U20 Club 2019/20

[TrapperChamonix]

Any update/thoughts on the other 20s divisions? At least leinster run these unlike Munster.

Ulster have no U20 league. Queens do play in Conroy Cup but that's only 1 weekend. They don't put teams forward for the Fraser McMullen Cup. Connacht teams (UCG, Galwegians & Buccaneers play in the the Leinster league (Prem2)

Munster U20 competitions are the Donal Walsh Trophy & Plate. https://shared2.sportsmanager.ie/~munst ... ue/145420/ .

Munster's strongest teams tend to be UCC, Cork Con, UL Bohs, Garryowen & Shannon. While the top 2 teams on any given year tend to be competitive in the Fraser McMullen (all Ireland) Cup, there seems to be a big drop off to their 3rd and 4th teams. Last year is a prime example, where UL Bohs and Shannon losts by big margins to Clontarf and Trinity but the other games were UCC beating UCD 40 to 25 and Garryowen loosing 24 to 31 to Lansdowne.
This year UCC are top of their league. I saw them draw with UCD in the Conroy Cup and they looked pretty good. They certainly had a monster scrum.

[ormond lad]

Any update/thoughts on the other 20s divisions? At least leinster run these unlike Munster.

Ulster have no U20 league. Queens do play in Conroy Cup but that's only 1 weekend. They don't put teams forward for the Fraser McMullen Cup. Connacht teams (UCG, Galwegians & Buccaneers play in the the Leinster league (Prem2)

Munster U20 competitions are the Donal Walsh Trophy & Plate. https://shared2.sportsmanager.ie/~munst ... ue/145420/ .

Munster's strongest teams tend to be UCC, Cork Con, UL Bohs, Garryowen & Shannon. While the top 2 teams on any given year tend to be competitive in the Fraser McMullen (all Ireland) Cup, there seems to be a big drop off to their 3rd and 4th teams. Last year is a prime example, where UL Bohs and Shannon losts by big margins to Clontarf and Trinity but the other games were UCC beating UCD 40 to 25 and Garryowen loosing 24 to 31 to Lansdowne.
This year UCC are top of their league. I saw them draw with UCD in the Conroy Cup and they looked pretty good. They certainly had a monster scrum.

I was talking about the ĺower divisions in leinster not just the top teams

I know about Ulster not running a 20s league. They do occasionally have 20s competitions be it at Easter or throughout the season. Connachts main sides do play in leinster but plenty others play in blitzes as well as other games in connacht.

[TrapperChamonix]

I was talking about the ĺower divisions in leinster not just the top teams

I know about Ulster not running a 20s league. They do occasionally have 20s competitions be it at Easter or throughout the season. Connachts main sides do play in leinster but plenty others play in blitzes as well as other games in connacht.

Tables and results on the Leinster Domestic Website.
Prem 2 much the same contenders as the previous year with Buccaneers, NUIG, Galwegians & DUFC 2 all in the mix. Marys way out in front partly because the regulated P1 team (Blackrock) fell straight to P3. Good to see Navan, featuring in P2. They won the Fraser McMullen in 2017 with a rich vein of form late in the season, but had fallen to P3 by last year. Shows how variable the quality / numbers coming through can be on a year to year basis.

[TrapperChamonix]

Team Wins Points
Lansdowne 10 47
DUFC 10 37
Clontarf 10 30
UCD 10 28
Old Belvo 10 28
Terenure 10 13
Old Wesley 10 12
Barnhall 10 5

Lansdowne unbeaten juggernaut keeps rolling along and the league title seems sewn up already. Clontarf's depth is being tested with injuries and their form has suffered accordingly. Old Belvo have hit some form and this means they along with Trinity, UCD & Clontarf are fighting for positions 2 to 4 and qualification for the All Ireland (Fraser McMullen).
Remaining 4 matches per team
Lansdowne: Old Wesley, Old Belvo, Terenure, Trinity
DUFC: Old Belvo, Terenure, Clontarf, Lansdowne
Clontarf:Terenure, Barnhall, Trinity, Old Wesley
UCD: Barnhall, Old Wesley, Old Belvo, Terenure
Old Belvo: Trinity, Lansdowne, UCD, Barnhall

[Ruckedtobits]

Team Wins Points
Lansdowne 10 47
DUFC 10 37
Clontarf 10 30
UCD 10 28
Old Belvo 10 28
Terenure 10 13
Old Wesley 10 12
Barnhall 10 5

Lansdowne unbeaten juggernaut keeps rolling along and the league title seems sewn up already. Clontarf's depth is being tested with injuries and their form has suffered accordingly. Old Belvo have hit some form and this means they along with Trinity, UCD & Clontarf are fighting for positions 2 to 4 and qualification for the All Ireland (Fraser McMullen).
Remaining 4 matches per team
Lansdowne: Old Wesley, Old Belvo, Terenure, Trinity
DUFC: Old Belvo, Terenure, Clontarf, Lansdowne
Clontarf:Terenure, Barnhall, Trinity, Old Wesley
UCD: Barnhall, Old Wesley, Old Belvo, Terenure
Old Belvo: Trinity, Lansdowne, UCD, Barnhall

Given the (reputed) numerical recruitment by UCD @ U.20 level, including elite Academy and Sub-Academy players, their relative underperformance at this level is a tragedy. Is this an over-simplification?

