Shane Jennings off to Leicester

jonno

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,2768-1553115,00.html

Tigers snatch flanker Shane
Leinster’s promising flanker Shane Jennings is defecting to Welford Road at the end of the season, writes Peter O’Reilly
AS IF what happened at Lansdowne Road yesterday wasn’t bad enough, Leicester have rubbed salt into Leinster wounds by poaching the province’s promising flanker Shane Jennings. A well-placed Leicester source confirmed last night that Jennings will be playing his rugby at Welford Road next season.

Jennings’s departure will also go down badly with the IRFU. Having made such an effort to repatriate its top players and then control their workload, the last thing the union wants is their brightest talent being flogged in the Zurich Premiership. Only late last month, Johnny O’Connor opted to remain at Wasps rather than rejoin Connacht.

The 23-year-old Jennings is seen as a potential international. He put in an impressive performance for the A side against France last month and was arguably Leinster’s player of the pool stages, when he was the team’s second-highest try-scorer with four. His efforts softened the blow of losing Keith Gleeson to injury at the start of the season.

His decision to leave will fuel the rumours that he was distinctly unhappy to be replaced by Gleeson for yesterday’s game. On the face of it, he would appear to have good reason. Gleeson had only played a game and a half of serious rugby since returning from a 12-month absence. His selection hardly sent out the most positive message to Jennings.

It’s unlikely that he will be the only player leaving the province at the end of the year. Some have been told their services are no longer required, while others are unhappy with the lack of opportunity.

It’s two years since we first heard of a rift in the camp between the international brigade and the foot-soldiers who slog away when the superstars are gone. Despite Declan Kidney’s attempts at creating a harmonious environment, it’s clear a rift still exists.

As for Jennings, he can at least be reasonably confident of seeing action in the Premiership next year. Lewis Moody has signed an extension to his contract but will be away on England duty regularly. And if Serge Betsen joins the club, as rumoured, he will be on call with France.

Very bad news if this happens. It will probably be good for the international team btu bad for Leinster. I know we have Potts and Ronan coming through as well but I really think Jennings is a class act and still only 23. I also think he should have started against the Tigers on Saturday. Seems the IRFU have had their say in team selection again maybe

Trojan

Bad news alright, but self-inflicted.

I think the bigger story is that Kidney hasn't sorted out the squad situation.

RuggieBear

bloody tigers...but then who can blame the decent young players when they are replaced, despite having a great season, by an international with no real match practice.

Leicester have an incredible scouting set up for a rugby club....when i was over there a a welsh friend of a friend's 15 year old brother had been invited to welford road, on the basis of a scout's report in cardiff, along with about 50 others to play in trial matches :eek:

Leinster have now lost 2 of their best ball carrying back rows and the best out-half they've had in years, 3 hard blows to take individually, but together, that's some serious damage.

RuggieBear

i also read somewhere tht kidney applied for the munster job..... :eek: Couldn't really blame him for going home

Could be a long hard season next year.....

besty

bad news alright. he's quality

Nukem

Really can't fault the guy. He was outstanding in all the games a saw him play. Looks like a giant winger rather than a forward,got immense pace for his size. But would wonder the timiing is a bit odd in a way with Costello retiring and all? But i suppose with Gleeson back. Also would watch Contepomi,be surprised if he doesnt move (He'd be good for Munster.little dig) with the selection woes.

Contempomi won't move unless Leinster get another out-half, he wants that postition.

tHE vAGGABOND

terrible news for leinster..

But you cant fault the lad himself in seeking first team rugby, prolly a nice pay rise and playing at a better standard of rugby week in and week out (in terms of weekly club rugby)

Moving has not done Jonnie O'Concrete any harm by the looks of it?

Eoin

tHE vAGGABOND wrote:

terrible news for leinster..

But you cant fault the lad himself in seeking first team rugby, prolly a nice pay rise and playing at a better standard of rugby week in and week out (in terms of weekly club rugby)

Moving has not done Jonnie O'Concrete any harm by the looks of it?

I have to agree - he may have been given a good indication that he is likely to be number 2 to Gleeson while Gleeson is fit. Also, maybe he doesn't see Leinster as a team who are likely to get much silverware in the near future.

unlucky for him that Ireland have such a wealth of quality back row players at the moment

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

RuggieBear

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

that's what i was thinking but the IRFU could go and shaft connacht and send bradley leinster's way

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

applehunter

Losing Jennings would be a big blow. He was a great player at schools level and has prgressed to now be on the verge of the big break through.

