Leinster Squad 22-23

[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(22/Wexford RFC/Clontarf) - signed contract in 2022
Joe McCarthy(21/Blackrock/DUFC) - signed contract in 2022

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 2021
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 2022
--
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
--
Andrew Smith(22/St. Michaels/Clontarf) - Academy Yr 3
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

[Oldschoolsocks]

Thanks Mildly

[ronk]

You can see why we hired a center.

[Serb]

You can see why we hired a center.

True, though I’d dispute the classification of Frawley as an outhalf there for the moment at least.

[ronk]

You can see why we hired a center.

True, though I’d dispute the classification of Frawley as an outhalf there for the moment at least.

I was counting him. He got one start for Leinster at 10 in 2 years. He's been a center almost exclusively.

But he also might make Ireland squads and could be being prepared for the RWC and thereby getting extra time at 10 and missing during international breaks.

Even so he'll probably play most of his minutes at 12.

The easy way to accommodate Ngatai is to play Henshaw more at 13 and put him and Ringrose under less pressure for minutes.

[ronk]

Also it's Sexton's last year. Anyone who has a shot of being the next Irish outhalf is gonna be prioritised. If Faz thinks that's Frawley, then he gets non-Johnny time at 10.

[Flash Gordon]

Also it's Sexton's last year. Anyone who has a shot of being the next Irish outhalf is gonna be prioritised. If Faz thinks that's Frawley, then he gets non-Johnny time at 10.

Not sure that's how it works. Joey ended up at Munster because the Leinster coaching team insisted on picking the players that they thought would execute the game plan best.

[ronk]

Also it's Sexton's last year. Anyone who has a shot of being the next Irish outhalf is gonna be prioritised. If Faz thinks that's Frawley, then he gets non-Johnny time at 10.

Not sure that's how it works. Joey ended up at Munster because the Leinster coaching team insisted on picking the players that they thought would execute the game plan best.

Joey ended up at Munster because the IRFU shat the bed in a panic over a range of things, of which the Jackson situation was top and the timing of the RWC was critical.

For the next year, and possibly beyond, the IRFU need Frawley as a 12 who can cover 10. When Sexton retires the maths changes, if Frawley is competing to be Ireland's 10 (large if), then he can be missed at 12. That also depends on when Aki ages out too, but to a smaller extent.

[Flash Gordon]

Also it's Sexton's last year. Anyone who has a shot of being the next Irish outhalf is gonna be prioritised. If Faz thinks that's Frawley, then he gets non-Johnny time at 10.

Not sure that's how it works. Joey ended up at Munster because the Leinster coaching team insisted on picking the players that they thought would execute the game plan best.

Joey ended up at Munster because the IRFU shat the bed in a panic over a range of things, of which the Jackson situation was top and the timing of the RWC was critical.

For the next year, and possibly beyond, the IRFU need Frawley as a 12 who can cover 10. When Sexton retires the maths changes, if Frawley is competing to be Ireland's 10 (large if), then he can be missed at 12. That also depends on when Aki ages out too, but to a smaller extent.

My point is that we had no cover for Sexton and Joey was next in line but despite that Leinster viewed him as a possible fullback. The coaching team had no qualms picking him there. The IRFU does place limitations on game time but doesn't pick the team. Not saying there aren't conversations on selection but it's up to Leo.

Playing for Ireland for Frawley might elevate his claim - that's what happened with JGP, up the time he started to feature in green Luke was the starting 9.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I doubt that Leinster need any IRFU input to promote Frawley as backup ten. Apologies for saying this so often but having Frawley on the bench covering 10 and 12 and then having more freedom with who to pick in the 23 jersey or even go for a 6/2 split is a very obvious area where we can improve on last season. Ross finished the season badly but even if he didn't I'd want that flexibility in future. I'm also not discounting Harry, who for me is still the best long term option at ten if he can just stay fit and get games, but again I'd still want Frawley's versatility for the bench in big games. I know Harry played a bit at 12 and did quite well but moving one guy around is enough and he needs most of his game time to be in the ten jersey.

