Leinster Juniors and Nepotism

[groundhog]

Backs: Karl Manning, Simon Donnelly (both Navan), Stephen McGee (Dundalk), Dermot Galvin, Rory Deverell, Richard Hughes, Gearoid O’Grady (all Tullamore), David Quirke (Skerries), Aaron Carroll (Roscrea), Ian Galbraith (Portlaoise), Bevan Duffy (Boyne), Jack Ryan, Nollag Conneely (both Cill Dara), Brian Keegan (Seapoint)

Forwards: Roy Woulfe, Aaron Dundon, Mark Barrett, Conor Byrne, Jonathan Walsh (all Seapoint), Kenny Dorian, Paul Meegan (both Dundalk), Eoin King, Bernard Smyth (both Navan), Richie Bond (Portlaoise), Gavin Knaggs (Monkstown), Gerard Moore, Darragh Kennedy, Damien Broughall (all Cill Dara), Ronan Bolger, John Fitzgerald (both Tullow), Dave Hanlon, Robert Connor (both Tullamore), Eoin Collins (Boyne)

The squad is coached by John Burns, who is currently the assistant coach in Tullamore having previously coached Portlaoise, he is assisted this season by Riain Vorster, who has coached Ashbourne and Tullamore in the recent past. The squad is managed by Karl O’Neill from Seapoint


Shock horror or considering the management team not, 12 players out of the 33 from either Seapoint or Tullamore. Not surprised at 6 Seapoint players but five forwards, their scrum was destroyed by Cill Dara and Keegan their only back and as for 6 Tullamore players, somebody is having a laugh, only the scrum half Hughes is worth his place. Definitely not the srongest Leinster junior squad that is available.

[silly punt]

Eoin Collins in the squad remind me again who he works for

Strange selections alright, but sure what would you expect?

[Grumpy Old Man]

Richard Hughes ( Tullamore)

hmmmmmmm..........

I wonder?

[Xplosive]

Sure when was a Leinster Junior squad picked on merit.......its just the nature of these things

[raw deal]

Suprise at no inclusion for Newbridge, Enniscorthy but 3 from tullow,one from roscrea?, also felt that at least one or 2 from division 3 would have warranted inclusion,league positions dont lie!, only 4 from the Navan team who won the towns cup,and 5 from Cill Dara who won the league, find that hard to believe!

[harryp]

Richard Hughes ( Tullamore)

hmmmmmmm..........

I wonder?

No.

Surprised there's that many tbh??

[panucci]

Suprise at no inclusion for Newbridge, Enniscorthy but 3 from tullow,one from roscrea?, also felt that at least one or 2 from division 3 would have warranted inclusion,league positions dont lie!, only 4 from the Navan team who won the towns cup,and 5 from Cill Dara who won the league, find that hard to believe!

I think R Mc Cann & J Downey from Newbridge were invited(the honour of it!) to the panel.Rory is on his way to Chad with the Army,Downey I don't know.
It seems its harder to get off that junior panel than on it.An average lock/flanker from Dundalk, poor backs from Tullamore,its seems the coaches are comprimising the Seapoint pack for the Tull backs. Gavin Knaggs was on the panel last year but there are better front forwards out there. I may be wrong but do the respective area branches send forward their choice of players to the squad?
Anyway regardless...support your club mates this saturday in Malahide 2.30 kick off

[groundhog]

I may be wrong but do the respective area branches send forward their choice of players to the squad?
Anyway regardless...support your club mates this saturday in Malahide 2.30 kick off

Nope there were actually selectors involved in picking that panel believe it or not, it's just a pity it's the same thing every year because it's a good concept that could be organised so much better. I hope to travel on Saturday but these games tend to be quite poor fair to be honest.

[panucci]

The Leinster Junior team to face Munster in the Interprovincials on Saturday (KO: 2.30pm) in Malahide RFC has been named.

The starting line up includes three new caps namely Jack Ryan (Cill Dara), Aaron Dundon and Mark Barrett (both Seapoint). There are a number of potential new caps on the replacements bench also.

The starting team has representatives from eight different clubs, with another two clubs represented in the extended match day squad. The replacements will be finalised on the day of the match.

The team will be captained by Eoin Collins (Boyne) and he is supported by Brian Keegan (Seapoint) as vice captain.
15: Stephen McGee (Dundalk)
14: Aaron Carroll (Roscrea)
13: Bevan Duffy (Boyne)
12: Jack Ryan (Cill Dara)*
11: Simon Donnelly (Navan)
10: Brian Keegan (Seapoint) VICE CAPTAIN
9: Richie Hughes (Tullamore)

1: Kenny Dorian (Dundalk)
2: Aaron Dundon (Seapoint)*
3: Gavin Knaggs (Monkstown)
4: Dave Hanlon (Tullamore)
5: Mark Barrett (Seapoint)*
6: Eoin Collins (Boyne) CAPTAIN
7: Bernard Smyth (Navan)
8: Jonathan Walsh (Seapoint)
REPLACEMENTS:

Richie Bond (Portlaoise), Gerard Moore (Cill Dara), Paul Meegan (Dundalk), Robert Connor (Tullamore), Eoin King (Navan), Daragh Kennedy (Cill Dara), Nollag Conneely (Cill Dara), David Quirke (Skerries), Gearoid O'Grady (Tullamore), Karl Manning (Navan)

Only one player from Cill Dara, the league winners, in the staring 15!! Eoin Collins?? I'd be interested to find out how many games he's played this season on very poor Boyne team. Aaron Carroll plays his rugby at 10/12 for Roscrea and Leinster select him on the wing.Greg Burns the leading try scorer wing from Cill Dara not even in the squad?? Harder to get off the squad than get on it....

[fursey]

The squad's very strong at tighthead
How did the selectors manage to pick 5 looseheads for the 33 and 0 (zero!) starting tightheads.
2 players from an underperforming Boyne team.
Only could be happy with 15,9,1,7 & 8. No arguments there.
Well at least they got one third of the team right!
The whole thing should just be scrapped because this has to be a pisstake?