Ireland Under-20 2024 Team

Hey_Ho_Lets_Go_3

The squad are in camp this week in Dublin.

Possible 23:

1. Jacob Boyd(Ulster)
2. Stephen Smyth(Leinster)
3. Andrew Sparrow(Leinster)
4. Joe Hopes(Ulster)
5. Evan O'Connell(Munster)
6. Max Flynn(Connacht)
7. Jacob Sheahan(Munster)
8. Brian Gleeson(Munster)
9. Oliver Coffey(Leinster)
10. Jack Murphy(Leinster)
11. Lukas Kenny(Ulster)
12. Hugh Gavin(Connacht)
13. Sam Berman(Leinster)
14. Hugo McLaughlin(Leinster)
15. Ben O'Connor(Munster)
16. Danny Sheahan(Munster)
17. Alex Usanov(Leinster)
18. Adam Deay(Leinster)
19. Alan Spicer(Leinster)
20. Josh Stevens(Ulster)
21. Tadhg Brophy(Leinster)
22. Sean Naughton(Connacht)
23. Ben McFarlane(Ulster)

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058323741/ireland-under-20-2024-team

Is that based on what you’ve heard about who is there?

I thought sparrow was a loosehead.

Dubinusa

Good provincial representation. Surprisingly no Brigg?

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121401034#Comment_121401034

McKillop and Ward might be involved as well.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121400983#Comment_121400983

No, Sparrow is and always has been a tighthead. Started the last few AIL games for UCD at tighthead too.

Is Sean Edogbo part of the squad do any of the Munster based people know?

Vinnie222

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121401130#Comment_121401130

He is

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121401142#Comment_121401142

Who else is involved?

snotboogie

Brian Gleeson is named in the Munster senior 23 this weekend, will he even play 20's this year? It seems he's preferred over Quinn, Okeke and O'Sullivan already, can Munster just keep him?

From a Munster perspective it would be a disappointment not to have Hicks in the 23 considering he's already in the academy. As far as I know he was left out of the 19's so he is likely training with the 20's? There are 4 20's eligible Munster players in the academy; O'Connell, Gleeson, Hicks and O'Connor while D. Sheahan, J. Sheahan, S. Edogbo, O'Riordan, Kiely, Condon and Pepper all seemed to go through some level of pre season with the senior squad this year. Kiely was in at least two of the match day 23's in pre season.

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121412484#Comment_121412484

I think hicks got injured playing for garryowen. Maybe, week one or two? I’d expect he will be in any final squad if fit.

This is supposedly a pretty stacked year. I don’t think they need gleeson necessarily.

Dubinusa

I would be surprised if Gleeson is with the 20's. I think he'll be a regular for the seniors. He's that good.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121412484#Comment_121412484

I'd say Eanna McCarthy from UCC will be close to the Irish U20s squad this year too. He looks a big unit, and can play lock / blindside.

Think Harry Long (Shannon centre) and both Kyle Read and James Conroy (scrum half and wing respectively, both with Garryowen) are also potentially in the mix. Possibly Adam Wrona (UCC hooker) as well. Possibly Keith Wood's son Gordon as well (who's starting in the AIL for Garryowen too).

Would agree with you there is a decent chance Gleeson isn't available for this side.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121412868#Comment_121412868

How would him being a regular with the senior team preclude him from playing for the 20s? If you look at the French and English u20 teams, there are always guys who already play in the Premiership and Top14.

Locke_Lamora

I would be very surprised if Gleeson wasn't available for the u20's, he might be better than some other players for Munster already but he's not an important player to the squad overall. I'm all for players playing senior rugby when they're ready (just look at how it's benefited France) but I wouldn't see the point in missing the u20's unless they were pivotal to the team. I can't think of many cases like that but Paddy Jackson missed the JWC as he was needed at Ulster and there were a couple of French players missing it last year to play in the actual RWC I think.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121412996#Comment_121412996

I think he'll be invaluable to the senior team. He is just insanely good at 19!

ulsteru20s

I think it depends.. what’s better development, playing with seniors or playing u20s. If you are ready to play with seniors, probably that.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121413112#Comment_121413112

But that still wouldn't preclude him from playing for the 20s. There are only two URC games during the 6N.

SaoPaulo41

Spicer is an absolute giant, 6 10 or something, thought he would have started

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121413148#Comment_121413148

He's still U19 though.

He's just back from injury (benched for UCD in AIL last weekend) but unsure if he's part of this squad or not.

Both Hopes and O'Connell were part of last year's squad, so would likely be the expected starters.

ulsteru20s

Spicer is massive but i understand he’s quite raw.

I watched the latest Queens game (or most of it) on youtube and Edogbo and Longstaff really stood out as just massive athletic men. Not sure if they will be involved or not.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121413511#Comment_121413511

Spicer reminds me of Toner, in a way. He makes his tackles and is a monster in the maul. He's just so big! You can watch him on you tube. He isn't explosive or massively powerful but, he's well worth a punt. I would guess he's going to take a while to develop.

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121413589#Comment_121413589

Guys like that are extremely useful although less so in how leinster usually play i guess.

leakyboots

No Ruadhan Quinn involved? Surprised at that (he just turned 20, is he overage maybe?)

