Leinster Academy 2021-22

[mildlyinterested]

Backrows who don't make the irish u20 starting team don't usually make the leinster academy, you need to be an outstanding prospect to make the leinster academy as a backrow these days, and as a 6/8 they have Soroka from this same age grade already in the academy.

[erskinechilders]

https://www.the42.ie/will-hickey-osprey ... 2-Feb2021/

Seems odd, I thought he was very highly rated and a big enough fella. Hopefully he'll have a Tommy Bowe like spell at Ospreys. The article mentions that he's not Welsh qualified.

[mildlyinterested]

https://www.the42.ie/will-hickey-osprey ... 2-Feb2021/

Seems odd, I thought he was very highly rated and a big enough fella. Hopefully he'll have a Tommy Bowe like spell at Ospreys. The article mentions that he's not Welsh qualified.

Confirmation of well known rumour.

Best of luck to him.

[Lock9541]

https://www.the42.ie/will-hickey-osprey ... 2-Feb2021/

Seems odd, I thought he was very highly rated and a big enough fella. Hopefully he'll have a Tommy Bowe like spell at Ospreys. The article mentions that he's not Welsh qualified.

Could play for Wales by the time he turns 24 not a bad idea actually he’s very highly rated and a big man so wouldn’t be surprised if he is capped for Wales in a few years. I’d expect him to get a lot of game time for the ospreys, wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up starting for them next season

[mildlyinterested]

Good enough to start for Ospreys at 20 but not good enough to make the Leinster academy? Hmm okay.

Hope it works out for him, certainly taking a different path.

[Keith]

https://www.the42.ie/will-hickey-osprey ... 2-Feb2021/

Seems odd, I thought he was very highly rated and a big enough fella. Hopefully he'll have a Tommy Bowe like spell at Ospreys. The article mentions that he's not Welsh qualified.

Could play for Wales by the time he turns 24 not a bad idea actually he’s very highly rated and a big man so wouldn’t be surprised if he is capped for Wales in a few years. I’d expect him to get a lot of game time for the ospreys, wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up starting for them next season

I thought the 5 year residency rule was being held back until next year?

[LeinsterLeader]

Good enough to start for Ospreys at 20 but not good enough to make the Leinster academy? Hmm okay.

Hope it works out for him, certainly taking a different path.

Do you think it's a mistake MI? Should Leinster have offered him a place?

[Lock9541]

They usually make a mistake on a player once every two years imo. He is good enough but I think he was dropped due to the amount of depth we have in back rows and possibly due to financial reasons because of the pandemic. I’d say if Ail rugby was happening these days he wouldn’t of left immediately he probably would of stayed playing Ail here to try and prove himself.

[mildlyinterested]

Good enough to start for Ospreys at 20 but not good enough to make the Leinster academy? Hmm okay.

Hope it works out for him, certainly taking a different path.

Do you think it's a mistake MI? Should Leinster have offered him a place?

you know me, i'd rather have to many academy players than too few.

But if they rate players ahead of him at his position(6/8) which they appear to do(Soroka), then you can't really argue that it's probably the right move. Reminds me of Nick Timoney or Eoghan Masterson. A good player but not quite good enough .

backrow especially is a difficult area to get into the academy and given he didn't make the irish u20 squad, it's hardly a surprise.

be interesting to see how he gets on.

[mildlyinterested]

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rug ... 21629.html

good article on rugby now, also confirms Marcus Kiely was cut from 20's.

[hugonaut]

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rug ... 21629.html

good article on rugby now, also confirms Marcus Kiely was cut from 20's.

Very good article alright. Kieran Shannon is a good writer and he's interviewed two men who have good vantage points over quite a range of levels of rugby in Ireland.

I agree with McQuaid's vision for provincial-based club rugby, but the last time that the clubs were polled they were very, very strongly in favour of continuing all-Ireland competition.

[ormond lad]

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rug ... 21629.html

good article on rugby now, also confirms Marcus Kiely was cut from 20's.

Very good article alright. Kieran Shannon is a good writer and he's interviewed two men who have good vantage points over quite a range of levels of rugby in Ireland.

I agree with McQuaid's vision for provincial-based club rugby, but the last time that the clubs were polled they were very, very strongly in favour of continuing all-Ireland competition.

Its a very good article.
Provincial based for some of season possibly is the answer. So continue what had been plan for this season so you still get to keep the all ireland competition for 2nd half of season and have a provincial league for the first half.

Doing more to get fans who regularly attend provincial and international games to go to club games has to happen

[JB1973]

Looking forward to seeing how Hickey goes, Ruddock knows a player when he sees one so I'm happy to take his recommendations

We have currently got two back rowers who were semi pros last year and who are doing really well for us in morris and Griffiths, so him coming into the starting 23 is not unrealistic within a year

King has retired, evans and volpi will be released in the summer and the cheethas won't release our number 1 target in Pokemola for next season so he really has a golden chance to stake a claim for a starting jersey with us.

I'M hoping he's the next beirne and not the next des Dillon or last recruit from leinster!

[cormac]

Des Dillon had oodles of talent. Saw him coming on as sub in an U-21 tournament in Sydney in 2001 against England and he completely changed the direction of the game almost single-handedly. Was as if Ireland had brought on a ringer. Unfortunately for Ireland Jeremy Staunton was playing 10 that day and he had one of those matches.

If Dillon's attitude had matched his talent he'd have a cupboard full of caps and medals. Unfortunately it didn't.

[hugonaut]

Des Dillon had oodles of talent. Saw him coming on as sub in an U-21 tournament in Sydney in 2001 against England and he completely changed the direction of the game almost single-handedly. Was as if Ireland had brought on a ringer. Unfortunately for Ireland Jeremy Staunton was playing 10 that day and he had one of those matches.

If Dillon's attitude had matched his talent he'd have a cupboard full of caps and medals. Unfortunately it didn't.

I played against him a couple of times in school. He was a monster – literally a man against boys. One of very few players to play over three years for the Irish U21s: Tommy Bowe, Leo Cullen, DD and James Norton. He was a 'difficult' kind of lad though.

[leinsterforever]

James Norton. There's a name I haven't heard in a while!

[mildlyinterested]

Don't think Hickey has the talent of Dillon but certainly has the right attitude etc. by all accounts, i'll be interested to see what position he focuses on. I thought his best chance at Leinster was to model his game after leavy as a 6/7.

[mildlyinterested]

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rug ... 21629.html

good article on rugby now, also confirms Marcus Kiely was cut from 20's.

Murphy mentioned 4 6th years who could "make it", i believe they are:

Diarmuid Mangan(Lock)
Donough Lawlor(Backrow)
Luke Dunleavy(Backrow)
Sam Prendergast(Outhalf)

[mildlyinterested]

Cosgrave trained with seniors today.

[erskinechilders]

Cosgrave trained with seniors today.

Is he in the sub academy or academy? Has he progressed the way people thought he might?