Leinster Squad 21-22

[elephantman]

A fairly unusual puff piece from MK. Almost reads like one of those articles in Sports Illustrated in the weeks before the NFL Draft. Suppose that somebody has to balance the Munster hype on young out-halves.

https://www.the42.ie/harry-byrne-read-5606191-Nov2021/

Not a Murray Kinsella piece. Ciarán Kennedy penned that article.

[Ruckedtobits]

A fairly unusual puff piece from MK. Almost reads like one of those articles in Sports Illustrated in the weeks before the NFL Draft. Suppose that somebody has to balance the Munster hype on young out-halves.

https://www.the42.ie/harry-byrne-read-5606191-Nov2021/

Not a Murray Kinsella piece. Ciarán Kennedy penned that article.

With sincere apologies to Murray. It didn't read like his style.

[mildlyinterested]

Jack Dunne named in Barbarians squad.

[FLIP]

Jack Dunne named in Barbarians squad.

As is Rob Kearney

[mildlyinterested]

LH Prop
Cian Healy(34/Belvedere/Clontarf)
Ed Byrne(28/Clongowes/UCD)
Peter Dooley(27/Birr RFC/Lansdowne)
Andrew Porter(25/St. Andrews/UCD)
Michael Milne(22/Birr RFC-Roscrea/UCD) - inj(calf)
--
Marcus Hanan(21/Clane RFC/Old Belvedere) - inj
Temi Lasisi(20/Enniscorthy/Lansdowne) - inj
Jack Boyle(19/St. Michaels/UCD)

After starting the season playing tighthead, Healy has re-focused on loosehead which is very crowded with Andrew Porter after moving sides. Ed Byrne looks to be third choice and Peter Dooley looks like the odd man out. Milne, Hanan, Lasisi have yet to play this season due to injury, whie Jack Boyle returned to playing in november appearing for UCD and Leinster A.

TH Prop
Michael Alaalatoa(30)
Tadhg Furlong(28/New Ross RFC/Clontarf)
Vakh Abdaladze(25/Coolmine RFC/Clontarf)
Tom Clarkson(21/Blackrock/DUFC)

Furlong and Alaalatoa are clear 1/2 here, who is third choice appears unclear? Might it be Healy? I dunno, Vakh has played AIL regularly this season but yet to appear for the senior side, Clarkson has returned from injury recently and will hope to push on.

Hooker
Sean Cronin(35)
James Tracy(30/Newbridge/UCD)
Ronan Kelleher(23/St. Michaels/Lansdowne)
Dan Sheehan(23/Clongowes/Lansdowne)
--
John McKee(21/Campbell/Old Belvedere)
Lee Barron(20/St. Michaels/DUFC) - inj

Kelleher and Sheehan are clear 1/2 here, Tracy looks to be 3rd choice with Cronin offering some veteran leadership, John McKee has been playing AIL regularly, while Lee Barron has yet to play this season due to injury.

Lock
Devin Toner(35/Castleknock/Lansdowne)
Ross Molony(27/St. Michaels/UCD)
Josh Murphy(26/St. Michaels/UCD)
James Ryan(25/St. Michaels/UCD) - inj(head)
Jack Dunne(23/St. Michaels/DUFC)
Ryan Baird(22/St. Michaels/DUFC)
--
Charlie Ryan(22/Blackrock/UCD) - inj
Brian Deeny(21/Wexford RFC/Clontarf) - inj
Joe McCarthy(20/Blackrock/DUFC)

So far Molony and Ryan have appeared to be the 1st choice here for Leinster with Baird being 3rd choice and Toner offering veteran leadership behind him. Murphy and Dunne have to play for the senior side this season but have played some AIL. Charlie Ryan hasn't played this season due to injury, while Deeny and McCarthy have played some AIL this season on their returns from injury.

Backrow
Rhys Ruddock(30/Exile/St. Marys)
Jack Conan(29/St. Gerards/Old Belvedere)
Josh Van Der Flier(28/Wesley/UCD)
Dan Leavy(27/St. Michaels/UCD)
Will Connors(25/Clongowes/UCD)
Max Deegan(24/St. Michaels/Lansdowne)
Caelan Doris(23/Blackrock/DUFC)
Scott Penny(22/St. Michaels/UCD)
--
Martin Moloney(21/Athy RFC/Old Belvedere)
Sean O'Brien(21/Blackrock/UCD)
Alex Soroka(20/Belvedere/Clontarf) - inj
Mark Hernan(21/St. Michaels/Lansdowne) - inj

Jack Conan, Caelan Doris and JVDF have cemented themselves as 1st choice for Ireland, while Deegan & Leavy are working back to full form from injury. Ruddock offers veteran leadership to the group, Connors hasnt played this season due to injury and Penny has found game time difficult to come by so far this season. How game time is spread out in this group will be a difficult balancing act. Hernan and Soroka haven't played this season due to injury, while Moloney and SOB have been playing AIL.

Scrumhalf
Jamie Gibson Park(29) - inj
Luke McGrath(28/St. Michaels/UCD)
Nick McCarthy(26/St. Michaels/UCD)
--
Cormac Foley(21/St. Gerards/Lansdowne)
Ben Murphy(20/Pres Bray/Old Wesley)

Outhalf
Jonathan Sexton(36/St. Marys/St. Marys) - inj(leg)
Ross Byrne(26/St. Michaels/UCD)
Harry Byrne(22/St. Michaels/Lansdowne)
David Hawkshaw(22/Belvedere/Clontarf)
--
Charlie Tector(19/Kilkenny/Lansdowne)

Sexton remains pre-eminent but his injury will afford the Byrnes a chance to impress, Ross looks the odd man out internationally, will he be happy to stay at leinster if thats the case? Harry needs to stay fit and build up big game experience in blue. Hawkshaw has been playing 10 this season at AIL level and for Leinster A. Tector joined academy recently after an impressive start to AIL season and will be aiming to be 1st choice for Ireland u20.

