a full squad so they drifted off after 7 years of playing rugby - 2 of them were very handy players too.

If the clubs worked together they could develop a pool of non-rugby schools players and encourage them to join target clubs.

[mildlyinterested]

Also, they look pretty hard the personality of the player involved to see if he has the right mindset to be a professional rugby player

Are there any players you can think of who were very talented but just didn’t have the right attitude for the professional game? For some reason, not many spring to mind for me.

Kelleher, JHW, Moorty

to be fair all 3 are still pros, JHW after some serious injury troubles.. but yeah all 3 weren't cut out for Leinster's environment it would appear.

[johng]

I always use ROG Drico and Gavin Henson when I think of Talent v work ethic.

Gav had soooo much talent but never got the mental side right.

Rog had the mental side in spades both from a vision and work ethic pov, but had less talent physically than the other 2.

Drico was a rare example of extraordinary talent combined with the mental side and work ethic. Although it took a good part of his career to maximise the lot. Mainly because the game got so much more pro from a very low base when he started.

[mildlyinterested]

Tadhg McElroy is another recent example

[mildlyinterested]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7sN3nu2yiM

[mildlyinterested]

Good piece on Vakh:

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/early-star ... eve-goals/

[hugonaut]

Good piece on Vakh:

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/early-star ... eve-goals/

Great article. It's funny, I remember hearing about Abdeladze ages ago [3-4 years ago] and then he seemed to disappear from the coverage. Now we know what he was up to – 3 years in the Sub Academy! Jaysis. That's earning your spot the hard way.

I like how he mentions the phrase 'competitive edge' ... it's such a key part of successful pro players, at any position.

[sunshiner1]

Great article. Never knew his dad was an International. So learned something new. I've always rated him so really hope he pushes on.

[mildlyinterested]

Leinster players in Ireland u20 squad:

15. Michael Silvester (Dublin University)
13. Tommy O'Brien (UCD) (capt)
10. Harry Byrne (UCD)
9. Hugh O'Sullivan (Clontarf)
2. Ronan Kelleher (Lansdowne)
5. Jack Dunne (Dublin University)
17. Jordan Duggan (Naas)
18. Jack Aungier (St. Mary's College)
19. Charlie Ryan (UCD)
20. Ronan Foley (UCD)
22. Conor Dean (St. Mary's College)

[paddyor]

Good piece on Vakh:

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/early-star ... eve-goals/

Great article. It's funny, I remember hearing about Abdeladze ages ago [3-4 years ago] and then he seemed to disappear from the coverage. Now we know what he was up to – 3 years in the Sub Academy! Jaysis. That's earning your spot the hard way.

I like how he mentions the phrase 'competitive edge' ... it's such a key part of successful pro players, at any position.

What would be the average time in the sun academy before getting into the academy does anyone know? I take it it's not common.

[mildlyinterested]

Good piece on Vakh:

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/early-star ... eve-goals/

Great article. It's funny, I remember hearing about Abdeladze ages ago [3-4 years ago] and then he seemed to disappear from the coverage. Now we know what he was up to – 3 years in the Sub Academy! Jaysis. That's earning your spot the hard way.

I like how he mentions the phrase 'competitive edge' ... it's such a key part of successful pro players, at any position.

What would be the average time in the sun academy before getting into the academy does anyone know? I take it it's not common.

1 year usually.

A couple players skipped it entirely and joined straight from school, most do 1 year, a few have done two, Vakh only player I can think of of having done 3.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

What would be the average time in the sun academy before getting into the academy does anyone know? I take it it's not common.

Not very long, most players burn out very quickly.

[neiliog93]

They have 30-35 in the sub-academy at any given time, so most never progress to a full academy place.