The relegation of Lansdowne

[jimmy the bone]

True Blue,
Lets put Lansdownes investment over the last five years into 20's players into perspective. What division are they in next year?

[oh no where do we go!]

speaking from experience

my brother is at the moment considering offers from the two big dublin universities and 3 clubs so far

his pedigree,

leinster schools u-18 and u-19

ireland u-19

he was told that he is on the sub academy (he was told in oct 2007 well before the cup)

one of the clubs AIL div1( where he played underage rugby u-9 to u-12) will match anything anyone else offers and wants him to join their first team squad

my q to u all is

who should he join if he wants to get a leinster contract?

he of course wants to go pro, so which is his best option?

[groundhog]

who should he join if he wants to get a leinster contract?

Have a look at where the Leinster Development coaches coach and make the decision based on that.

[simonno6]

go to the biggest club... eg, blackrock, lansdowne, ucd or trinity.

[harryp]

go to the biggest club... eg, blackrock, mary's, clontarf, belvo.

If he's that good, he'll be playing firsts not 20's.

[simonno6]

go to the biggest club... eg, blackrock, lansdowne, trinity and ucd.

If he's that good, he'll be playing firsts not 20's.

Sub-Academy players generally don't play 1st rugby so my original statement is correct - playing for the biggest 20's clubs has to be a big motive... Most players in the sub-academy this year had a good grounding at 20's in which their performances are monitored throughout the year. "It is in this 12-month period that the main screening of players is undertaken and players with the playing potential and right attitude are selected onto the Academy." (http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/members/ind ... 9&docID=-1)

blackrock, lansdowne, trinity and ucd: Semi finalists this year in both the league and cup competitions. ie, biggest 20's clubs in Leinster.

[FrankBurke]

speaking from experience

my brother is at the moment considering offers from the two big dublin universities and 3 clubs so far

his pedigree,

leinster schools u-18 and u-19

ireland u-19

he was told that he is on the sub academy (he was told in oct 2007 well before the cup)

one of the clubs AIL div1( where he played underage rugby u-9 to u-12) will match anything anyone else offers and wants him to join their first team squad

my q to u all is

who should he join if he wants to get a leinster contract?

he of course wants to go pro, so which is his best option?

As a Trinners graduate it grieves me to say this but I reckon UCD would be the best option. Playing rugby is one thing but socialising with people of his own age is a big part of growing up too. I'm a big fan of universities rugby too.

[penfold34]

It is important that he goes where the best set up is at 20s level. I just finished in OLD W, great craic. I know lansdowne won the mccorry but ive heard mixed reports about the set up. Tony is a good coach at trinity but i think they are struggling.blackrock seems very good but i dont know what the set up is like, can only be professional as there are yound players coming through and have been successful over the last number of years. UCD 3 three years ago i would say yes, now im not sure. Belvo will promise the sun, moon and stars but never deliver. Wanderers have a good set up but unfortunatley will not have the players to compete at the top end of the premier. Tough one, trin or rock?

[true blue 06]

i've heard he coaches in lansdowne are gobshites, tony smeede is it? is a good coach at trinity... obviously ucd had a bad year this year but won the mccorry a few years ago and could return to form... coaches in rock are very good, i'd say its the most pro set up of the biggest 20s squads... about 9 out of the 15 on the current rock ail team have represented leinster or leinster a

[its about winning]

i've heard the coaches in lansdowne are gobshites, tony smeede is it? is a good coach at trinity... obviously ucd had a bad year this year but won the mccorry a few years ago and could return to form... coaches in rock are very good, i'd say its the most pro set up of the biggest 20s squads... about 9 out of the 15 on the current rock ail team have represented leinster or leinster a

Lansdowne in a battle to get former Clontarf coach Phil Werahiko to be Director of Rugby for next season. However Belvo look to be after him aswell as Belfast Harlequins.

[true blue 06]

i've heard the coaches in lansdowne are gobshites, tony smeede is it? is a good coach at trinity... obviously ucd had a bad year this year but won the mccorry a few years ago and could return to form... coaches in rock are very good, i'd say its the most pro set up of the biggest 20s squads... about 9 out of the 15 on the current rock ail team have represented leinster or leinster a

Lansdowne in a battle to get former Clontarf coach Phil Werahiko to be Director of Rugby for next season. However Belvo look to be after him aswell as Belfast Harlequins.

i did mean the lansdowne 20s coaches... i know nothing about their senior coaches... was werahiko doing some work with the belvo sct a few years ago?

