Irish Under-20's 2023

Hard to know, still very early. The ones I'd be optimistic on reaching full international level at some point in future are James Culhane and Matthew Devine.

Outside of that, I think all of Patrick Campbell, Chay Mullins, Rory McGuire, Conor O'Tighearnaigh and James McCormick look like they could be future internationals, and obviously Jack Boyle would be in my first grouping if I'd more clarity on his injury situation.

Yeah, I do agree. McNabney looks a serious prospect too this year, and I'd be extremely high on Sam Prendergast.

Yeah, I’d forgotten Postlethwaite tbh but he looked serious prospect. Another guy seemingly injured since then though so hard to read how he’s going since.

IMO:

15-9, 1-8: Henry McErlean, Rory Telfer, Hugh Cooney, Hugh Gavin, Ike Anagu, Sam Prendergast, Fintan Gunne, George Hadden, Gus McCarthy, Paddy McCarthy, Conor O'Tighearnaigh, Evan O'Connell, Diarmuid Mangan, Ruadhan Quinn, James McNabney

Reps: Danny Sheahan, George Morris, Fiachna Barrett, Charlie Irvine, Brian Gleeson, Jack Oliver, Harry West, Sam Berman.

No, Evan O'Connell didn't get off the bench in that game. He hasn't made his senior debut yet for Munster.

I don't think that's fair. By all accounts, Oji hasn't helped himself here, is underperforming at an AIL level and isn't hitting the S&C or fitness markers he's been given. If his development is stalling, 95% of the blame sits with him imo.

It sounds like Anagu is going to make a business decision about his future, and is being relatively upfront about that. There is huge logic in becoming JIFF qualified, it would forever make him a much more attractive option to the Top14 clubs.

Ireland have the option of taking a punt on him now and putting a full contract (presumably at a decent wedge) in front of him right now, or run the risk of him pulling up trees for the 20s and having others chasing him aggressively. I don't see us being outbid by the SA teams (but maybe Anagu prefers to play in SA?), but obviously there is a risk of a French team making him an offer we don't think is worth managing.

This is the business side of rugby, as distasteful as it appears sometimes.

Yeah, I completely get that. But I don't think Oji deserves to be in the Ireland U20s as a development milestone, if there are more talented players available.

I agree on Anagu. I can see why he wants to be JIFF qualified, but the IRFU are going to want him in the system here if there is to be a long term plan for him.

Unless he looks like a generational talent, in which case they'll have to compete for him.

Lucas Berti Newman was a young guy who left the Leinster system a few years ago to go to Bristol (i think?). Bernard Jackman at the time talked it up as a travesty that this super talented young player was allowed to escape the system, but didn't really disclose his relatively close relationship to the player's father.

Since moving to Bristol, he hasn't really flourished and looks undersized, while talented.

Will Hickey is probably the guy you're thinking of who went to Ospreys, and I think he has gotten some game time for them (or at least into some match squads).

It's not that these players saw better opportunities, just that in most cases there wasn't an offer there in the Irish system for them.

Sorry, you're right.

TBF to him, I don't mean to sound as disparaging towards him as I did in the post above. He's obviously very talented, but I do think Birch wasn't been 100% intellectually honest with his journalist hat on when he was hyping the guy up.