19/20 Season Preview: Scrumhalf

[mildlyinterested]

Jamison Gibson Park(27) - signed contract in 2019.
Luke McGrath(26) - signed contract in 2019.
Rowan Osborne(23) - on wc trial.
Hugh O'Sullivan(21) - signed contract in 2019.
Paddy Patterson(20) - Academy Y2

Jamison Gibson Park becomes irish QF'd in august, this will allow he, Fardy and Lowe to be selected in the same game day squad. Injury disrupted his end of season last season but before that he was having his best season in blue, can he usurp Luke McGrath as leinster's first choice scrumhalf in europe. McGrath is currently in irish camp, will he travel to the WC? it looks unlikely at the moment, but we shall wait and see. Either way he will have a fight on his hands for his position upon returning to leinster. Beyond the clear cut top two, Leinster have three young scrumhalves hoping to earn gametime, Rowan Osborne is coming off an excellent season in the AIL, he will hope he can earn a longer term contract during the world cup. Hugh O'Sullivan got limited exposure to senior game time last season but concerns remain over his development as a scrumhalf given lack of game time at the position to date. Paddy Patterson also got senior game time last season and will hope to add to that this upcoming season, which scrumhalf will ultimately win out as the third choice scrumhalf?

[arsebiscuits1]

I will always try to back a young player but Hugh really needs to show more this season than what we saw last season I feel. I

McCarthy played 80 minutes against Ulster in April and gave us glimpses of what we would be missing when he left. He showed that day that there was a considerable distance between himself and HOS/ Patterson.

It will be a breath of fresh air being able to play JGP unrestricted. People may still not be a fan of his but he was one of our most consistent performers last season

[mildlyinterested]

Hughie hasn't played enough scrumhalf in games, last season he should have been playing week in, week out.. instead due to McCarthys injury he became the dreaded third choice 9 and spent most of his season training and on the bench, which was the last thing he needed to improve his decision making.

[mildlyinterested]

Good to see Hughie and PP playing AIL last weekend. Hope that continues where possible.

Interesting to see James Kenny is starting regularly for Lansdowne. Hopefully he get s a good clean run injury free.

Cormac Foley must be injured as he has disappeared from teamsheets for Mary's. He was involved with sub academy earlier in season.

The next academy scrumhalf looks like it will be Ben Murphy(Clontarf) but some would argue he isn't the most talented 9 at his age group that contains Rob Gilsenan(UCD), Will Reilly(MU Barnhall) and Matthew Cullen(Blackrock).

Murphy has gotten minimal time off the bench for the 20s this season while Gilsenan has struggled with injury. Reilly and Cullen are still in school.

[mildlyinterested]

watched this Tarf V Lansdowne game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhfuYHMpZ44&t=208s

James Kenny looked as good as HOS in it for me.