Leinster Academy 2021-22

[Morf]

He looks to have a very impressive frame and still looks (from my uninformed eye) to still be a bit wirey.

After some more senior level S&C (I emphasize S&C, not meaningless weight gaining) he could naturally end up close to a Yannick Jauzion dimensioned player.

if we are going to compare him to french legends then i'd lean more towards Rougerie.

Jauzion had a grace and glide of the kind I associate with Penaud now. Quick without looking so.
Rougerie is a bit more agricultural to me.

[mildlyinterested]

Looks like Rob Russell trained with senior squad today

no sign of him in the pictures.

[Purist98]

Looks like Rob Russell trained with senior squad today

no sign of him in the pictures.

https://www.sportsfile.com/id/1980083/
I'm almost certain that's him that Contepomi's chatting to

[mildlyinterested]

Looks like Rob Russell trained with senior squad today

no sign of him in the pictures.

https://www.sportsfile.com/id/1980083/
I'm almost certain that's him that Contepomi's chatting to

Thought that was O'Reilly. But could be Russell.

[Xanthippe]

He looks to have a very impressive frame and still looks (from my uninformed eye) to still be a bit wirey.

After some more senior level S&C (I emphasize S&C, not meaningless weight gaining) he could naturally end up close to a Yannick Jauzion dimensioned player.

if we are going to compare him to french legends then i'd lean more towards Rougerie.

Jauzion had a grace and glide of the kind I associate with Penaud now. Quick without looking so.
Rougerie is a bit more agricultural to me.

How absolutely very dare you compare le beaux Aurelian to a turnip - there was most definitely NOTHING agricultural about him

[Morf]

Jauzion had a grace and glide of the kind I associate with Penaud now. Quick without looking so.
Rougerie is a bit more agricultural to me.

How absolutely very dare you compare le beaux Aurelian to a turnip - there was most definitely NOTHING agricultural about him

Like a big Michelin tractor tyre rolling down a hill.

[mildlyinterested]

So academy players still injured: Milne, Ryan, Deeny, Moloney, Silvester, O'Sullivan & Smith

[mildlyinterested]

Noticed a lot of player birthdays recently, looked up the academy and the volume of players born in the 1st half of their birth year compared to the 2nd half is notable:

Ryan - 3rd Feb
Milne - 5th Feb
McKee - 15th Feb
Soroka - 19th Feb
Clarkson - 22nd Feb
O'Reilly - 26th Feb
Deeny - 3rd Feb
Hanan - 10th March
McCarthy - 26th March
Comerford - 6th April
Silvester - 4th June
Hawkshaw - 3rd July
SOB - 31st July
Smith - 21st July
Moloney - 19th October
Foley - 24th October
Osborne - 16th November
Patterson - 30th November
O'Sullivan - 15th December

It would certainly seem that you have a better chance making it if you were born earlier in the year.

[Laighin Break]

Interesting - I think studies have shown that in the NHL too

[mildlyinterested]

Yeah I think it's common in most sports, given how underage sport works by year of birth and how relatively older players get more development opportunities.

[Oldschoolsocks]

Is that a good thing, a bad thing or just a thing?

[mildlyinterested]

Is that a good thing, a bad thing or just a thing?

not sure, it's certainly a thing in underage sports.. would wonder if similarly or more talented players born later in their year of birth are being overlooked due to DOB. but hard to know.

[Jonny tight lips]

Noticed a lot of player birthdays recently, looked up the academy and the volume of players born in the 1st half of their birth year compared to the 2nd half is notable:

Ryan - 3rd Feb
Milne - 5th Feb
McKee - 15th Feb
Soroka - 19th Feb
Clarkson - 22nd Feb
O'Reilly - 26th Feb
Deeny - 3rd Feb
Hanan - 10th March
McCarthy - 26th March
Comerford - 6th April
Silvester - 4th June
Hawkshaw - 3rd July
SOB - 31st July
Smith - 21st July
Moloney - 19th October
Foley - 24th October
Osborne - 16th November
Patterson - 30th November
O'Sullivan - 15th December

It would certainly seem that you have a better chance making it if you were born earlier in the year.

I read before that that’s because they are a bit older and more developed than their piers at younger age grades and they do better and derive confidence from it. Obviously we’re talking very young for months to make a difference but apparently that’s a thing. The being young playing against older boys you often hear bandied about in the media is the exception to the rule when they look at it statistically.

