You've come back with more ifs. If he passes Kelleher, he's never passing Kelleher as long as he's no.2 for Ireland.
You said a few months back that a number of Leinster players should go up to Connacht, including Baird, as they weren't playing first team rugby at Leinster. Bealham, Aki and Hansen came to Connacht from Australia and NZ. Has a player ever moved from Leinster to Connacht and improved their career?
Lancaster is a good coach but up to this season Leinster have had a far better set of coaches than Connacht have. They also have a much better squad to train with week in week out. They play in more knockouts, play better teams in Europe, have the potential to win more trophies etc etc. McCarthy will progress just fine at Leinster and will be second choice hooker by the end of the season imo.
If my team is getting to semi finals/finals of URC and Europe regularly, I'm getting picked in Ireland squads, training with world class players each day, my family and friends (girlfriend, house, if it's applicable) are all close by. Why would I want to move to Connacht to fight for 8th-12th in the league each season?
A Scott Penny, Max Deegan to an extent I get. It isn't the same situation with G McCarthy when he is just 22 and getting selected for Ireland.
As said by somebody else above his starts for Ireland came because of injuries, his appearances for Leinster in bigger games came because of injury.
Your opinion on whether he'll pass Kelleher by the end of the season is just a guess. If Kelleher is the Ireland no.2 hooker for the Six nations he's not going to get ahead of him. Leinster will stick with what Ireland are doing.
For example JGP was the Leinster no.2 until he got picked for Ireland, Leinster immediately made him their starter.
You didn't answer my two questions to you. I'll repeat them below incase you missed them.
2. If my team is getting to semi finals/finals of URC and Europe regularly, I'm getting picked in Ireland squads, training with world class players each day, my family and friends (girlfriend, house, if it's applicable) are all close by. Why would I want to move to Connacht to fight for 8th-12th in the league each season?
Not directed at me, but on the first question, I think there's a good argument Ben Murphy has improved his career prospects. I wish he hadn't left tbh, and would be happy to see him return. Leinster clearly saw Fintan Gunne as the brighter prospect of the two, but the jury is very much still out on that call IMO.
There's a decent argument for Jack Aungier - I dunno if he'd have gotten the game time he's gotten if he'd stayed (even though Leinster were frustrated to see him go).
David Hawkshaw has probably carved out a good career for himself, and it's unlikely he was going to crack Leinster's first choice 23. Tom Farrell (actually came from Bedford and not directly from Leinster) definitely made a career for himself out west (even if they got the call around renewing him a few years back dreadfully wrong).
Arguably John Cooney going back further, though it was really at Ulster that he caught fire I guess.
I'm not counting guys like Cian Prendergast, Sam Illo or Paul Boyle who were in the Leinster Sub-Academy but not the full academy, but all three have obviously thrived at Connacht.
Firstly Bealham was very young when he came to Connacht, he was developed by Connacht.
Mack Hansen was on the bench unless there were injuries when with the Brumbies. He turned into a world class player with Connacht.
Aki was different, he was a starter for the Chiefs for a year before coming to Connacht.
What's happened in the past with players coming to Connacht is not what we should be looking at.
Of those that have come in recent times Jack Aungier has done very well, Ben Murphy too. Was Sam Illo with Leinster? He's about to break through, I expect he'll be a starter very soon. We also have Paul Boyle and Cian Prendergast who I don't think Leinster wanted.
Having Lancaster now is huge as we have a number of young players coming through and they'll all make it. He'll be great for any players coming in as well.
Sean Naughton is 21 and starting at full back right now, he'll be 10 soon. Watch out for Matt Devine, he's battling Blade and Murphy for opportunities and he'll win that battle. I think everybody already knows about Hugh Gavin whose 21. We also have another 21 year old centre John Devine, Matthew's brother who has a lot of talent.
I could go all the way down to first year academy players and name a few that are very talented but I won't.
Right now we have 11 regular starters who came through the academy, three of them are older but the rest are quite young.
And just to clarify I'm not saying Gus needs to come to Connacht. If he goes to any of the other three provinces he'll be a starter.
I'm very proud of my own junior club. We have an older starter in the team and a few very talented players in the academy.
Three of our girls just got central contracts.
The answer to your first question is obviously yes. Just in the past couple of years Ben Murphy has gone from 3rd choice to capped international within a season, and Jack Aungier has gone from 6th choice to A international. To your second, I don't there's much of a case for players making the Ireland squad to move, apart from maybe someone like Frawley if he wanted a run at the 10 jersey. It's the guys below who may benefit, the likes of a John McKee or a Charlie Tector
Ben Murphy is a fair shout from all three replies. Josh Murphy possibly another that I forgot myself. Not sure I agree on the others but if you all do, fair enough.
