Take one player from each province

Name the province you support and then which player you would take from the other three (and why). Must be Irish qualified.

Province: Leinster

Players I would take:

Ulster: Bobby Baloucoune. Hard to turn away Henderson but his injury profile is a concern and I'd like to see what an out and out speedster could do in the Leinster backline.

Connacht: Findlay Bealham. Wouldn't come in as first choice but he'd start for a lot of International teams and is quality in my opinion. Tight call as Aki and Hansen would be great to have but Hansen / Lowe are similarish players and I still prefer Henshaw / Ringrose to any other midfield combination. Prendergast also in the running but too many flankers at Leinster as is.

Munster: Very hard call. Can't really look past Tadgh Beirne so would most likely be my choice but would be very tempted to bring Carbery back and see how he does in a Lancaster coached team (for the last half a season he's with the province). Could honestly see myself taking POM just for the roflcopters but same issue as Predergast, too many flankers. Go with Tadgh Beirne.

stephen_n

Ulster I would take Marty Moore back. Having him as backup to Furlong would be massive at the business end of the season.

Connacht I would say Blade we need a quality scrumhalf and I would say he is that. McGrath is coming towards the end of his career. Blade is young enough to step in there. Although I think Foley is going to be good for us.

Munster would be Beirne without question. Though for age profile I would maybe consider Edogbo.

aloooof

Interesting one, Venjur.

Munster fan here and given Munster’s front-row is probably the largest area of weakness for us, off the top of my head, I think I’d go:

Leinster: Dan Sheehan. Ludicrous quality for such a young age.

Connacht: Finlay Bealham. Would go straight in as first choice, and he and Sheehan would go a long way to shoring up our front row problems.

Ulster: James Hume. My understanding at the start of the season was that first choice midfield would be 12. Frisch 13. Fekitoa, so hoping Frisch could continue his good form from 12, this could be a really potent midfield.

Dubinusa

Connacht... bealham

Munster.... target

Ulster.... doak

cuttingtimber22

Munster supporter.

Leinster - Ringrose - obviously Sheehan, Henshaw, JDV and James Ryan would also be very welcome.

Ulster - Balacoune.

Connacht - probably Bealham.

Jump_In_Jack

Munster supporter

Leinster - nobody (Don't rate the young crop, and wouldn't think any of the senior players would buy into the Munster spirit)

Connacht - Niall Murray (Class operator, expecting Irish caps in his future if can avoid injury)

Ulster - Aaron Sexton (We don't have the sheer speed he has, and would love to see him in action)

jacothelad

Ulster supporter.

Leinster.....Porter

Munster.....Beirne

Connacht..Prendergast.

RichieRich_89

Ulster: Marty Moore

Munster: Loughman

Connacht: Josh Murphy

Leinster supporter.

In the interests of winning a European Cup this season, I'll go:

Munster: Tadgh Beirne

Ulster: Robert Baloucoune

Connacht: Cian Prendergast

Dubinusa

Springbok supporter!!!!!

Munster.....kleyn

Ulster Duane

Leinster.... Jenkins

Connacht..... ?

leakyboots

Munster fan.

Leinster: Probably someone in the front row, maybe Sheahan or Porter/Furlong. Or we could do with a centre so Henshaw/Ringrose.

Connacht: Aki

Ulster: Toughest one, McCloskey maybe at 12. I love Lowry too, he's dynamite

ulsteru20s

Ulster supporter

Leinster: Porter if we weren’t getting kitshoff. Since we are, Ryan.

Munster: Crowley.

Connacht: Prendergast.

Crowley is probably a little much but a top class 10 prospect is something we really need and i really rate him.

CowboyTed

Connacht Fan

Ultimate wish list (ie not ever getting)

Leinster: De Flyer or Doris

Munster: Berine

Ulster: Henderson

A little more realistic, Academy players:

Leinster: Alex Sorka, James Culhane

Munster: Daniel OKEKE

Ulster : Lorcan McLoughlin

Saying that I also rate Sam Prendergast (Leinster)...

BTW Conor O'Tighearnaigh is not named in Leinster Academy Squad. Wonder where he is?

ulsteru20s

Academy players… McLoughlin is a great shout from us. He was really good for under 20s.

for me,

Munster: Edogbo

Leinster: Jack Boyle

Connacht: Mullins

If I was allowed to take any player under 21, it’s edogbo for me. Especially with our style of play. McCarthy is a shout too but I’ll go with edogbo.

Burkie1203

From Ulster - Balacoune

From connacht - Bealham

From Munster - Snyman, Although Zebo for the LOLs would be good

Zeugnis

Connacht supporter

From Leinster: Furlong (or Porter)

From Munster: Beirne (although I too am feeling the love for Edogbo)

From Ulster: Lowry

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119933057#Comment_119933057

McGrath is 29, Blade is 28.