[TrapperChamonix]

Team Wins Points
Lansdowne 10 47
DUFC 10 37
Clontarf 10 30
UCD 10 28
Old Belvo 10 28
Terenure 10 13
Old Wesley 10 12
Barnhall 10 5

Lansdowne unbeaten juggernaut keeps rolling along and the league title seems sewn up already. Clontarf's depth is being tested with injuries and their form has suffered accordingly. Old Belvo have hit some form and this means they along with Trinity, UCD & Clontarf are fighting for positions 2 to 4 and qualification for the All Ireland (Fraser McMullen).
Remaining 4 matches per team
Lansdowne: Old Wesley, Old Belvo, Terenure, Trinity
DUFC: Old Belvo, Terenure, Clontarf, Lansdowne
Clontarf:Terenure, Barnhall, Trinity, Old Wesley
UCD: Barnhall, Old Wesley, Old Belvo, Terenure
Old Belvo: Trinity, Lansdowne, UCD, Barnhall

Given the (reputed) numerical recruitment by UCD @ U.20 level, including elite Academy and Sub-Academy players, their relative underperformance at this level is a tragedy. Is this an over-simplification?

I think its more complicated

1stly they are consistently in the top 4.
2ndy I'm not sure they have any recruitment advantage over Lansdowne or Trinty
3rdly All U20 teams get their best players raided by the senior team. But for university teams it is much more exaggerated given the turn over of the Senior team. As an example the Trinity AIL D1 team last year had only 1 4th student on it (the captain, Colm Hogan) and no 5th / post grads. So when the U20 won the all Ireland Fraser McMullen CUp, there were at least 8 players who could have played but were tied up with the senior AIL.
4thly Good players spend large amounts of time tied up with Leinster U20, Leinster A, Ireland A and now the Ireland Sevens A (I cant remember what you call them). And dropping them back in to the team for 1 or 2 matches is difficult.

[TrapperChamonix]

Team Wins Points
Lansdowne 12 52
DUFC 12 43
Clontarf 12 39
UCD 12 38
Old Belvo 12 32
Terenure 12 16
Old Wesley 12 14
Barnhall 12 5

Lansdowne only need to pick up a loosing bonus point from their last to games to secure the title. Trinity only drawing against Terenure 2 weeks ago means their game against Clontarf next week looks like deciding the runner up spot and home QF in the Fraser McMullen. After loosing 3 in a row, Clontarf have bounced back with 2 wins against Terenure and Barnhall. So its not clear what kind of form they are in. At the bottom of the table Barnhall look destined for the automatic relegation with Terenure and Old Wesley fighting to avoid the play off place. Terenure have a tough finish with Lansdowne and UCD while Old Wesley will hope for a win at home to Barnhall next time out.
But the battle for 4th place will provide the tie of the round. Realistically Old Belvo have to beat UCD in the next round and then should beat Barnhall in the last round. Even then OB would still be hoping for UCD to loose at home to Terenure in the last round. Belvo have had and up and down couple of weeks. A very good win away to Lansdowne follow by a home loss to Trinity (which was bigger than the margin suggested). While UCD seem to have found form lately. Their only loss since Nov was to Lansdowne. Despite a much better showing this year I suspect Old Belvo will come up short.

[TrapperChamonix]

Munster Qualifers for Fraser McMullen

UCC 29
Garryowen 18
Cork Con 16
Young Munster 9

[TrapperChamonix]

Team Wins Points
Lansdowne 13 57
DUFC 13 47
Clontarf 12 39
UCD 12 39
Old Belvo 12 36
Old Wesley 12 19
Terenure 12 16
Barnhall 12 5


Congratulations to Lansdowne as the wrap up the Prem1 title with 1 game to go. Trinitys win at home to Clontarf sees them confirmed as RU. Despite OB's 19 - 14 win at home to UCD, they still need UCD to loose at home to Terenure in the last round to overtake them.

[TrapperChamonix]

Team Wins Points
Lansdowne 14 62
DUFC 14 49
UCD 14 44
Clontarf 14 43
Old Belvo 14 41
Old Wesley 14 20
Terenure 14 16
Barnhall 14 5

Lansdowne finish with a 31 - 28 away win v Trinity. UCD, Clontarf and OB all win as expected. So OB miss out by a narrow margin. I always thought their draw to Old Wesley in the very 1st game of the season was very sloppy and ultimately that cost them a place in the Fraser McMullen. I'm sure they are disappointed because they are a good team.
Terenure finish 2nd from bottom. They are a decent side and it probably tells you something about the competitiveness of the P1 division. You would expect them to have a good chance of retaining their P1 status during next years playoffs.