Swords in Europe

[williamstowndude]

As the proportion of ex-St Michael's College players in our European squad seems to have levelled off at at about one in three, and we are now switching one Sword 12 (Reid) for another (ROL) the question must be asked, how far do we think a St Michael's College XV would go in the Champion's Cup? Perhaps with a front row born elsewhere but qualifying after three years' residency

[Ruckedtobits]

As the proportion of ex-St Michael's College players in our European squad seems to have levelled off at at about one in three, and we are now switching one Sword 12 (Reid) for another (ROL) the question must be asked, how far do we think a St Michael's College XV would go in the Champion's Cup? Perhaps with a front row born elsewhere but qualifying after three years' residency

Who gives a s#*t?

[Laighin Break]

Grown men who still live on the glories of their secondary school

[williamstowndude]

As the proportion of ex-St Michael's College players in our European squad seems to have levelled off at at about one in three, and we are now switching one Sword 12 (Reid) for another (ROL) the question must be asked, how far do we think a St Michael's College XV would go in the Champion's Cup? Perhaps with a front row born elsewhere but qualifying after three years' residency

Who gives a s#*t?

This subforum is called Leinster Addicts. I think you might be happier in "Leinster Watchers".

[williamstowndude]

Grown men who still live on the glories of their secondary school

Read my handle. My interest in procedures at Alderman Meade's house is practically ecumenical.

[mildlyinterested]

Not very far.

1.
2. Ronan Kelleher(20)
3.
4. Ross Molony(24)
5. James Ryan(22)
6. Josh Murphy(23)
7. Dan Leavy(24)
8. Max Deegan(22)
9. Luke McGrath(25)
10. Ross Byrne(23)
11.
12. Noel Reid(28)
13. Rory O'Loughlin(24)
14.
15. Jack Kelly(21)

[R-Dog]

Not very far.

1.
2. Ronan Kelleher(20)
3.
4. Ross Molony(24)
5. James Ryan(22)
6. Josh Murphy(23)
7. Dan Leavy(24)
8. Max Deegan(22)
9. Luke McGrath(25)
10. Ross Byrne(23)
11.
12. Noel Reid(28)
13. Rory O'Loughlin(24)
14.
15. Jack Kelly(21)

I'm sure Nic McCarthy could do a job on the wing and Scott Penny on the other....

Just not producing enough Fatties

[backrower8]

Not very far.

1.
2. Ronan Kelleher(20)
3.
4. Ross Molony(24)
5. James Ryan(22)
6. Josh Murphy(23)
7. Dan Leavy(24)
8. Max Deegan(22)
9. Luke McGrath(25)
10. Ross Byrne(23)
11.
12. Noel Reid(28)
13. Rory O'Loughlin(24)
14.
15. Jack Kelly(21)

I'm sure Nic McCarthy could do a job on the wing and Scott Penny on the other....

Just not producing enough Fatties

If Leinster isn't a quakifying criteria then Cian Kelleher would be on one wing, McCarthy the other with Denis Coulson and Royce Burke-Flynn as props and Harry Byrne, Penney, Dunne, Dowling & Baird as bench options.

Not very far in terms of Champions Cup advancement is more than true...but farther than any other equivalent team of current players from a particular school.

Regardless of, natural but fair, bias it is still a phenomenal achievement, especially given the school's moderate size. St Michael's is probably the most prolific producer of pro rugby players in the world and certainly of any school that has irca 600 pupils.

[wixfjord]

Thankfully I know very little about South Dublin school cliques, but are all St Michaels alumni this conceited and obsessed with their old school?

As RTB said, who gives a sh!t?!

[backrower8]

Grown men who still live on the glories of their secondary school

As opposed to the grown men and women who live on the glories of their province's rugby team on an online forum with a bunch of equally anonymous strangers...much more mature that.

All Leinster matters get discussed and analysed here. So why the inverse snobbery towards discussing the issues good and bad around a school that produces 17 pros or about 25% of Leinster's playing cohort? I imagine its either immaturirty or a chip on the shoulder, but it's not what a Leinster Addict is about.

The Michael's rugby player factory is a phenomenon in terms of international sports academies. But, as I have said before, it is a deeply flawed supply-chain for Leinster to be so reliant on (and it is, 1 in 4) because its governance is wholly separate to LBIRFU/IRFU.

French rugby has had 3 juvenile deaths within the last year. In 2014 St. Michael's & St Vincent's Hospital settled a case for €2.75m with a past pupil who sustained brain damage in a match in November 2009. If that injury happened today, 9 years later in 2018/9, the public reaction would be very different and the key stakeholders, the parents in that school and others, would dilute the rugby programmes significantly and ergo dilute the Leinster Rugby product...probbaly rightly from a Health & Safety point of view.

[backrower8]

Thankfully I know very little about South Dublin school cliques, but are all St Michaels alumni this conceited and obsessed with their old school?

As RTB said, who gives a sh!t?!

You still haven't noticed that williamstowndude isn't a St Michael's goy Too busy playing the man, not the ball. Must be that chip on your shoulder from your wonderful wixfjord spuds.

If you were really a Leinster Addict you would know where about two thirds of your senior squad and three quarters of your academy come from. #burythechip

[wixfjord]

Thankfully I know very little about South Dublin school cliques, but are all St Michaels alumni this conceited and obsessed with their old school?

As RTB said, who gives a sh!t?!

You still haven't noticed that williamstowndude isn't a St Michael's goy Too busy playing the man, not the ball. Must be that chip on your shoulder from your wonderful wixfjord spuds.

