2nd Row going forward

[mildlyinterested]

Baird highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr4tERg ... llybobjoli

[ronk]

Baird highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr4tERg ... llybobjoli

Song is from before he was born.

[Oldschoolsocks]

Baird highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr4tERg ... llybobjoli

If he could place kick he’d almost be nobody

[neiliog93]

If Henderson gets back to his best and Baird (and Ryan) keep improving, we will have a world class lock matchday trio for the years ahead and at the next world cup.

[backrower8]

While very encouraged by Baird’s development, particularly his apparent ability to make an impact in the tight exchanges (something I didn’t expect at this stage), I think we are in danger of anointing him too soon. That’s not to say that he shouldn’t get a cap in the Nations Cup or possibly versus Italy in 6N.

[mildlyinterested]

Joe McCarthy looks like a potential heavyweight lock, 6'6 110kg+ at 19.

[Oldschool]

Joe McCarthy looks like a potential heavyweight lock, 6'6 110kg+ at 19.

At that height and another 10kg and he'd be exactly what we need.
Does he have what it takes mentally, attitude (aggression), skills to become an international?
Maybe a value added pen picture please and thanks?

[Wanderers FC]

Joe McCarthy looks like a potential heavyweight lock, 6'6 110kg+ at 19.

Certainly one to watch if not fast track. What I remember from him at Ireland U20 was that he was exactly that - robust and dominant in the collision. I look forward to both himself and Sean O Brien graduating from the Academy in coming years.

[dropkick]

McCarthy very good player. Likes the physical stuff and looks powerful already at 19.

[curates_egg]

Does he have what it takes mentally, attitude (aggression), skills to become an international?

I hope he has all those attributes and we don't have to lose him for large parts of the season.
Having a grunt tighthead lock fit and available will always be valuable. Damian Browne was a very important player for us, but was never in the conversation for the national side.
I wonder is the obsession about that type of player still present in the national coaching setup, now that Schmidt is gone? Project Kleyn is undoubtedly one of the more wrongheaded and embarrassing things Schmidt was responsible for in Ireland.

[mildlyinterested]

Hope to see Jack Dunne get a decent amount of game time now intl's are away.

[mildlyinterested]

With Fardy leaving and potentially Toner we look like this next season:

Scott Fardy(36)
Devin Toner(35/Castleknock/Lansdowne)
Ross Molony(27/St. Michaels/UCD)
James Ryan(25/St. Michaels/UCD)
Jack Dunne(22/St. Michaels/DUFC)
Ryan Baird(22/St. Michaels/DUFC)
Charlie Ryan(22/Blackrock/UCD) - Academy Yr2
Brian Deeny(21/Wexford RFC/Clontarf) - Academy Yr2
Joe McCarthy(20/Blackrock/DUFC) - Academy Yr1
--
Sean Walsh(U19/Seapoint RFC/UCD)
Mark Morrissey(U19/Blackrock/UCD)
Paul Deeny(U19/Wexford RFC/Clontarf)
Ruairi Clarke(U19/Cill Dara RFC/Lansdowne)

Can't see any of these sub academy players joining the academy, they are all very young and need to mature physically. Could see CRyan moving to senior squad early but hard to say at the moment.


* ages as of start of next season

[backrower8]

Charlie Ryan’s origins are incorrect. Force of habit?

[Oldschool]

With Fardy leaving and potentially Toner we look like this next season:

Scott Fardy(36)
Devin Toner(35/Castleknock/Lansdowne)
Ross Molony(27/St. Michaels/UCD)
James Ryan(25/St. Michaels/UCD)
Jack Dunne(22/St. Michaels/DUFC)
Ryan Baird(22/St. Michaels/DUFC)
Charlie Ryan(22/Blackrock/UCD) - Academy Yr2
Brian Deeny(21/Wexford RFC/Clontarf) - Academy Yr2
Joe McCarthy(20/Blackrock/DUFC) - Academy Yr1
--
Sean Walsh(U19/Seapoint RFC/UCD)z
Mark Morrissey(U19/Blackrock/UCD)
Paul Deeny(U19/Wexford RFC/Clontarf)
Ruairi Clarke(U19/Cill Dara RFC/Lansdowne)

Looks callow especially as JR and Baird might not be available a lot of the time.
With Fardy going, Toner should get another season.

[mildlyinterested]

With Fardy leaving and potentially Toner we look like this next season:

Scott Fardy(36)
Devin Toner(35/Castleknock/Lansdowne)
Ross Molony(27/St. Michaels/UCD)
James Ryan(25/St. Michaels/UCD)
Jack Dunne(22/St. Michaels/DUFC)
Ryan Baird(22/St. Michaels/DUFC)
Charlie Ryan(22/Blackrock/UCD) - Academy Yr2
Brian Deeny(21/Wexford RFC/Clontarf) - Academy Yr2
Joe McCarthy(20/Blackrock/DUFC) - Academy Yr1
--
Sean Walsh(U19/Seapoint RFC/UCD)z
Mark Morrissey(U19/Blackrock/UCD)
Paul Deeny(U19/Wexford RFC/Clontarf)
Ruairi Clarke(U19/Cill Dara RFC/Lansdowne)

Looks callow especially as JR and Baird might not be available a lot of the time.
With Fardy going, Toner should get another season.

Yeah hopefully.. Would help bring through younger locks you'd hope.. Molony is a 100+ capper now so at least he has accumulated that experience for the transition.

[Jonny tight lips]

Anything going on with Jack Dunne, looked decent when he got some game time the previous few years but looks frozen out this year. Doesn't seem to be injured and popped up in the A games. He looked our best player against Munster A. If Toner and Fardy do leave at the end of the year Dunne is probably just one injury away from making a match day 23 for a European game.

[mildlyinterested]

Anything going on with Jack Dunne, looked decent when he got some game time the previous few years but looks frozen out this year. Doesn't seem to be injured and popped up in the A games. He looked our best player against Munster A. If Toner and Fardy do leave at the end of the year Dunne is probably just one injury away from making a match day 23 for a European game.

has 3 bench apps this season and he has been captaining Leinster A too.. just think he has to be patient with Toner/Fardy/Molony/Baird/Ryan all ahead of him.

i'd imagine he will get gametime over 6 nations, still just 22 so plenty of time.

[erskinechilders]

For those who have more knowledge on the matter, where do we rank the 3 second rows in the academy? They all seem big units, Charlie Ryan at 6'8 surprised me! But which of the three has the biggest ceiling in terms on Leinster & Ireland?

Brian Deeney - 20 yo, 6'7 & 111kg
Charlie Ryan - 22 yo ( tomorrow ), 6'8 & 111kg
Joe McCarthy - 19 yo, 6'6 & 111kg

Oddly enough, according to the Leinster website, all 3 are exactly 111.82 kg!

[mildlyinterested]

there is some messing with stats there, Ryan is maybe 6'7 and Deeny is closer to 6'6 and McCarthy closer to 6'5.

Ryan looks to lack the top end athleticism for intl rugby, but is a good rugby player. Out injured now though.
Deeny is an excellent athlete but raw as a 2nd row, he has lost this season due to a knee injury and missed out on a lot of development opportunities with ireland u20 due to covid. So will have to wait and see how he returns from that.
McCarthy looks to have the physicality required to be a TH lock but is relatively new to top level rugby. Interested to see how he develops going forward.

if Alex Soroka focused on playing 2nd row i'd rate him the best of the lot.

[mildlyinterested]

Dev is four appearances from matching Darcys leinster appearance record.. might he have to get those appearances in next few weeks?