Leinster 2014/2015 Squad

[goreyguy]

Only 6 rock boys in the whole squad:

Madigan, Macken, Murphy, Fitzgerald, Thornbury and Ringrose.

Michaels with the most potentially. Clongowes second.

[Xanthippe]

So it appears Andrew Boyle won't be part of the squad next season

Thoroughly enjoyed my last 3 years at Leinster Rugby. Great memories & friends made. New challenges ahead! Thanks everyone for the support!

Really sad to see him go - he's been one of my favourite A teamers for the last 2 seasons

[simonokeeffe]

Going by last night alone, Moloney could well become 3rd or 4th choice lock
Marshall is really more of a six, Denton there for the taking
The lad has great hands, ball skills, great lineout asset, we're falling over carriers in front and back rows so he doesnt have to be stellar in that regard

[johng]

Ryan Caldwell gone to Exeter.

[ceemec]

His career is in danger of fizzling out and becoming a journeyman. For the first 6 months in Bath, he was completely rejuvenated and playing great stuff. Injury and a drop in form has hit though and now he's back to where he was.

Real shame. He had the natural talent to have 50 caps.

[simonokeeffe]

Ryan Caldwell gone to Exeter.

boooooo has he even played this season?

[Ruckedtobits]

Going to a Club with a great culture and a superb coach. If you wanted to revive a career and you have as much football as Caldwell, he couldn't have chosen better.

Good luck in a Club which is becoming an Irish enclave

[simonokeeffe]

Kirchner is surprisingly in Boks squad for upcoming games despite hardly featuring for us and there being 8 other overseas players, bit of a worry for first few months of next season as we need him around

[ceemec]

Bit frustrating to see him named. It's a monster squad. 36 players included. NZ and Australia only named 31 and 32 players, respectively. Bit of overkill, really and 7 players named for the back 3. I don't think ZK will even make a 23.

ZK obviously won't turn his back on his country and I can definitely see South Africa naming him in their RC squad as a specialist 15 to cover WLR. I'd like to think that Lambie will be back for the autumn internationals (him being out for the season is probably the main reason ZK is in) but I can see him being left at home to get a good pre-season ahead of the RWC year.

[jezzer]

Playing for your country is a big deal for any guy. I'd have thought we'd be happy for Kirchner to be getting called up to represent the Boks?

Congrats Zane.

[ceemec]

I'm happy for him and hope he tears it up for them; would love him to stick it to his many critics in the southern hemisphere. I don't think they'll use him though. They took him for their autumn tour and, in 4 games, they didn't name him in the 23 once.

I'm not happy as a Leinster fan though. He has shown some flashes of class this season but never on a sustained basis and has been in and out of the side. A couple of months of continuous starts would have been great for Leinster early next season.

[offshorerules]

I also thought he looked good at the weekend. I think he's taken a lot of stick that hasn't been justified. I suppose its the problem with replacing such a popular player as Isa.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

This uncertainty might rule him out of contention for the 13 jersey now.

[jezzer]

I think Kirchner has been underutilised. He has what all the great players have - timing. He knows how to run onto a pass, he knows how to straighten a line, he knows how and when to give a pass. He's contributed well from a position that isn't his natural one and there's a lot of untapped potential there, imo.

He had a few games where he made little impact, but a) it's his first season, b) he mostly played "out fo position" and c) our entire backline struggled with depth and timing so that Jonah Lomu wouldn't have made anything out of it by the time it hit the wing.

The "Zane to 13" idea is a bit wacky, I don't see it at all. But it exists because some guys can see in Kirchner an ability to make space with technique and timing that good outside players need. If Darragh Fanning ever makes it onto the pitch ahead of Zane Kirchner, I don't know what to say frankly.

[tones]

Lads, whats the story with Adam Byrne - felt he had potential, I know he's only 20 but is he developing?

Like the look & asound of Dardis as well, hope (from the experience with Luke) he isn't exposed too young, too much,

Also, delighted to see Luke McGrath developing - seems to have passed by Cooney

[ceemec]

For me, it exists because he has played there for a season in S.A. and once for the Springboks. He's an option that we should probably look at given he has just spent half the season (when available) on the bench.

I think his main problem this season has been getting a run of games. Early next season would have been ideal for him get a good run under his belt and even try a game or two at 13 in the early season. He didn't get his first start for us until November and then, as he was called into the autumn squad, he didn't make another start until the last day of November. So he had next to no involvement with the squad at that point so wasn't an option for the next two rounds of the HEC. All of a sudden, we're at Christmas and he's barely had a chance to play with his colleagues.

Then BOD, Darce, Madigan, Kearney x 2 and McFadden are all gone for the 6N. He finally starts getting games but it's alongside Fanning and Macken and Reid so has no continuity with the first team whatsoever. From a selfish perspective, I hope the Springboks don't use him and he's released to us in August with a point to prove.

[outcast eddie]

I think Kirchner has been underutilised. He has what all the great players have - timing. He knows how to run onto a pass, he knows how to straighten a line, he knows how and when to give a pass. He's contributed well from a position that isn't his natural one and there's a lot of untapped potential there, imo.

He had a few games where he made little impact, but a) it's his first season, b) he mostly played "out fo position" and c) our entire backline struggled with depth and timing so that Jonah Lomu wouldn't have made anything out of it by the time it hit the wing.

The "Zane to 13" idea is a bit wacky, I don't see it at all. But it exists because some guys can see in Kirchner an ability to make space with technique and timing that good outside players need. If Darragh Fanning ever makes it onto the pitch ahead of Zane Kirchner, I don't know what to say frankly.

...but also lacks what all the great players have - an ability to deliver a pinpoint tackle that snuffs out an opposition attack. I refer you to the hit Isa put in on Ben Foden in the HEC final in Cardiff for a prime example. Zane Kirch will always be compared to the man whose boots he is supposed to fill unfortunately.

I was undecided on Zane until Saturdays performance and pre-match I would have preferred to see Fanj start but my opinion has changed. He seems to be a big match, dry pitch kinda player, a Leinster type. I now he's been here almost a year but I feel like he's only just committed to the team in his head, I suspect his commitment to the tackle will click too. Welcome to Leinster Zane, !

[jezzer]

...but also lacks what all the great players have - an ability to deliver a pinpoint tackle that snuffs out an opposition attack.

Zane is pretty good at using the touchline as an extra defender and "screening off" runners in the wide channels, but I agree with you that he's not a brilliant front-on defender off both shoulders. To me, that doesn't translate well to 13 and - as you said - it's great with the ball in hand on a dry day, but squeaky arse time in defence with Basteraud rumbling towards you in a gritty, winter Euro Cup game.

Ferg is brilliant at that, times his head-on tackles excellently. But he doesn't/can't/won't pass the ball effectively so he's only ever going to be a winger.

[goreyguy]

Lads, whats the story with Adam Byrne - felt he had potential, I know he's only 20 but is he developing?

Like the look & asound of Dardis as well, hope (from the experience with Luke) he isn't exposed too young, too much,

Also, delighted to see Luke McGrath developing - seems to have passed by Cooney

He was injured for large parts of the season.

Cooney was carrying an injury for the end of the season so it's hard to say if he really has passed him.

[Donny B.]

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