Schools Rugby 2013

[jim-jim]

Didnt see a thread set up for this so said id start one. everyone looking forward to it? delighted its back on Setanta first game is Terenure V Belvedere on Sunday. I have my money on Blackrock to do it this year to be honest whats everyone else think?

[Donny B.]

Terenure have to be the team to beat, with O'Neill, Dardis (the Andrew Conway who will come good and not f**k off to Munster), Brewer, Schmidt the younger, and others like Thornton, Roche and Lalor.

Then again, there's a Terenure schools teams coming in about three years time that's going to blow everyone away!!! The fact that my nephew captains that team is of course, neither here nor there!

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Terenure have to be the team to beat, with O'Neill, Dardis (the Andrew Conway who will come good and not f**k off to Munster), Brewer, Schmidt the younger, and others like Thornton, Roche and Lalor.

Then again, there's a Terenure schools teams coming in about three years time that's going to blow everyone away!!! The fact that my nephew captains that team is of course, neither here nor there!

The vast majority of that Terenure team played last year too and played some exceptional rugby, particularly against a superb Clongowes side. They won a couple of junior cups on the way up and have been tearing it up all year so it'd be absolutely gutting for them not to win it. The pressure is on but they've coped before.

[Donny B.]

Hmmm, tough opener for Terenure as Belvo gave it everything. The shite weather dictated against their backs getting going and in the end they had to rely on their big pack getting it done.

[Logorrhea]

Watched a bit of that one. Was a real case of Men against boys for the majority as nure were clearly the bigger team and threatened to dominate physically. However the Belvo lads did so well to stick with them, actually took over in the scrum, and if they took their chances they could well have done it.

It was a good match. Nure will be relieved to get through it.

[Darce]

Credit to Belvo for hanging tough.

Schmidt is a nice little player. I was really disappointed with Brewer. He can't pass for sh!t (particularly off his right hand). Expected more from him tbh. Very much looks like a converted back row (which I know he was) right now.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Credit to Belvo for hanging tough.

Schmidt is a nice little player. I was really disappointed with Brewer. He can't pass for sh!t (particularly off his right hand). Expected more from him tbh. Very much looks like a converted back row (which I know he was) right now.

So was I but from what I've seen his hands and spatial awareness are actually very good, just a bad day at the office. Belvo were offside a lot and cut down the space in midfield which put his passing under a lot of pressure. I don't mind that but why on earth he threw a couple of skip passes near the end is beyond me. We deserved to be pnished for the chances we were taking.

Looking at the subs that came on, I'm not sure that we really know what our best 15 is and that's a bit worrying at this stage.

Lots of pressure on the team to win because they're the favourites and judging by yesterday I'm not sure that they'll cope.

[ribs]

Watched it on tv last night. Thought the sub scrumhalf for terenure was much better than Schmidt who was throwing looping passes all over the place. The terenure full back and backrow were the real class acts. Hooker not bad either.

[the spoofer]

Watched it on tv last night. Thought the sub scrumhalf for terenure was much better than Schmidt who was throwing looping passes all over the place. The terenure full back and backrow were the real class acts. Hooker not bad either.

I thought No 8 Doyle was excellent apart from butchering the chance down the right. Openside was lively.

Dardis looked decent but that was about it.

[Donny B.]

Watched it on tv last night. Thought the sub scrumhalf for terenure was much better than Schmidt who was throwing looping passes all over the place. The terenure full back and backrow were the real class acts. Hooker not bad either.

To be fair, his passing looked a lost sharper last season when he came in off the bench. Hopefully just a bad day at the office for him rather than a fundamental flaw in his game. He has not better Dad anyway to give him a few pointers.

[Donny B.]

Some day for a match out there!

Michaels beating Castleknock 14-3 at the moment, can't be much left in it.

[Armchair]

Looks like the same old story with Castleknock, some very talented individuals but can't put a team performance in when it counts. How do Michael's look compared to Terenure?

[Leinster Lout]

Looks like the same old story with Castleknock, some very talented individuals but can't put a team performance in when it counts. How do Michael's look compared to Terenure?