Hey_Ho_Lets_Go_3

Munster - Beirne

Connacht - Prendergast

Ulster - Moore

Akrasia

Munster supporter.

Leinster. Sheehan. Munster haven't much depth at hooker and Sheehan is world class

Connacht. - Niall Murray you can never have too many Locks and this lad seems to always give everything

Ulster - McClosky. Stu is a battering ram and we could do with an extra centre and if he's on Munsters team it means he won't be playing against us twice a year

Akrasia

Also. It's pretty funny that Leinster fans on this thread mostly picked Beirne or Carbery. Both former Leinster players...

It's like if you were born west of the Shannon you don't exist

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119934016#Comment_119934016

I mean one person said Carbery, and Venj is barely a person...

Beirne has a solid case for being Munster's best player also. Its more coincidence than anything.

Its one of those questions that can be answered in different ways - immediate impact or long term success.

Munster: Beirne or Edogbo

Connacht: Watch them the least so not sure, but maybe Blade.

Ulster: Baloucoune

Hey_Ho_Lets_Go_3

Its hardly controversial to say beirne is munsters best player

stephen_n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119933991#Comment_119933991

I thought Blade was younger than that. I also had it my head that McGrath was only a year younger than Cooney. Not 3 years younger. In that case maybe I’d take Hansen.

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119934016#Comment_119934016

One person picked Carbery. A few picked Beirne and given his form that's hardly surprising.

Former Former Former

Munster: Beirne

Ulster: Vermeulen

Connacht: Hansen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119934214#Comment_119934214

Vermeulen declaring for Ireland - heard it here first!

Xander10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119933338#Comment_119933338

Maybe the OP should have said "no children allowed on thread"

Former Former Former

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119934223#Comment_119934223

Oops, missed that bit

Henderson so.

KBurke85

Connacht Supporter

Munster - Tadhg Beirne

Ulster - Doak

Leinster - Sexton

freyners

Connacht supporter

Leinster: Doris. Back to the province of birth and would fill a huge ball carrying need for us, in addition to all his other superb attributes.

Ulster: Tempted to say Henderson but picking Beirne from Munster. Lowry as a specialist fullback for me.

Munster: Beirne obvious choice

ClanofLams

Connacht supporter

Rhys Ruddock, Jordi Murphy and Mike Haley. Three ultra reliable players who seem to avoid injury and international call ups.

realhorrorshow

Connacht supporter, going to take this way too seriously as I'm avoiding work. Taking the liberty of assuming that the signing will be for the rest of player's career, rather than a single contract. Going to prioritise younger players with the idea that they will enter their prime around the same time as what I am hoping is already a strong crop of players in their early twenties; Tierney-Martin, Illo, Aungier, the Murrays, Prendergast, McCormack, Devine, Forde, Hawkshaw, Jennings, Mullins, etc.

Leinster: Joe McCarthy. Irish qualified tighthead locks are hard to come by, we could be a long time waiting to develop one ourselves and I don't want to see Niall Murray bulking up to the point he loses some of his natural athleticism.

Munster: Jack Crowley. Backing him to become a key man at 10 for the better part of a decade, with both Forde and Hawkshaw looking more like 12s thus far for me. Was tempted to go with Edogbo and Harry Byrne but choosing Crowley as he seems quite durable thus far.

Ulster: Would have preferred a loosehead or no. 8 but none of the options take my fancy, so going with Tom Stewart. Hooker is a tricky position but he looks very much like a future international. Could form a good combination with Tierney-Martin.

Obviously risky going with relatively unproven players but my logic is that even with 3 top class internationals added to the current squad we are not likely to win anything, so I'm gambling that something like the following could be a genuine European contender in 5 years:

Dooley, Stewart, Illo, N Murray, McCarthy, Prendergast, McCormack, Boyle, Devine, Crowley, Hansen, Hawkshaw, Ralston, Jennings, Mullins

Neil3030

Shout out to the solitary Leinster fan who actually read the OP and named the province they support.

ersatz

@Jump_In_Jack

Leinster - nobody (Don't rate the young crop, and wouldn't think any of the senior players would buy into the Munster spirit)

I'm non aligned Irish fan and generally support the weaker provinces in derbies, though I'm from Leinster and 'follow' them due to their success. But I've one foot in Munster family wise. Anyhow, I have no idea what the "Munster spirit' is, as opposed to the spirit of any other pro team and it's idiosyncratic culture and history. Lot's of Leinster players have thrived in Munster, plus loads of guys from abroad, maybe it's just a troll but I am interested in this 'Munster mind' that was explained as 'pashun' in the days when the team was successful. What is so unknowable that Leinster players wouldn't get it?

Boscoirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119936152#Comment_119936152

The modern equivalent of not putting 01 before phone numbers

Boscoirl

Munster fan here:

Leinster: Sheehan (problem position for us)

Ulster: Balacoune (Pace)

Connacht: Prendigast ( absolute **** to play against)

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119936777#Comment_119936777

If a player is good enough and you have a competitive culture at the club, almost anyone should fit in.

I’d agree though that the current young leinster crop is worse than the previous generation but there are still good players like joe mccarthy.

bilston

Ulster Fan

Leinster - Furlong

Munster - Beirne

Connacht - Prendergast

Not surprisingly all forwards, although if age wasn't a factor it would be a toss of a coin between Furlong and Sexton from Leinster.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119933338#Comment_119933338

Leinster - nobody (Don't rate the young crop, and wouldn't think any of the senior players would buy into the Munster spirit)

Leaving aside the "Munster spirit" for a moment, to say you don't rate the young crop at Leinster is funny.

A team primarily comprising the young crop beat an almost full strength Munster side (13 of the 15 starters who had started against Toulouse in Europe) who had everything to play for back in May; which cost Munster a home QF, and led to a swift and ignominious exit against Ulster in Ravenhill.

That Leinster team that day had an average age of 24 in the starting XV and contained multiple players who had less than 10 total starts for Leinster.

They didn't seem too bad that day.

Zeugnis

From the responses it is clear that Beirne basks in the admiration of fans across the island, but his popularity is such that it spoils the exercise a little as regards Munster. It would be interesting to run the same survey but on uncapped players, or those under 23/25.

Another wrinkle is that Connacht and Munster both have clear gaps in their current squads, so the picks are guided to a great extent by need. For example, it's notable that only person selected JVDF, presumably because 7s are strong across the provinces, whereas top level front rows are in short supply.

Hey_Ho_Lets_Go_3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119938352#Comment_119938352

its a common refrain from those who follow a certain munster twitter personality.

pickarooney

Make it so you have to swap a first teamer for an u-23 player at another province

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119938364#Comment_119938364

Yeah, tbf Beirne is one of Ireland's absolute best players and one of the best players in the world over the past couple of seasons. His selection is hardly surprising, surely?

If selecting an U-23 (including 23 year olds) player from the other sides, I would go as follows:

Ulster: Stewart Moore

Munster: Jack Crowley (closely ahead of Thomas Ahern and Ed Edogbo)

Connacht: Cian Prendergast

Dubinusa

Beirne is the best forward on the island, imo. Brilliant blindside and lock. At blindside he's in a class of his own, imo. I'd say world class. There's nobody that good. Of course fans want him.

Jump_In_Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119936777#Comment_119936777

I replied to the OP with realistic answers. You wouldn't be able to plonk the likes of Tadhg Furlong into the Munster setup, just not realistic. He wouldn't want to be there and no point even considering it.

Jump_In_Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119937065#Comment_119937065

We have better players in Ahern and Edogbo anyway. Don't rate McCarthy personally, he's too indisciplined. He might improve, he's still young.

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119938607#Comment_119938607

I like Edogbo more as well, but there are definitely young leinster players who would fit in munster.

Also, the entire thread is full of players who might not be happy elsewhere. It’s not really the point of the exercise.

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119938376#Comment_119938376

Interesting but actually not super hard for ulster from my POV.

Munster: Sam Carter for Edogbo, or Burns for Crowley

Leinster: Sam Carter for Joe McCarthy

Connacht: this one is tougher… Rea for Prendergast.

Hey_Ho_Lets_Go_3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119939421#Comment_119939421

of course there are

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119939463#Comment_119939463

I think some munster fans have been burned by some leinster guys who under performed and taken the extreme wrong lesson from it.

sydthebeat

typical of some posters to look at a fun thread through their squidgy one eye.

leinster fan here.. id look at this from the point of view of what positions most need improvement and whos teh best option between the 3 provinces, so while Beirne would make any team better, there are more pressing places to improve leinster.

Ulster:- Doak. Leinster could do with a different option at 9. LMCG is on a slow decline and while JGP is away with the test team we could do with a senior level 9 to challenge and over take LMCG

Connacht:- Mack, just cos we find it hard to keep our top wingers fit and uninjured, an he has a good profile from that point of view. His midfield platy making would really suit leinsters style.

Munster:- apart from beirne theres no forward id have at leinster instead of their counter parts. Possibly Kendellan as a replacement for ruddock. But id go for Crowley for the promise he has as sextons long term successor.