Andy Farrell might have a different view of this but based on recent months I would say that Frawley only needs enough time at ten to keep his eye in and he'll be fine there. The odd start and moving to ten for the last quarter in two or three games this side of Christmas would be enough for me. It's only a bench spot for both Leinster and Ireland that he'd likely be preparing for anyway, I'd still expect others to start if Johnny was injured. He has the ability to do more than that but right now I would say it's unlikely that Ireland would put him ahead of Joey or Leinster ahead of Ross.

[arsebiscuits1]

Unless Luke starts his season strongly there is a very obvious opportunity at 9 that Cormac Foley is probably chomping at the bit for.

Foleys performances last season probably propelled him above McCarthy (at least in my eyes) and there is a lot of opportunity there to get some big minutes and even some big starts given JGP is the bonafide go to guy at 9 in Green now.

[ronk]

Unless Luke starts his season strongly there is a very obvious opportunity at 9 that Cormac Foley is probably chomping at the bit for.

Foleys performances last season probably propelled him above McCarthy (at least in my eyes) and there is a lot of opportunity there to get some big minutes and even some big starts given JGP is the bonafide go to guy at 9 in Green now.

Isn't Foley out long term.

[arsebiscuits1]

Unless Luke starts his season strongly there is a very obvious opportunity at 9 that Cormac Foley is probably chomping at the bit for.

Foleys performances last season probably propelled him above McCarthy (at least in my eyes) and there is a lot of opportunity there to get some big minutes and even some big starts given JGP is the bonafide go to guy at 9 in Green now.

Isn't Foley out long term.

I know he ended his season with an unfortunate shoulder injury but I would be hoping he'd be ready to go ahead of this season. Roughly 4 months since initial injury

[wixfjord]

He was training a few weeks ago and shoulder looked ok.

Would be great to have him good to go for end of season as he looks like he could usurp Nick M quite quickly.

[LeinsterLeader]

If you have a spare 2 minutes and 20 seconds, do yourself a favor......

https://twitter.com/bensmithrugby/statu ... 0686383110

Just looking at his technique, I can't think of anyone else in world rugby who's game has improved as much in the last couple of years as him.

[riocard911]

If you have a spare 2 minutes and 20 seconds, do yourself a favor......

https://twitter.com/bensmithrugby/statu ... 0686383110

Just looking at his technique, I can't think of anyone else in world rugby who's game has improved as much in the last couple of years as him.

Total class. Thanks for posting!!!

[Twist]

I doubt that Leinster need any IRFU input to promote Frawley as backup ten. Apologies for saying this so often but having Frawley on the bench covering 10 and 12 and then having more freedom with who to pick in the 23 jersey or even go for a 6/2 split is a very obvious area where we can improve on last season. Ross finished the season badly but even if he didn't I'd want that flexibility in future. I'm also not discounting Harry, who for me is still the best long term option at ten if he can just stay fit and get games, but again I'd still want Frawley's versatility for the bench in big games. I know Harry played a bit at 12 and did quite well but moving one guy around is enough and he needs most of his game time to be in the ten jersey.

Andy Farrell might have a different view of this but based on recent months I would say that Frawley only needs enough time at ten to keep his eye in and he'll be fine there. The odd start and moving to ten for the last quarter in two or three games this side of Christmas would be enough for me. It's only a bench spot for both Leinster and Ireland that he'd likely be preparing for anyway, I'd still expect others to start if Johnny was injured. He has the ability to do more than that but right now I would say it's unlikely that Ireland would put him ahead of Joey or Leinster ahead of Ross.

I totally agree but the one fear I have for Frawley is his durability. He's been really unlucky with injuries to various parts of his body. I don't know how many games he's missed but I'd imagine its a similar percentage to Harry.

[wixfjord]

7 minutes of the best flanker in the world doing his thing -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg52OQb ... ndrewForde

[Oldschoolsocks]

7 minutes of the best flanker in the world doing his thing -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg52OQb ... ndrewForde

He is just so good, honest, humble and hardworking. Imagine Dan Leavy hadn’t been forced to retire and moved to 6. What a backrow that would be!!

[Flash Gordon]

7 minutes of the best flanker in the world doing his thing -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg52OQb ... ndrewForde

Took 7 minutes out of my work day which I didn't have to spare but I still wish the clip had been longer, just such an absolute privilege to watch him at work.