[penfold34]

he signed as directror of rugby in belvo

[Mustapha]

Play rugby with his Uni, wherever it may be. Trin if possible, UCD Oiks if unavoidable, but always play for your uni. Good coaches, more of a structure,and a higher attendance of girls watching your matches/training. Trotting out to college park from the Pav on a Friday evening is a formative event in a young chaps life... But I digress. UCD set up is always good, and of a consistently high standard, but there tends to be so many "name" players that unless he makes his mark quite quickly then he may get lost in the crowd. Tony Smeeth in the Trin is a fantastic coach - very professional and a rugby obsessive (fack!). Great set-up, real emphasis on skills and improvement. And because of the high player turnover he'd be playing AIL much sooner than anywhere else. Rock have a pretty good set up but I'd say spend your uni years playing for your uni and move on after that.

Lansdowne 20s coaches have a bit of a rep alright, remember a couple of unsavoury incidents down through the years.

[Lampshade]

Play rugby with his Uni, wherever it may be. Trin if possible, UCD Oiks if unavoidable, but always play for your uni. Good coaches, more of a structure,and a higher attendance of girls watching your matches/training. Trotting out to college park from the Pav on a Friday evening is a formative event in a young chaps life... But I digress. UCD set up is always good, and of a consistently high standard, but there tends to be so many "name" players that unless he makes his mark quite quickly then he may get lost in the crowd. Tony Smeeth in the Trin is a fantastic coach - very professional and a rugby obsessive (fack!). Great set-up, real emphasis on skills and improvement. And because of the high player turnover he'd be playing AIL much sooner than anywhere else. Rock have a pretty good set up but I'd say spend your uni years playing for your uni and move on after that.

Lansdowne 20s coaches have a bit of a rep alright, remember a couple of unsavoury incidents down through the years.

Only if you're from boarding school. For those who havn't been locked up for our adolescence and deprived of female attention playing in front of girls is par for the course.

[Mustapha]

In comparison to other rugby clubs. And for the record, Mounties et al don't hold a candle to very posh english girls watching you stretch.... making you feel like an object...

Good times...

[Lampshade]

English birds are no great shakes certainly not the nerdy boarding school types that go to Trinity. Then again I could be slightly biased like yourself.

[oh no where do we go!]

Thanks lads

lets say that a club/uni where a mix of playing for u-20's and firsts is a real possibility does it have to be rock? what about terenure or even marys
are they not held in regard any more? i have heard that marys 20 were poor this year but i suppose they were made up of a poor sct to start with so that s understandable

Would playing in a first team while in the sub academy be more useful than playing u-20's.?

From the (few) games i have seen at either level it seems that the standard is not stellar but the experience of playing (first team) against the Shannons and cork cons would really help someone along, not to mention give them a taste of the requirments of rugby as a career choice.

When you say to go where the academy coaches coach that make a lot of sense, which are those teams?

my fear about the collidge would be that the numbers entering would be huge and so the standard would be somewhat diluted (i may be completely wrong here)
and from what i have heard about the set up there,there seems to be a lot of politics that could hinder development, (again i could be wrong )- Im not trying to ruffle feathers. Only compile some understanding so i can give advice if its asked for.

I think that his next move is very important

two players spring to mind

Cain Healy - playing for clontarf and Johnno Sexton playing for Marys, i think first team rugby helped them to grow up quicker.

Any thoughts?

Thanks for all the input btw

[tate]

i speak for most people here when i say anywhere but the gick!!

on a more serious note, it would be best look at how good the u20s and firsts results have been for the last few years, and what players they have provided/trained/nurtured in recent years and how far they have gotten

[Sea_point]

English birds are no great shakes certainly not the nerdy boarding school types that go to Trinity. Then again I could be slightly biased like yourself.

The nerdy types don't go to Trinity, they go to Cambridge, Oxford, Edinburgh or Durham....

The ones that go to Uni in Dublin are generally there to get the fock away and party......

[jimmy the bone]

There is another option going to one of the lesser lights in relation to twenties can be a real option. Look at Paddy Brophy playing on the wing for wanderers he is 18 and has a year of AIL 2 that is a standard which is vastly superior to JP Fanagan. Or Keith Earls who came straight out of Munchins and went into the ones in Thomond. Going to a smaller senior club and going into the 1st team at 18 is prob the best option in relation to development at a young age. Having spent a year or two in Div 2 kick on to Tarf by a distance the best senior club in Leinster. If he wants to play 20's Trinity is the only club less Bullshit. Mary's will be strong at 20's level next year Steve Hennessy is taking over he will put together a strong set up.