Irish Rugby's Best Emerging Talents

Size=everything · 17-09-2009 01:34PM #1

So I have decided to compile a list of the most promising players in the countrie's acadamies and sub academies for people who rarely get to see the underage teams.

Nevin Spence (ULSTER) -
I am sure many posters here saw this player in action for the Under 20s in the World Cup before his unfortunate injury and saw what an excellent player he was. Extremely powerful, good pace and a nice step.

Peter O'Mahony (MUNSTER) -
An excellent 8 who is a grafter and a natural born leader. Great with ball in hand and excellent in support play.

Jack McGrath (LEINSTER) -
A prop with unlimited potential. Has held his own against ex England props at just 18 and at the same age destroyed scrums for fun in the AIL top division. An excellent prospect.

Ciaran Ruddock (LEINSTER) -
The Welsh rugby union tried everything in their power to hold onto him for good reason. Ruddock is considered to be one of the most promising emerging talents in the country right now. An excellent, skillful second row who the IRFU are very lucky to have on their books.

Ian McKinley (LEINSTER) -
There has been a certain buzz about McKinley since jct level when Blackrock College were so impressed with him that they offered him everything to try and get him to join their ranks. At 18 he has already started for Leinster, an incredible outhalf with an incredible boot and brilliant distribution skills.

Noel Reid (LEINSTER) -
I have been talking about him a bit as of late but for good reason. He has been seriously impressive this year. An incredibly skillful outhalf who is equally competent at 12. His distribution, kicking, handling is unbelievable and he can put it in some serious hits. I have no doubt that Reid will be the natural replacement for D'arcy in a few years time.

Ian Nagle (MUNSTER) -
Has been playing some excellent stuff for Munster so far and looks to be improving constantly. If he can bulk up considerably (I believe hes only 15.5 stone at 6'7) then I have no doubt in a few years Nagle will be putting his hand up as an excellent solution to the problem of replacing POC and DOC.

Andrew Conway (LEINSTER) -
Another Full back to add to our growing list but a serious talent. A deadly threat with ball in hand and has excellent handling. His step is probably one of the best steps I have seen at that level and he has a huge future ahead of him.

Brendan Macken (LEINSTER) -
He has only just left school and already he has excelled in pre season games with the Leinster first team. This lad is without doubt at his age the biggest prospect in Northern Hemisphere rugby right now. He has been tipped to have the potential to be as good as O'Driscoll was in his prime and having seen him play I don't doubt this.

Dave Kearney (LEINSTER) -
We will probably be seeing him a lot this season but for those who don't know he is considered to have the potential to be even better than his brother.

Notable mentions also go out to Dominic Ryan (LEINSTER) and Scott Deasy (MUNSTER)

Spore · 17-09-2009 02:10PM

so the Irish team is destined to be an international Leinster team in five / seven years time

wixfjord · 17-09-2009 02:18PM

Spore wrote: »

so the Irish team is destined to be an international Leinster team in five / seven years time

When I opened this thread I was thinking :rolleyes: here we go again another Leinster's academy is better than Munsters thread, but in fairness to Size=everything thats not what it is. Hes a Leinster fan so would know more of the younger players. Please lets not go down the road that the Pick your Ireland 15 thread has gone with this. What about Kyle Tonetti and Eoin (Eugene?) Sheridan op?

chupacabra · 17-09-2009 03:47PM

Paddy McAllister, prop (Ulster)
Currently playing loosehead, i think this guy should be switching to tight head in the near future, good scrummaging and decent in the loose, he made a big difference in the games he played for Ballynahinch last year.

Ian Madigan, 10, 12, 15 (Leinster)
He is best suited to the 10 shirt but wont get near it with McKinley around. Might be a bit small for a 12 with the way things are going in that position at the moment, but in my opinion he is a better prospect than Kearney is.

Kevin Kidney, 10 (Munster)
Son of Declan, being touted as quite the player for his age. Ive only seen him play once and he was above average but not spectacular, keep an eye out tho.

Tiernan O'Halloran, center (Connacht)
This lad is probably the most promising player in the Connacht academy at the moment, saw him play for Roscrea last year and he looked dangerous. Scored some tries that day too.

