Academy 2017/2018

[Keith]

Oh come on its hardly a disgrace. It's ONE player who is apparently a very good prospect.

If this guy was desperate to come to Europe why not snap him up? Don't worry the academies won't be filled with Saffers.

[mildlyinterested]

Oh come on its hardly a disgrace. It's ONE player who is apparently a very good prospect.

If this guy was desperate to come to Europe why not snap him up? Don't worry the academies won't be filled with Saffers.

They've signed two Saffers, a TH and a centre.

and maybe he wasn't desperate to come to europe, maybe Munster convinced him?

He was due to sign with Western Province.

It is a disgrace, the academies are supposed to be where irish players are developed, not 17 year old project players from South Africa.

[Keith]

Oh come on its hardly a disgrace. It's ONE player who is apparently a very good prospect.

If this guy was desperate to come to Europe why not snap him up? Don't worry the academies won't be filled with Saffers.

They've signed two Saffers, a TH and a centre.

and maybe he wasn't desperate to come to europe, maybe Munster convinced him?

He was due to sign with Western Province.

It is a disgrace, the academies are supposed to be where irish players are developed, not 17 year old project players from South Africa.

The centre isn't confirmed yet afaik. Would you prefer they were taking players out of Leinster's academy? I think this is simply the IRFU getting in some last project players before the 5 year rule comes in. Which I can understand.

[mildlyinterested]

Oh come on its hardly a disgrace. It's ONE player who is apparently a very good prospect.

If this guy was desperate to come to Europe why not snap him up? Don't worry the academies won't be filled with Saffers.

They've signed two Saffers, a TH and a centre.

and maybe he wasn't desperate to come to europe, maybe Munster convinced him?

He was due to sign with Western Province.

It is a disgrace, the academies are supposed to be where irish players are developed, not 17 year old project players from South Africa.

The centre isn't confirmed yet afaik. Would you prefer they were taking players out of Leinster's academy? I think this is simply the IRFU getting in some last project players before the 5 year rule comes in. Which I can understand.

There are plenty of munster underage internationals props they could have taken instead: Ben Betts, Peter Kelleher, Dylan Murphy, James Kendrick, Bryan O'Connor, Luke Masters.

Or pursued the following Leinster tightheads: Oisin Heffernan, Charlie Connolly, Joe Byrne.

Where is the incentive in developing homegrown players, if you can just sign a schoolboy saffer instead?

[Dave Cahill]

I'm not sure its a disgrace, but it is bloody ridiculous when you consider the number of young props that Munster didn't give academy spots to - the most egregious to my mind being Ben Betts who was outstanding on the u20s run to the JRWC final - from that team Stockdale, Keenan, O'Brien, McPhillips, Porter, McBurney, Ryan and Jones have all seen senior competitive action

[macboomba]

I thought Betts turned a Munster deal down in favour of Leicester.

I agree it's not a disgrace but that moral high ground we like to take is starting to be eroded.

[ChrisUppy]

I'm not sure its a disgrace, but it is bloody ridiculous when you consider the number of young props that Munster didn't give academy spots to - the most egregious to my mind being Ben Betts who was outstanding on the u20s run to the JRWC final - from that team Stockdale, Keenan, O'Brien, McPhillips, Porter, McBurney, Ryan and Jones have all seen senior competitive action

And Deegan. Cillian Gallagher was also of that age group but was injured for the WC.

[Dave Cahill]

yesus! Forgot Deegan of all people!

[mildlyinterested]

I'm not sure its a disgrace, but it is bloody ridiculous when you consider the number of young props that Munster didn't give academy spots to - the most egregious to my mind being Ben Betts who was outstanding on the u20s run to the JRWC final - from that team Stockdale, Keenan, O'Brien, McPhillips, Porter, McBurney, Ryan and Jones have all seen senior competitive action

And Deegan. Cillian Gallagher was also of that age group but was injured for the WC.

Gallagher was a year younger than them, but was playing as a u19.

[CiaranIrl]

I totally agree: This Knox move from Munster is an absolute disgrace. This was started by Munster, not Knox. They sourced him from their South African network over there, and then Fitzgerald bribed him to come over and sign up. Sad state of affairs if the change to a 5 year residency means we're going to start going after kids and offer them scholarships.

[Keith]

I thought Betts turned a Munster deal down in favour of Leicester.

I agree it's not a disgrace but that moral high ground we like to take is starting to be eroded.

That's what I thought too? You can't force the guy to leave Leicester, he seems to be doing well there too.

[neiliog93]

No, Betts was never offered an academy place AFAIK.

[mildlyinterested]

No, Betts was never offered an academy place AFAIK.

Yeah he wasn't.

[Keith]

No, Betts was never offered an academy place AFAIK.

Yeah he wasn't.

How do you know? I'm not saying you're wrong just wondering.

[COYBIB]

It's indicative of what a sh!t show Munster are and the continued life support they're existing on. The desperation clamor to get South Africans in before the 5 year rule was pretty pathetic. They've lost all semblance of identity and are the first to completely sell out. Now all their fans whinge about is the population difference between Leinster and Munster, while Leinster have grown the game exponentially in the province and run a world class academy system, it has stagnated in Munster with their handful of fee paying schools and the old reliable half dozen clubs, we've come a long way from de dockers and fishermen having de pashun only found in Munster and that's why they're mythological miracle makers. You're more likely to hear a D4 accent chatting with a Saffar and a sprinkle of Alster as you are to hear a Limerick accent.

They just rely on handouts, getting developed players from anywhere but their academy, and the persistent life support from the IRFU as they hemorrhage coin. A real drain on Irish rugby resources without putting much back into the system.

[Keith]

It's indicative of what a sh!t show Munster are and the continued life support they're existing on. The desperation clamor to get South Africans in before the 5 year rule was pretty pathetic. They've lost all semblance of identity and are the first to completely sell out. Now all their fans whinge about is the population difference between Leinster and Munster, while Leinster have grown the game exponentially in the province and run a world class academy system, it has stagnated in Munster with their handful of fee paying schools and the old reliable half dozen clubs, we've come a long way from de dockers and fishermen having de pashun only found in Munster and that's why they're mythological miracle makers. You're more likely to hear a D4 accent chatting with a Saffar and a sprinkle of Alster as you are to hear a Limerick accent.

They just rely on handouts, getting developed players from anywhere but their academy, and the persistent life support from the IRFU as they hemorrhage coin. A real drain on Irish rugby resources without putting much back into the system.

You do realise Munster are one of the top teams in Europe at the minute? Bringing in guys like Arnold, Conor Oliver and Wotton aren't "handouts", it's them recruiting very intelligently and taking a risk on players that were surplus to requirements elsewhere or would you rather these kind of players never got a chance at a province?

They haven't lost their identity at all, guys like Stander and Taute have completely bought into the culture down at Munster and if anything only add to it. These guys give everything for Munster, to question what they bring to Munster is strange. The over reaction to ONE saffer being taken into an academy is laughable to say the least.

[COYBIB]

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.

[mildlyinterested]

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.

[Barry]

Tadgh McElroy(Saracens)

[mildlyinterested]

Tadgh McElroy(Saracens)

What about him?

Bar a huge change Leinster have moved on from him and he has moved on from irish rugby.