[mildlyinterested]

Number of academy players playing this weekend:

Munster: 0
Connacht: 0
Ulster: 1
Leinster: 4

[Jcahill1]

Yeah I think it's more that due to the factors around it, players born earlier in the year are also better due to the positive reinforcement at this stage of the careers. Although I'm sure there is also an element of being overlooked due to U20 appearances etc.

[mildlyinterested]

Yeah I think it's more that due to the factors around it, players born earlier in the year are also better due to the positive reinforcement at this stage of the careers. Although I'm sure there is also an element of being overlooked due to U20 appearances etc.

i'd say it starts earlier than u20.. at jct level.. if you are slightly older and more mature physically are you more likely to be starting and developing in your schools side etc.

Also if you are born in the later half of the year you'll only have 1 season at u20 level after leaving school, presuming you do 4th year, meaning you probably have one season to impress for an academy place.

whereas, if you are born in Jan you'll have two seasons out of school and potentially in sub academy.

[the spoofer]

Noticed a lot of player birthdays recently, looked up the academy and the volume of players born in the 1st half of their birth year compared to the 2nd half is notable:

Ryan - 3rd Feb
Milne - 5th Feb
McKee - 15th Feb
Soroka - 19th Feb
Clarkson - 22nd Feb
O'Reilly - 26th Feb
Deeny - 3rd Feb
Hanan - 10th March
McCarthy - 26th March
Comerford - 6th April
Silvester - 4th June
Hawkshaw - 3rd July
SOB - 31st July
Smith - 21st July
Moloney - 19th October
Foley - 24th October
Osborne - 16th November
Patterson - 30th November
O'Sullivan - 15th December

It would certainly seem that you have a better chance making it if you were born earlier in the year.

There is a book on that topic relating to Canadian Ice Hockey - Outliers by Malcom Gladwell.

[the spoofer]

Yeah I think it's more that due to the factors around it, players born earlier in the year are also better due to the positive reinforcement at this stage of the careers. Although I'm sure there is also an element of being overlooked due to U20 appearances etc.

i'd say it starts earlier than u20.. at jct level.. if you are slightly older and more mature physically are you more likely to be starting and developing in your schools side etc.

Also if you are born in the later half of the year you'll only have 1 season at u20 level after leaving school, presuming you do 4th year, meaning you probably have one season to impress for an academy place.

whereas, if you are born in Jan you'll have two seasons out of school and potentially in sub academy.

The Leinster club scene is a perfect example. A 15 year old kid born in Jan or Feb is going to be considerably bigger than one born in October. They can bully their way in underage games and get picked up for development squads. There they get better coaching, S&C etc. This reinforces their selection despite the fact that most lads will catch up physically by the time they hit 18.

I coached a number of lads who lost out to this "bias" despite the fact that they were far better players than lads who have gone on to make the academy.

[mildlyinterested]

Yeah I think it's more that due to the factors around it, players born earlier in the year are also better due to the positive reinforcement at this stage of the careers. Although I'm sure there is also an element of being overlooked due to U20 appearances etc.

i'd say it starts earlier than u20.. at jct level.. if you are slightly older and more mature physically are you more likely to be starting and developing in your schools side etc.

Also if you are born in the later half of the year you'll only have 1 season at u20 level after leaving school, presuming you do 4th year, meaning you probably have one season to impress for an academy place.

whereas, if you are born in Jan you'll have two seasons out of school and potentially in sub academy.

The Leinster club scene is a perfect example. A 15 year old kid born in Jan or Feb is going to be considerably bigger than one born in October. They can bully their way in underage games and get picked up for development squads. There they get better coaching, S&C etc. This reinforces their selection despite the fact that most lads will catch up physically by the time they hit 18.

I coached a number of lads who lost out to this "bias" despite the fact that they were far better players than lads who have gone on to make the academy.

yeah that's the scenario i'm thinking of.

the current bias toward those born earlier in the year in the academy, I would say isn't a good sign that the underage development system is working at an optimum level.

for example most players who play two seasons at u18 level or 2 seasons at u20 level are born in Jan/Feb. Those coaching/development opportunities are rarely afforded to lads born in Nov/Dec. Except a few exceptional cases who come to mind like Tadhg Furlong at u20 level or Ciaran Frawley at u18.

[neiliog93]

It has a big knock-on effect on skill development, because the more physically developed guys aged 13, 14, 15, get the best 'A' team coaching and most attention. Then, when aged 17/18, even if the later developers have caught up physically, they are behind technically.