Centre
Robbie Henshaw(28)
Garry Ringrose(26/Blackrock/UCD) -
Conor O'Brien(25/Mullingar RFC/Clontarf) - inj(hamstring)
Ciaran Frawley(23/Skerries RFC/UCD)
Tommy O'Brien(23/Blackrock/UCD)
--
Liam Turner(22/Blackrock/DUFC)
Jamie Osborne(20/Naas RFC/Naas)

Henshaw only recently returned from injury for Ireland and will hopefully return in blue soon. Ringrose looked back to top form for Ireland over the nov internationals, Frawley impressed for Leinster this season at 12 and will hope to continue that form going forward, COB re-injured himself and has a long road back to where he was. TOB will hope to stay healthy this season as it's been his main barrier to progressing at either centre or wing. Osborne started season well and will hope to keep that up when given chance, expect him to on from academy quickly.

Back Three
Dave Kearney(32/Clongowes/Lansdowne) - inj(back)
James Lowe(29)
Adam Byrne(27/Naas RFC/UCD)
Rory O'Loughlin(27/St. Michaels/UCD) - inj(shoulder)
Hugo Keenan(25/Blackrock/UCD)
Jimmy O'Brien(24/Newbridge/UCD)
Jordan Larmour(24/St. Andrews/St. Marys)
--
Andrew Smith(21/St. Michaels/Clontarf) - inj
Niall Comerford(21/Blackrock/UCD)
Max O'Reilly(21/St. Gerards/DUFC) - inj
Rob Russell(22/St. Michaels/DUFC)
Chris Cosgrave(20/St. Michaels/UCD)

Dave Kearney got injured playing for the A team after missing start of the season with another injury, Lowe and Keenan have solidified themselves in irish squad, Larmour has been struggling for form and will hope to re-find that form in the coming weeks, Adam Byrne made his return from injury well and will hope to kick on. ROL started the season playing on the wing, but a shoulder injury means he could be out for awhile, JOB remains the primary backup for Keenan at 15. Smith and O'Reilly have been injured this season, while Comerford has been focusing on irish 7's, Russell made his senior debut this season and Cosgrave has been playing 7's and AIL.

[mildlyinterested]

Tadhg Furlong Signs IRFU Contract Extension to end of 2024/25 Season

https://www.irishrugby.ie/2021/11/25/ta ... 25-season/

[Serb]

Huge bit of business, fair play to the IRFU, and getting it done early too.

[cormac]

Great news

[wixfjord]

That's properly big contract news.

Also allows us to continue the Porter/Healy swap. If Tadhg had left that would've been goosed.

I hope he's getting paid handsomely.

[blockhead]

Get in!

[elephantman]

Great news. Just need to get Dan Sheehan signed up and we have two brilliant front rows.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Brilliant news. I wonder if he said he’d only sign a short term contract with a promise of signing a long term deal if the finances allowed it? By all accounts he’s a really great guy so wouldn’t be surprised if he did and stuck to his word.

A good sign for our financial situation too.

[riocard911]

Delyra!!!!

[mildlyinterested]

Jack Dunne not in Barbarians squad named today.

[LeinsterLeader]

Seen this on Google

Garry Ringrose signs new three-year IRFU deal
.
Leinster Rugby and Ireland centre Garry Ringrose has signed a three-year IRFU contract which will see him continue to play with the province...

but the link goes nowhere. Strange?

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/garry-ring ... irfu-deal/

[Barry]

Seen this on Google

Garry Ringrose signs new three-year IRFU deal
.
Leinster Rugby and Ireland centre Garry Ringrose has signed a three-year IRFU contract which will see him continue to play with the province...

but the link goes nowhere. Strange?

https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/garry-ring ... irfu-deal/

It's on the Leinster website, he's signed up to the 2024/25 season

Sent from my VOG-L09 using Tapatalk

[mildlyinterested]

Lots of murmurings about squad turnover at the end of the season, somewhat surprising there hasn't been more rumours in the papers around that.

[Serb]

Yeah feels like we will lose a few alright. Hard to call who, but I’d guess something like:

Dooley or Ed Byrne
Sean Cronin
Maybe Dev Toner (but replaced with NIQ lock)
One or two back rows (would guess Deegan / Connors)
One or two centres from Conor O’Brien, O’Loughlin, Hawkshaw

So between five and seven players, with one replacement coming in.

[Fireworks]

Yeah feels like we will lose a few alright. Hard to call who, but I’d guess something like:

Dooley or Ed Byrne
Sean Cronin
Maybe Dev Toner (but replaced with NIQ lock)
One or two back rows (would guess Deegan / Connors)
One or two centres from Conor O’Brien, O’Loughlin, Hawkshaw

So between five and seven players, with one replacement coming in.

That is a lot of guys going out the door but understandable. I have wondered if we put together a second squad not including any current Leinster squad guys, how would it do in the league. I am guessing it wouldn't be last.

[Atlas]

Yeah feels like we will lose a few alright. Hard to call who, but I’d guess something like:

Dooley or Ed Byrne
Sean Cronin
Maybe Dev Toner (but replaced with NIQ lock)
One or two back rows (would guess Deegan / Connors)
One or two centres from Conor O’Brien, O’Loughlin, Hawkshaw

So between five and seven players, with one replacement coming in.

Would be extremely disappointed to lose Connors