Leinster's 2nd Row options

[TrapperChamonix]

Not that I ever doubted you, but I saw Prendergast playing for UCD U20 yesterday. He's gotten bigger.

how'd he get on?

UCD defeated Trinity yesterday, anything to report?

It was a great game. Very much a pre season game. The lead went back and forward for about 65mins with UCD pulling ahead by a couple of scores. TCD played with 23 & I could be wrong but it looked like but UCD had 2 teams rolling on during the game. It would explain why TCD B's beat UCD B's by 20+ points.
It was a veritable who's who of last years SCT teams. I'm told that the 1st few warm up games was easier because most wore schools or clubs socks so you had a chance of seeing who was who. Now they are wearing their college socks you get no clues . Prendergast came on in the 2nd half and looks a much more physical player. But I guess they all look a lot more physical, especially the kids (must stop calling them this) who had the summer in the provincial set ups.
The stand out player from both sides was the TCD and ex Glenstal wing, Ronan Quinn (I think thats his name). He's pretty slight but electric and went around the opposition for fun.
It's hard to name many of them but I did recognise the following
UCD: Dan O'Donavan (Michaels), Harry Donnelly(Rock), Prendergast (Newbridge)
TCD: Mathew Martin (CWC), Louis O’Reilly(Rock), Donnacha Mescal (Rock), Liam Turner (Rock), Jody Booth (Michaels)

[mildlyinterested]

Not that I ever doubted you, but I saw Prendergast playing for UCD U20 yesterday. He's gotten bigger.

how'd he get on?

UCD defeated Trinity yesterday, anything to report?

It was a great game. Very much a pre season game. The lead went back and forward for about 65mins with UCD pulling ahead by a couple of scores. TCD played with 23 & I could be wrong but it looked like but UCD had 2 teams rolling on during the game. It would explain why TCD B's beat UCD B's by 20+ points.
It was a veritable who's who of last years SCT teams. I'm told that the 1st few warm up games was easier because most wore schools or clubs socks so you had a chance of seeing who was who. Now they are wearing their college socks you get no clues . Prendergast came on in the 2nd half and looks a much more physical player. But I guess they all look a lot more physical, especially the kids (must stop calling them this) who had the summer in the provincial set ups.
The stand out player from both sides was the TCD and ex Glenstal wing, Ronan Quinn (I think thats his name). He's pretty slight but electric and went around the opposition for fun.
It's hard to name many of them but I did recognise the following
UCD: Dan O'Donavan (Michaels), Harry Donnelly(Rock), Prendergast (Newbridge)
TCD: Mathew Martin (CWC), Louis O’Reilly(Rock), Donnacha Mescal (Rock), Liam Turner (Rock), Jody Booth (Michaels)

Great report thanks. Not sure what to make of Prendergast as a potential academy prospect.

That's his name alright.

[curates_egg]

The stand out player from both sides was the TCD and ex Glenstal wing, Ronan Quinn (I think thats his name). He's pretty slight but electric and went around the opposition for fun.

That's him. Captained the Ireland u18 sevens over the summer. Be nice to think the game can find a space for a player with that skill, despite his size. Don't think he is linked to Munster yet, unlike some of the others from his school at Trinners.

[mildlyinterested]

The stand out player from both sides was the TCD and ex Glenstal wing, Ronan Quinn (I think thats his name). He's pretty slight but electric and went around the opposition for fun.

That's him. Captained the Ireland u18 sevens over the summer. Be nice to think the game can find a space for a player with that skill, despite his size. Don't think he is linked to Munster yet, unlike some of the others from his school at Trinners.

He played Munster u19 this month, so almost certainly linked with Munster going forward.

[curates_egg]

The stand out player from both sides was the TCD and ex Glenstal wing, Ronan Quinn (I think thats his name). He's pretty slight but electric and went around the opposition for fun.

That's him. Captained the Ireland u18 sevens over the summer. Be nice to think the game can find a space for a player with that skill, despite his size. Don't think he is linked to Munster yet, unlike some of the others from his school at Trinners.

He played Munster u19 this month, so almost certainly linked with Munster going forward.

Oh well.

[mildlyinterested]

Sub Academy Locks
Charles Ryan(U20/Blackrock/UCD) - 6'7
Cian Prendergast(U19/Newbridge/UCD) - 6'5
Brian Deeney(U19/Wexford/Clontarf) - 6'6

[wixfjord]

Interesting to notice Mick K's handling at the weekend. It's a part of his game that was notably poor, but he had a few nice tip on passes at the weekend.

[mildlyinterested]

Interesting to notice Mick K's handling at the weekend. It's a part of his game that was notably poor, but he had a few nice tip on passes at the weekend.

Good for him to start showing some form, him and Nagle are both out of contract at the end of the season along with Fardy & Ryan.

[cormac]

Thornbury has signed a new 2-year deal with Connacht

[mildlyinterested]

Two international second rows at each age grade:

U20
Charlie Ryan(Blackrock/UCD)
Ryan Baird(St. Michaels/DUFC)

Ryan's 2nd year in the sub-academy, will he do enough for Ireland u20 and UCD to force his way into the academy, we will wait and see.
Baird joined the academy straight from school, has had an injury interrupted season to date.

U19
Brian Deeny(Wexford/Clontarf)
Cian Prendergast(Newbridge/UCD)

Deeny recently made his Ireland 7's debut and was very impressive for Leinster 19's along side Prendergast, both will play 20's rugby this season for their clubs alongside their sub academy work and both will hope to get capped for Ireland u19 later in the season.

U18
Alex Soroka(Belvedere)
Jonathan Fish(St. Michaels)

Soroka was a star player for the schools side during the interpro festival in August, entering 6th year for Belvedere.
Fish is also entering 6th year and is another player from the second row factory in south dublin.

