Leinster Squad 22-23

[Dave Cahill]

Perhaps the IRFU knows that the Lions having a detrimental effect on player welfare is a myth?

[the spoofer]

Two things

1. Why would the IRFU pay players to not play for an IRFU owned team?
2. Are you so naive as to believe that if Irish players weren’t touring NZ/SA/AUS with the Lions that they wouldn’t be touring NZ/SA/AUS with Ireland?

Yes they would but would be touring with Ireland, an organisation that gives a sh!t about their long term well being.

Does it? After all, that organisation lets, nay encourages, them to tour with the Lions.

That is a valid point. When I say I was a huge Lions fan, I mean it. I scheduled my working days so that I could watch mid week games. But that all changed about 20 years ago. I would rather see Irish players touring with Ireland rather than the jingoistic conglomeration that is the current Lions.

[cormac]

IRFU press release for the updated Ireland squad for the next two games says that Scott Penny and Jamie Osborne have "minor knocks"

[the spoofer]

Perhaps the IRFU knows that the Lions having a detrimental effect on player welfare is a myth?

Well the evidence from the last 4/5 iterations would tend to support the ''myth''

[ronk]

The Lions has also been an important part of players stepping up. Players like Sexton and Heaslip proved themselves at a different tier and came back as more established and proven players.

Other players came with big reputations that got cut down like Zebo, Andy Powell, Henson.

[ronk]

Even missing the tour spurred on players like Sexton, Ryan and vdF.

[Laighin Break]

It's easy to point out players being out of form or injured since the Lions tour (Furlong, Conan) while ignoring others who played a central part and came back relatively unscathed and in decent form - Henshaw, Murray, Beirne, Aki maybe

[Oldschoolsocks]

It's easy to point out players being out of form or injured since the Lions tour (Furlong, Conan) while ignoring others who played a central part and came back relatively unscathed and in decent form - Henshaw, Murray, Beirne, Aki maybe

Henshaw was crocked after the last Lions tour, Aki has not really figure for Connacht this season, can’t remember last season.

Beirne wasn’t great at the start of last season nor was Murray

[wixfjord]

Good interview with Lancaster on Second Captains today.

Interesting quote:

We're not going have the biggest team in the world, but we can have the fittest, fastest, most dynamic. So our training and conditioning is not to get bigger and stronger, it's to get faster and fitter.'

That's clear to be seen in terms of the athletic profile of our players, how guys who come in from outside change their body shape and how we use our set piece (lineout & scrum) as a launchpad rather than a tool to grind teams down.

I did some analysis of our scrum usage in some of the Euro games this year and it was clearly just the focus to get the ball out as quickly as possible and attack them. That's a constant theme.

There's a trade off with that in terms of being vulnerable at times in scrum and maul.

You obviously need a certain power profile in your team, but our focus is on having great skills and high fitness levels playing with pace and a mindset of wanting to play to space.

And it makes sense when you consider where the game is moving (less scrums, higher ball in play, more points scored).

[Blue Man]

Wouldn’t mind seeing Mike Ross brought in to work directly with the props - am actually surprised that there isn’t a specialist prop coach with all the other coaching positions that are in teams these days

Agree 100%

[Serb]

We took one hell of a beating against Scotland. We’re potentially looking at injuries to Sheehan, Kelleher, Doris and Ringrose.

From reading the initial injury update, Kelleher seems like the only long term injury potentially, but hopefully all the lads are ok.

On the plus side, Furlong, JGP and Henshaw looked fairly good.

[hugonaut]

We took one hell of a beating against Scotland. We’re potentially looking at injuries to Sheehan, Kelleher, Doris and Ringrose.

From reading the initial injury update, Kelleher seems like the only long term injury potentially, but hopefully all the lads are ok.

On the plus side, Furlong, JGP and Henshaw looked fairly good.

Thought Furlong did amazingly well for a guy who hasn't played in so long. He was outstanding.

[Blue Man]

Yeah, Furlong’s ability to slot back in at international level is incredible. I was also delighted for Conan, his form has dipped over the past 12 months but he was excellent today. Leinster might well need him in the playoffs so a timely return to form

[cormac]

Our games in South Africa will now both be part of a double header.

Round 17

Saturday, April 15, 2023 (Emirates Airlines Park, Johannesburg)

12:00: Vodacom Bulls v Zebre Parma

15:00: Emirates Lions v Leinster



Round 18

Saturday, April 22, 2023 (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

12:00: Emirates Lions v Zebre Parma

15:00: Vodacom Bulls v Leinster

[mildlyinterested]

Connacht have signed Leinster and Ireland Sevens player Andrew Smith ahead of next season.

[LeinsterLeader]

Connacht have signed Leinster and Ireland Sevens player Andrew Smith ahead of next season.

A good move for all concerned I would have thought. Hopefully he goes well for them.

[mildlyinterested]

Cormac Foley has signed a new deal with the Province.