I didn't see Nure but I was impressed with Michael's given the horrendous conditions.They were a bit too ambitious at times and Castleknock defended resolutely, but if conditions were better, the winning margin would likely have been greater. It's a big, tall, well-organised Michael's pack and the half-backs who I think are Ireland reps control the game very well. It was harder to tell with the backs but they looked decent and handled well considering the weather. Kelleher at full back is a very powerful runner. James Ryan in the 2nd row is one to watch out for. A 4th year, he's already about 6'6 and has played for Leinster u18.

[cormac]

Quarter-final draw:

Clongowes v Michael's
Terenure v Roscrea
Newbridge v CBC (surely the new favourites for the title)
Blackrock v Kilkenny

[hugonaut]

Looks like the same old story with Castleknock, some very talented individuals but can't put a team performance in when it counts. How do Michael's look compared to Terenure?

I didn't see Nure but I was impressed with Michael's given the horrendous conditions.They were a bit too ambitious at times and Castleknock defended resolutely, but if conditions were better, the winning margin would likely have been greater. It's a big, tall, well-organised Michael's pack and the half-backs who I think are Ireland reps control the game very well. It was harder to tell with the backs but they looked decent and handled well considering the weather. Kelleher at full back is a very powerful runner. James Ryan in the 2nd row is one to watch out for. A 4th year, he's already about 6'6 and has played for Leinster u18.

Ryan played for Irish U18 Schools over Christmas against Irish U18 Clubs as well – absolutely enormous potential.

[the spoofer]

I didn't see Nure but I was impressed with Michael's given the horrendous conditions.They were a bit too ambitious at times and Castleknock defended resolutely, but if conditions were better, the winning margin would likely have been greater. It's a big, tall, well-organised Michael's pack and the half-backs who I think are Ireland reps control the game very well. It was harder to tell with the backs but they looked decent and handled well considering the weather. Kelleher at full back is a very powerful runner. James Ryan in the 2nd row is one to watch out for. A 4th year, he's already about 6'6 and has played for Leinster u18.[/quote]

Ryan played for Irish U18 Schools over Christmas against Irish U18 Clubs as well – absolutely enormous potential.[/quote]

I take it this is the second row you have been talking about Hugonaut

[hugonaut]

I take it this is the second row you have been talking about Hugonaut

Yep. Saw him playing for Leinster Schools U18 in September. It's a bit stupid to get too excited about the abilities of a kid who's in fourth year – not because 'there's so much that could go wrong' or any other think-of-the-children type of nonsense, it's just that they're not going to be playing anything bar schoolboy rugby for the next three seasons.

[the spoofer]

I take it this is the second row you have been talking about Hugonaut

Yep. Saw him playing for Leinster Schools U18 in September. It's a bit stupid to get too excited about the abilities of a kid who's in fourth year – not because 'there's so much that could go wrong' or any other think-of-the-children type of nonsense, it's just that they're not going to be playing anything bar schoolboy rugby for the next three seasons.

I remember seeing Peter Dooley as a 13 year old and thinking that he was really special, thought he did well (better than the starter) on Friday and if I'm not mistaken he is a 20 for at least the next year.

[ormond lad]

I take it this is the second row you have been talking about Hugonaut

Yep. Saw him playing for Leinster Schools U18 in September. It's a bit stupid to get too excited about the abilities of a kid who's in fourth year – not because 'there's so much that could go wrong' or any other think-of-the-children type of nonsense, it's just that they're not going to be playing anything bar schoolboy rugby for the next three seasons.

I remember seeing Peter Dooley as a 13 year old and thinking that he was really special, thought he did well (better than the starter) on Friday and if I'm not mistaken he is a 20 for at least the next year.

Dooley is a 94 so is underage for 20s next year. Dooley only played with Leinster 19s in septembers interpros
Did do well friday night

[Armchair]

Fancy Dooley to start on Friday sign of things to come with a lot of underage back rows been asked to convert to front rows!