Leinster need all their best forwards because the shower they've got at the moment are a bunch of fannys.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

MarVeL

TBH applehunter while I'm sorry to see him leaving his position is not where the problems lie with Leinster (or Ireland) If it was a promising front row now that would be a different story but fortunately we don't have one of them for anyone to poach

RuggieBear

in the Irish times today, it says that McCullen is probably going to leave and a couple of players aren't having their contracts renewed including James Norton.

Now i really really rate Norton. He is an amazing runner but just can't defend at al (ala D'arcy a few seasons ago). I believe he threw an almighty strop at not being picked in the Heineken cup squad and by the way he has barely featured even on the bench for the rest of the Celtic league he has probably shown a bad attitude in training.....pity, in my eye he had real potential.

As for McCullen, he was such an under reated player it's not funny. Very intelligent charming guy but with a toughness to his play that was great.

bloody hell...it's goin to be a tough season

evilhomer

MarVeL wrote:

TBH applehunter while I'm sorry to see him leaving his position is not where the problems lie with Leinster (or Ireland) If it was a promising front row now that would be a different story but fortunately we don't have one of them for anyone to poach

We will be the one's poaching front rows soon Marvel, just wait and see.
Gonna try the ol' grandfather or citizenship ploy to add a couple of front rows for the National team.

We just don't seem to be able to produce good props in this country

applehunter

Marcus Horan

evilhomer

Horan, is hardly of the standard of players like Marconnet, Mas, Vickery, White or even Lo Cicero of Italy, Hewett(NZ), Sommerville, Darwin, etc.... the list goes on and on.....

perhap I should have clarified and said World Class, but to be honest our Props are average at international level at best.

tHE vAGGABOND

to be honest our Props are average at international level at best

Indeed. I believe from one of the english papers that the IRFU have appointed someone to a full time post to develop and train front row talent, from schools upwards..

Horan is a good player in the loose, but is not top international class (I think the Bull is on his day!), and if were talking about winning grand slams and having runs at world cups we need players of that class..

Both Munster and Leinster have had awful problems against the top packs in Europe, and Ireland had problems against a several of the 6N packs. As a prop, I know that if your props get 0wned, the scrum is pretty much shagged 9 times out of 10. Once you take 1 step back, its hard to change direction

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

evilhomer

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

I never mentioned Gethin Jenkin in my list of great props Daveirl

Horan is not a great scrummager, to be a world class prop you have to be good in the tight as well as the loose.

[edit]I apologise for taking this thread off topic, but our strenght-in-depth in the front row upsets me[/Edit]

[Jackass]

Horan reminds me a bit of Keith Wood (obviously not as good YET), but his toughness upfront, his work rate, and his quickness, and skill for a front row in broken play is superb. A talented footballer, but the difference with Woody was he was a much bigger and stronger front row player...Horan has all the skills (scrummaging, work, loose play etc) to be world class...i just think he needs to get bigger/stronger.

Jennings is a big loss, and a very avoidable one. While i can sympathys with the players who do all the unfasionable work in the CL and make the hard yards...and then the *stars* come in to wrap up the season and take the limelight, there must be a balance between the preformers during the CL games, such as Jennings, to take their place for the big games, and it does no harm to drop the big names to the less important games every now and then to keep them on their toes.

I think that's where the mistake is made, and dispute originates from. It seems once your in the HC club, your place is untouchable, and once you're in the CL club, it's difficult to progress to the "top tier" team.

Good luck Jennings, he deserves his chance, and i've no doubt he'll make it over there, but for Leinster, this problem needs to be fixed asap if we are to get back onto the rails of developing our provences and then our national team to the best. Because we're certainly in a bump right now, that we need to get out of!

spanner

evilhomer wrote:

I never mentioned Gethin Jenkin in my list of great props Daveirl

Horan is not a great scrummager, to be a world class prop you have to be good in the tight as well as the loose.

[edit]I apologise for taking this thread off topic, but our strenght-in-depth in the front row upsets me[/Edit]

i think if horan is given his chance he could be great. just imagine munster was asked by the ref once in france to take john hayes off because he was getting killed in the scrum and now look at him

spanner

that will be some job for jennings to get on that team, moody and corry arent going to be pushed out of their position easily

RuggieBear

spanner wrote:

that will be some job for jennings to get on that team, moody and corry arent going to be pushed out of their position easily

back is retiring to become one of the coaches

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

RuggieBear

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Well i have very high hopes for Jennings. I think he will be briliant playing behind an impressive pack....he has done alright playing in the leinster back row