[mildlyinterested]

LH Prop
Cian Healy(34/Belvedere/Clontarf) - signed contract in 2022
Ed Byrne(29/Clongowes/UCD) - signed contract in 2022
Andrew Porter(26/St. Andrews/UCD) - central contract until 2025
Michael Milne(23/Birr RFC-Roscrea/UCD) - signed contract in 2022
--
Marcus Hanan(22/Clane RFC/Old Belvedere) - Academy Yr 3
Jack Boyle(20/St. Michaels/UCD) - Academy Yr 2

TH Prop
Michael Alaalatoa(31) - signed contract in 2021
Tadhg Furlong(29/New Ross RFC/Clontarf) - central contract until 2025
Vakh Abdaladze(26/Coolmine RFC/Clontarf) - signed contract in 2022
Tom Clarkson(22/Blackrock/DUFC) - signed contract in 2021
--
Temi Lasisi(21/Enniscorthy RFC/Lansdowne) - Academy Yr 2
Rory McGuire(20/Blackrock/UCD) - Academy Yr 1

Hooker
Tadgh McElroy (25/Dundalk RFC/Lansdowne)
Ronan Kelleher(24/St. Michaels/Lansdowne) - signed contract in 2021
Dan Sheehan(24/Clongowes/Lansdowne) - signed contract in 2022
--
John McKee(22/Campbell/Old Belvedere) - Academy Yr 3
Lee Barron(21/St. Michaels/DUFC) - Academy Yr 2

Lock
Ross Molony(28/St. Michaels/UCD) - signed contract in 2021
Jason Jenkins(26) - signed contract in 2022
James Ryan(26/St. Michaels/UCD) - central contract until 2023
Brian Deeny(23/Wexford RFC/Clontarf) - signed contract in 2022
Joe McCarthy(22/Blackrock/DUFC) - signed contract in 2023

Backrow
Rhys Ruddock(31/Exile/St. Marys) - signed contract in 2022
Jack Conan(30/St. Gerards/Old Belvedere) - signed contract in 2021
Josh Van Der Flier(29/Wesley/UCD) - signed contract in 2022
Will Connors(26/Clongowes/UCD) - signed contract in 2022
Max Deegan(25/St. Michaels/Lansdowne) - signed contract in 2022
Caelan Doris(24/Blackrock/DUFC) - signed contract in 2022
Ryan Baird(23/St. Michaels/DUFC) - signed contract in 2022
Scott Penny(23/St. Michaels/UCD) - signed contract in 2023
Martin Moloney(22/Athy RFC/Old Belvedere) - signed contract in 2022
--
Sean O'Brien(22/Blackrock/UCD) - Academy Yr 3
Alex Soroka(21/Belvedere/Clontarf) - Academy Yr 3
James Culhane(19/Blackrock/UCD) - Academy Yr 1
Diarmuid Mangan(19/Newbridge/UCD) - Academy Yr 1

Scrumhalf
Jamie Gibson Park(30) - signed contract in 2022
Luke McGrath(29/St. Michaels/UCD) - signed contract in 2022
Nick McCarthy(27/St. Michaels/UCD) - signed contract in 2022
Cormac Foley(22/St. Gerards/Lansdowne) - signed contract in 2023
--
Ben Murphy(21/Pres Bray/Old Wesley) - Academy Yr 2

Outhalf
Jonathan Sexton(37/St. Marys/St. Marys) - central contract until the World Cup
Ross Byrne(27/St. Michaels/UCD) - signed contract in 2022
Ciaran Frawley(24/Skerries RFC/UCD) - signed contract in 2022
Harry Byrne(23/St. Michaels/Lansdowne) - signed contract in 2022
--
Charlie Tector(20/Kilkenny/Lansowne) - Academy Yr 1
Sam Prendergast(19/Newbridge/Lansdowne) - Academy Yr 1

Centre
Charlie Ngatai(32) - signed contract in 2022
Robbie Henshaw(29) - central contact until 2025
Garry Ringrose(27/Blackrock/UCD) - central contact until 2025
Liam Turner(23/Blackrock/DUFC) - signed contract in 2022
Jamie Osborne(21/Naas RFC/Naas) - signed contract in 2022
--
Ben Brownlee(20/Blackrock/UCD) - Academy Yr 1

Back Three
Dave Kearney(33/Clongowes/Lansdowne) - signed 2yr contract in 2021
James Lowe(30) - signed 3yr contract in 2020
Hugo Keenan(26/Blackrock/UCD) - signed central contract until 2026
Jimmy O'Brien(25/Newbridge/UCD) - signed contract in 2021
Jordan Larmour(25/St. Andrews/St. Marys) - signed contract in 2022
Tommy O'Brien(24/Blackrock/UCD) - signed contract in 2022
--
Max O'Reilly(22/St. Gerards/DUFC) - Academy Yr 3
Rob Russell(23/St. Michaels/DUFC) - Academy Yr 2
Chris Cosgrave(21/St. Michaels/UCD) - Academy Yr 2
Aitzol King(20/Balbriggan RFC/Clontarf) - Academy Yr 1

Leaving the province
Andrew Smith(22/St. Michaels/Clontarf) - Academy Yr 3

[LeinsterLeader]

Cormac Foley has signed a new deal with the Province.

Good news. could be more signings today. Normally they've being doing them at the rate of 3 a day

[Ruckedtobits]

What an extraordinary Squad and fantastic to see how few contracts are expiring this season. Well done @mildlyinterested.