My response wasn’t having a go at Connacht either. The constant calls for Leinster players to be moved to every other team though gets tiresome. Leinster are down to the bare bones during any international window with AIL players often covering some spots on the bench. Leinster do a pretty good job of spotting talent and who to keep (bar a couple notable mess ups) and obviously they can’t keep everybody but I think they should be afforded the opportunity to keep the players that they want, considering they developed them without the IRFU putting pressure on individuals to move elsewhere. Once the player themselves wants to stay obviously.
it’s really an age relevant question. If you’re mid to late 20’s, peak performance, and not getting game time then moving may be essential. Leo manages the talent very well and the next tier are benefiting from being around the majority of the Irish team day in day out. Why would Gus move given he is 22 getting plenty of game time and with plenty to come with the Irish squad time taking so much time out. Same for Gunne, also 22, sitting behind one of the best SH’s in the world, and coming on to score a try in URC final with a few European cup games mixed in. Paddy McCarthy goes from invisible and in the background to the next big thing and a massive change in his Irish future prospects. Soroka & Gavin on a similar trajectory. Why would you move from the best training camp if you’re getting your share of game time and getting the chance to shine? Opportunity in this game can be over night, be it injury, or simply grabbing that moment to prove what you are . The jersey you supported as a kid is what you want to wear
Josh Murphy got his first Irish A call up this season i think after 3 seasons ( 1 sabatical) at Connacht. This is probably the only one who comes close to meeting your criteria BingoBango.
I would propose Paul Boyle, Cian Prendegast, Ben Murphy, Andrew Smith, Sam Illo and Jack Aungier are players who moved at earlier stages of their careers and are on upwardish trajectories.
Tom Daly improved his career by making the move from Leinster to Connacht.
Andy Farrell in the independent today saying that he is open to bringing in more coaches and making adjustments to the coaching ticket before the world cup.
If Ireland have any chance to get past the quarter finals of the World cup, they need to make some big swings. Outside of Farrell and Easterby, nobody should be safe. New Scrum coach, new attack/backs coach, new lineout coach. Keep O'Connell on as the forwards coach. Ireland need to have somewhat the element of surprise when they get to the World cup. Currently for both Ireland and Leinster, it is way too easy to predict the squad, what plan they have and who's on the bench.
Changing out the staff after the 6 nations would be a good idea because it only gives other teams a little bit of time to make adjustments and by the time the World Cup comes around, the new gameplan will only actually be fully bedded in and understood by the players.
I would love for Ireland to bring in:
Attack/ Backs Coach: Noel McNamara - He has Union Bordeaux Bégles playing beautiful, vast and attacking rugby. Think he could do a great job with Ireland.
Scrum Coach: Gurthrö Steenkamp - He did great things with La Rochelle and he might be the perfect person to teach Ireland the dark arts of the scrum. He just finished up with La Rochelle in July and could be a very important addition
Lineout Coach: Alex Codling - Munster Line out coach - He has the lineout in Munster absolutely humming, anyone who talks about him talks about his genius intellect and how he is obsessed with the lineout.
On Top of that we need to introduce a head of Irish Rugby's elite referees panel. Hiring a Nigel Owen to come in and really coach up the players on discipline and what referees are looking out for would be huge.
On top of that, Farrell needs to be brave enough to bring in new blood. Players like Robert Baloucoune, Brian Gleeson, Ruadhan Quinn, Jude Postlethwaite, Hugh Gavin, Edwin Edogbo, Nathan Doak, Shayne Bolton and Tom Stewart are all players who should really be in with a shout of being in the next world cup squad. Fresh blood will revitalise this tired looking Ireland squad.
Hands off Codling...we were waiting long enough at munster for a lineout coach😁
Noel Mc would be a post RWC shout...he's out of contract then...if he's not snapped up by Leinster beforehand maybe
Scrum coach now pleae.
Wonder would Mike Prendergast get the call up. Done a fine job with Munster's backs
I had Mike Prendergasts' name down instead of McNamara but thought with Prendergast and Codling on the list, Munster fans would be up in arms!
"ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country" 😂
Would be a really big appointment for Ireland if they did get him.
I think after the South Africa game, it is the closest position to being replaced and with Gurthrö Steenkamp available, they should really highly consider it. Even go after Greg Feek who is doing part time work with the Blues in Auckland. Farrell has already worked with Feek under Joe.
POC should be the first name out the door, the lingerie has been **** for the duration of his coaching .
Indeed, shameful lingerie.
wasn’t even matching. Lazy stuff altogether
Mark Sexton could be another name in the mix...maybe a bit further down the line, but by all accounts he is working wonders with the Ulster backs. Ulster are the 2nd highest scorers in the URC this season having played a game less than the Stormers who have scored two more points.
I'd be wary of cannibalising the best coaching from the provincial teams. Neither Munster nor Ulster have been blessed with great coaches for years and it been reflected in results. Now that they have a few individuals bringing something special it would be a shame to shore up Ireland at their expense.
It'd be the ultimate tribute of the provinces. Imagine what the Capitol, sorry - Ireland could do with that level of coaching.
A lot of previous coaches at Munster went off to coach national teams, why begrudge one coaching in our national team.
While I think Munster would miss him I also think it's a great honour for him to get a gig with the national team.
Does a coach have to leave his province to coach a lineout or scrum for Ireland? Could he not just move up to do the job when there's internationals like the players?
He's not going to be coaching when there's no players there.
The provinces continue training during the international window, while they would have some down time they certainly aren't on a break during the international games.
McCarthy should go nowhere he will get plenty of game time with Leinster the new few weeks and will make the Ireland squad eitherway. doesn’t matter what the other hookers will do. Gus has experience of camp, knows the calls and the moves, why upset the apple cart by bringing in someone different
Also the National team coaches will be attending provincial training, matches etc. They aren't on holidays during the domestic season.
I'm well aware of that but I'm sure the provinces have other coaches who can take on the duties for a couple of weeks.
Edit
If we weren't an established country in rugby terms there might be some merit in what you're proposing but the last thing Ireland or the provinces need right now is a part time coach