If you were really a Leinster Addict you would know where about two thirds of your senior squad and three quarters of your academy come from. #burythechip

Good man I think you've proven the point fairly well there!

[yellabelly1961]

ah lads, I thought we were all on the same side here!!

[backrower8]

Good man I think you've proven the point fairly well there!

Says you whinging about "south Dublin cliques" when most of your team are from that cohort. There is nothing wrong with that by the way, but you seem to have trouble with it for some reason. Do you think there should be a quota introduced?

Personally I don't care where they come from across the 12 counties. I get a particular kick out of the products of provincial clubs which prove the growth of the game. But forgive me if I get pleasure out of the success of a school, that was pretty weak in my time there, now being one of the world's best developers of pro rugby players.

All Leinster matters get discussed and analysed here. So why the inverse snobbery towards discussing the issues good and bad around a school that produces 1 in 4 of your team or a 'clique' that produces 2 out of 3 players?

Maybe you should support a team without the influence of south Dublin cliques...but you will have to look beyond Ireland for that...thanks to Nucifora we're everywhere now!


#burythechip

[wixfjord]

Good man I think you've proven the point fairly well there!

Says you whinging about "south Dublin cliques" when most of your team are from that cohort. There is nothing wrong with that by the way, but you seem to have trouble with it for some reason. Do you think there should be a quota introduced?

Personally I don't care where they come from across the 12 counties. I get a particular kick out of the products of provincial clubs which prove the growth of the game. But forgive me if I get pleasure out of the success of a school, that was pretty weak in my time there, now being one of the world's best developers of pro rugby players.

All Leinster matters get discussed and analysed here. So why the inverse snobbery towards discussing the issues good and bad around a school that produces 1 in 4 of your team or a 'clique' that produces 2 out of 3 players?

Maybe you should support a team without the influence of south Dublin cliques...but you will have to look beyond Ireland for that...thanks to Nucifora we're everywhere now!


#burythechip

Nope, no trouble with it at all. Personally I don't really care what school a player comes from. They're a Leinster player to me.

I'm amused by your need to incessantly bring it up literally almost single time you post and to be biased towards a school you presumably left decades ago.

It's just a bit...weird to be honest.

[artaneboy]

ah lads, I thought we were all on the same side here!!

I read the thread topic and assumed we were talking about a north County Dublin franchise entering the Challenge Cup...!

[Oldschool]

Thankfully I know very little about South Dublin school cliques, but are all St Michaels alumni this conceited and obsessed with their old school?

As RTB said, who gives a sh!t?!

You still haven't noticed that williamstowndude isn't a St Michael's goy Too busy playing the man, not the ball. Must be that chip on your shoulder from your wonderful wixfjord spuds.

If you were really a Leinster Addict you would know where about two thirds of your senior squad and three quarters of your academy come from. #burythechip

The Wexford strawberries are nice tbh.

[backrower8]

Good man I think you've proven the point fairly well there!

Says you whinging about "south Dublin cliques" when most of your team are from that cohort. There is nothing wrong with that by the way, but you seem to have trouble with it for some reason. Do you think there should be a quota introduced?

Personally I don't care where they come from across the 12 counties. I get a particular kick out of the products of provincial clubs which prove the growth of the game. But forgive me if I get pleasure out of the success of a school, that was pretty weak in my time there, now being one of the world's best developers of pro rugby players.

All Leinster matters get discussed and analysed here. So why the inverse snobbery towards discussing the issues good and bad around a school that produces 1 in 4 of your team or a 'clique' that produces 2 out of 3 players?

Maybe you should support a team without the influence of south Dublin cliques...but you will have to look beyond Ireland for that...thanks to Nucifora we're everywhere now!


#burythechip

Nope, no trouble with it at all. Personally I don't really care what school a player comes from. They're a Leinster player to me.

I'm amused by your need to incessantly bring it up literally almost single time you post and to be biased towards a school you presumably left decades ago.

It's just a bit...weird to be honest.

Great ro hear that you are cured of your issues re “South Dublin school cliques”.

Well you’ll find a large element of rugby supporters across the country maintain strong connections to their schools for a range of reasons, so there are a lot of us weirdos out there supporting the same team you do brother.

If you genuinely read my few posts you would see that while I am proud of the Michael’s factor, I am more concerned by it from a Leinster point of view in terms of security of suppply/over-reliance. 25% of contracted players from 1 school is unsustainable for a few reasons and so is a problem, not a triumph. Add in Clongowes (6) and Blackrock (6) and we are talking about almost half the squad from 3 schools. Yes the clubs are producing some great talent but at a collective glacial rate compared to what has come out of Michael’s in the last 10 years.

If you are a Leinster addict then you will be interested in where the players in tour squad are coming from now and in the future, and you won’t be biased against any part of the Leinster community or call their allegiance to their school weird simply because they left school years ago. By similarly subjective criteria, most keen fans here or rugby club volunteers or retired club players could all be labeled as ‘weird’. Live and let live. There is room and need for all of us.

[jimbobjoe]

ah lads, I thought we were all on the same side here!!

I read the thread topic and assumed we were talking about a north County Dublin franchise entering the Challenge Cup...!

Spot the northsider!

Show Spoiler:

I did too

[backrower8]

ah lads, I thought we were all on the same side here!!

I read the thread topic and assumed we were talking about a north County Dublin franchise entering the Challenge Cup...!

Spot the northsider!

Show Spoiler:

I did too

I grew up in Swords me