[Serb]

Nagle gone to Ulster until the end of the season. No big loss, but it’s an area we don’t have huge depth in, especially when we’re missing Toner and Ryan.

We’re looking at Fardy, Moloney and Kearney before dipping into the academy. Who would be likely to feature out of Downing, Dunne & Baird?

[molloyjh]

Nagle gone to Ulster until the end of the season. No big loss, but it’s an area we don’t have huge depth in, especially when we’re missing Toner and Ryan.

We’re looking at Fardy, Moloney and Kearney before dipping into the academy. Who would be likely to feature out of Downing, Dunne & Baird?

I'm assuming he'll be back for next season?

[arsebiscuits1]

Nagle gone to Ulster until the end of the season. No big loss, but it’s an area we don’t have huge depth in, especially when we’re missing Toner and Ryan.

We’re looking at Fardy, Moloney and Kearney before dipping into the academy. Who would be likely to feature out of Downing, Dunne & Baird?

I'm assuming he'll be back for next season?

I'd say that decision will be made depending on how Baird or Dunne get on this season

[Serb]

I'm assuming he'll be back for next season?

Who knows, I’d say it’s more likely he’ll get released to be honest. I think he’s been involved in one game this season so far. The only factor that works in his favour is that Fardy’s contract is up at the end of this season.

But even before then, we’ll have multiple weeks this season where we only have three senior locks and we won’t be able to pick one potentially because of Kolpak.

[cormac]

Nagle gone to Ulster until the end of the season. No big loss, but it’s an area we don’t have huge depth in, especially when we’re missing Toner and Ryan.

We’re looking at Fardy, Moloney and Kearney before dipping into the academy. Who would be likely to feature out of Downing, Dunne & Baird?

I'm assuming he'll be back for next season?

I wouldn't bet on that at all.

[paddyor]

Nagle gone to Ulster until the end of the season. No big loss, but it’s an area we don’t have huge depth in, especially when we’re missing Toner and Ryan.

We’re looking at Fardy, Moloney and Kearney before dipping into the academy. Who would be likely to feature out of Downing, Dunne & Baird?

I'm assuming he'll be back for next season?

I'd say he's staying. Ulster only have 3 senior locks on the books and Dalton from the 20s. Deysel who "covered" lock has retired.

[hugonaut]

Nagle gone to Ulster until the end of the season. No big loss, but it’s an area we don’t have huge depth in, especially when we’re missing Toner and Ryan.

We’re looking at Fardy, Moloney and Kearney before dipping into the academy. Who would be likely to feature out of Downing, Dunne & Baird?

I'm assuming he'll be back for next season?

I wouldn't bet on that at all.

Nor would I. He has been an ineffective player for us and I thought it was a miscalculation to renew his contract for a third year when we only gave him 360mins of rugby last season. We gave Mick Kearney c. 460 mins the same season. That meant we had two second rows on senior deals who played a combined 820 mins of rugby over the course of the season.

That would be a not particularly economic total for one second row [Ross Molony played 962 mins, for example] - when I say economic, I mean in terms of paying two players a salary for a job that one player could do, and not investing sufficient gametime in a player to see improvement.

We have three locks in the senior squad who are in no danger of being called up for Ireland: Fardy because he's Australian, Molony and Kearney because there's 6-8 players ahead of them [Ryan, Toner, Henderson, Beirne, Roux, Dillane etc.] That gives us a three-strong second row corps that we should be able to rely on and rotate through starts throughout the season, even taking into account prolonged international absences for Ryan and Toner.

While you have to provide for injuries, you can't keep a bloated squad to mitigate against worst-case scenarios: there are financial costs involved, but there's also a cost in morale to have disaffected senior-contracted players training and not playing.

If injury strikes, we've got a pair of really talented and physically gifted second rows in the academy in Jack Dunne and Ryan Baird, and two young 5/6 hybrids in Josh Murphy and Oisin Dowling, who have extensive experience at underage level in the row and could give us a dig out for a short period if required.

I wish Nagle well up in Ulster; he's had a strange rugby career which has never really got going. He's 30 years old, and has played pro rugby over 9 seasons for four clubs, but he has only started 30 first class games [i.e. not B&I/Celtic/Anglo-Welsh cups] and only played in 53 in total [source: http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player_8538.html ]. Hopefully he can make a contribution for Ulster and get something from the season for himself.

[mildlyinterested]

Leinster 2nd row options - ages as of start of the season.

James Ryan(22) - Signed contract in 2017. Possibly out of contract at the end of the season.
Scott Fardy(34) - Out of contract at the end of the season.
Devin Toner(32) - Signed central 3yr contract in 2017.
Ross Molony(24) - Signed contract in 2018. Projects as squad player.
Mick Kearney(27) - Signed contract in 2017, turns 28 in March. Presumably out of contract at the end of the season.

Josh Murphy(23) - Signed contract in 2018. Primarily to date a blindside flanker, but may be option at 2nd row.
Oisin Dowling(21) - Academy Year 2
Jack Dunne(19) - Academy Year 1
Ryan Baird(19) - Academy Year 1
Charlie Ryan(19) - Sub-Academy

[sunshiner1]

Mick Kearney(27) - Signed contract in 2017, turns 28 in March. Presumably out of contract at the end of the season.

What about Mick Kearney? Should we keep him for next season or invest in the new guys with a higher ceiling?

[mildlyinterested]

Mick Kearney(27) - Signed contract in 2017, turns 28 in March. Presumably out of contract at the end of the season.

What about Mick Kearney? Should we keep him for next season or invest in the new guys with a higher ceiling?

Keep him.