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121421102#Comment_121421102

Have to be born in 2004. For 20s this season. He's overage

ulsteru20s

Is there an actual list of who was in the camp?

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121421273#Comment_121421273

Won't be anything official. Bit of guess work and usual rumours and you will be able to guess most who are involced

Hey boy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121413511#Comment_121413511

Any Queeens players look good?

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121426994#Comment_121426994

I thought Longstaff looked like a beast. Massive lad and moves well. Really liked the look of Kenny as well.

It was a tough camera angle so hard to tell more than ‘he’s big and looks the part’.

typhoony

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121413126#Comment_121413126

There's definitely history in the past of u20's eligible players like Henshaw and Fitzgerald not representing Ireland, although I think in Fitzgeralds case he thought he was too good to play for the u20's

typhoony

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121413589#Comment_121413589

Agreed massive units are rare in Irish Rugby, toner was a more of a lanky build. Hopefully Spicer is given time to develop his rugby skills.

typhoony

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121413112#Comment_121413112

Munster have good depth in the backrow so hopefully Gleeson is released and made Captain of the u20's this season

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121430527#Comment_121430527

That’s not remotely true about Luke Fitzgerald - even though he was already a full Irish international and a regular starter for Leinster, he was named in the U20s side for the first game of the U20s season in 2007 and hurt his neck playing for Leinster, missing the entire campaign.

pickarooney

Venues announced for the 6N. Will be going to the French game. Who do people reckon are the top 3 to watch this year (excluding lads returning from last year)?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121431550#Comment_121431550

On the Irish side you mean?

Outside of the guys returning from last year, I would think guys who have high-ceiling pro potential would be Lukas Kenny (Ulster - winger), Hugo McLaughlin (Leinster - back three) and Stephen Smyth (Leinster - hooker).

geoff2204

think stephen smyth is the real deal- have seen him play and he looks brilliant.

typhoony

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121431099#Comment_121431099

It was what I was told at the time from a reliable source involved with the team

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121432936#Comment_121432936

Well, no disrespect intended to your anonymous source, but it's bullshit tbh.

He hurt his neck in a game against Ulster in Dec 2006. Up to that point he'd been involved in the match squads for the Leinster senior team for 9/9 games, starting 8 of those.

He then missed three games in Dec 06/Jan 07, reappeared for Leinster against Llanelli at the end of Jan and was taken off, injured after 55 mins. While he was named in the Irish U20 side for the first game of the U20 6N a week or so later, he was withdrawn the week of the game with injury. He went on to miss the next two Leinster games with injury too, and didn't return for Leinster till early April.

These silly rumours that go around from anonymous, but always "reliable", sources are far too frequent here.

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121431799#Comment_121431799

I’d say Ben O Connor in terms of potential. He might be the best pure athlete in any academy right now. He was a high high end hurling prospect as well.

I honestly don’t know if he will even be in the squad but i really want to see longstaff play as well.

What the hell are Leinster going to do with all these hookers? I heard there’s a guy coming next year (ironically called tom stewart) who is an absolute beast.

To name a third guy, the ulster loosehead boyd.

conquestscarer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121434408#Comment_121434408

Stewart was a big boy at school and looked very physically developed for his age, I'd wonder if that caps him at higher levels as he doesn't have that much room to physically grow. I'm not sure he has that much height on his side either. Was more his size then rugby ability that caught my eye aswell.

ulsteru20s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121434683#Comment_121434683

I honestly have just heard his name but was told he was a big prospect.

conquestscarer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121431550#Comment_121431550

From a Leinster POV, Sparrow, Deay, McLaughlin. McLaughlin probably because he was the best schools player over the last 2 years IMO. Deay and Sparrow as they're both shooting for a tighthead prop academy place at Leinster and it looks neck and neck between them. Spicer probably one to watch based on pure size, needs more work as a player but just has so many advantages over other players from his physique means he could develop into a special player.

FrannoFan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121434408#Comment_121434408

What school/club is tom stewart?

McLoughlin been playing 13 for lansdowne. Played 15 in schools

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121437979#Comment_121437979

He came through Michaels, and is playing with Terenure (Skehan seems to have brought a number of ex-Michaels guys over there, when previously there would have been virtually no link to speak of).

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121437979#Comment_121437979

Has he? I've only seen him named at wing or full back this year for Lansdowne in AIL. Played full back in the one game I was at too.

conquestscarer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121438008#Comment_121438008

I don't think he has from the teamsheets I've seen.

RAKM

I think Skehans brother has joined the coaching team and he is involved with Michaels SCT.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121438568#Comment_121438568

For Terenure (club) you mean?

Yeah, Andy Skehan is the Head Coach of the Michael's SCT and Sean Skehan is Head Coach at Terenure RFC 1st XV.

Chico Flores

McLoughlin has only played wing or full back, I think 2 games at 15 for Lansdowne

They have Rory Parata and Andy Marks in the centre for every game I am fairly sure.

RAKM

Yes I believe Andy is helping at Nure.

Hey_Ho_Lets_Go_3

18 year old lock Alan Spicer starting for UCD this weekend.

pickarooney

Probably a stupid question but do you have to be a student at UCD to play for the rugby team?

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121441266#Comment_121441266

The lad certainly has potential. He's got to be the biggest player I've seen from Ireland. I'm praying they can develop him like they developed Toner.