Connor Murray, Scrum half, (Munster)
In my opinion, the best scrum half in ireland in his age grade. Very much in the mould of O'Leary/Phillips he's a tall but quick SH with beautiful hands and a good pass.

Johnny Shiels, center (Ulster)
On the fringes of the Ulster squad at the moment, had a decent enough pre-season, he looks like a good combination with Cave.

Brian O'Hara, back row (Munster)
Started the majority of the U-20 games this year, this guy is a serious work horse who is built for the modern 7 position.

Danny Barnes, center (Munster)
He may not be the future of irish rugby at center, but he is from my Town so he deserves a mention, fair play to you Danny.

When I opened this thread I was thinking here we go again another Leinster's academy is better than Munsters thread, but in fairness to Size=everything thats not what it is. Hes a Leinster fan so would know more of the younger players. Please lets not go down the road that the Pick your Ireland 15 thread has gone with this. What about Kyle Tonetti and Eoin (Eugene?) Sheridan op?

I wouldnt worry. You would have to be a fool not to see that the Leinster academy is one of the best in the Northern Heimisphere of late.

siltirocker · 17-09-2009 08:03PM

chupacabra wrote: »

Tiernan O'Halloran, center (Connacht)
This lad is probably the most promising player in the Connacht academy at the moment, saw him play for Roscrea last year and he looked dangerous. Scored some tries that day too.

.

+1 best underage player i've seen with my own eyes since Luke Fitzgerald.

kev_s88 · 17-09-2009 09:04PM

Dominic Ryan...absolute beast...

NickNolte · 18-09-2009 12:46AM

Going to throw my hat into the ring - Tiernan O'Halloran and Brendan Macken FTW

siltirocker · 18-09-2009 02:23AM

NickNolte wrote: »

Going to throw my hat into the ring - Tiernan O'Halloran and Brendan Macken FTW

Embaressed i didn't also +1 Macken myself when i was speaking about O'Halloran.

These two FTW without doubt!

stephen_n · 18-09-2009 09:41AM

Seems like we have some healthy prospects coming through in every position except 10

andrewdcs · 18-09-2009 11:41AM

Think 10 is ok actually. From above, there is a buzz about McKinley (10)... consensus generally that he's got more strings to his bow than Sexton, just needs a season or two, will hopefully get a reasonable run in the ML.

Size=everything · 18-09-2009 12:01PM

andrewdcs wrote: »

Think 10 is ok actually. From above, there is a buzz about McKinley (10)... consensus generally that he's got more strings to his bow than Sexton, just needs a season or two, will hopefully get a reasonable run in the ML.

Noel Reid as well, future for 10 is looking very healthy in my eyes

Size=everything · 18-09-2009 12:04PM

wixfjord wrote: »

What about Kyle Tonetti and Eoin (Eugene?) Sheridan op?

I think Tonetti and Sheridan are very good players however I don't class them as the best emerging talent. I only really listed the players who in my eyes are the top 10.

danthefan · 18-09-2009 12:15PM

Why is Reid not in the Leinster academy?

Size=everything · 18-09-2009 01:05PM

danthefan wrote: »

Why is Reid not in the Leinster academy?

Hes in the sub academy and it is highly likey will be offered a contract by the end of the season.

nerophis · 18-09-2009 01:27PM

who's going to come through for province to nail a starting place this season? Probably necessary to see this given the likely mass retirement after the world cup

nosco · 18-09-2009 01:59PM

I really hope one of these 10's you speak of comes good.

When was the last time Ireland had a proper, all round top quality 10?

I don't mean a 10 who can kick his goals, or control the game with his boot. I mean a world class 10 who has a change of pace and good hands, along with the rest. Sexton, again is not the answer. Fingers crossed cos if we can unearth one we really could have a world class back line in years to come.

irishbucsfan · 18-09-2009 02:15PM

nosco wrote: »

I don't mean a 10 who can kick his goals, or control the game with his boot. I mean a world class 10 who has a change of pace and good hands, along with the rest. Sexton, again is not the answer. Fingers crossed cos if we can unearth one we really could have a world class back line in years to come.

A change of pace and good hands is exactly what Sexton has, as well as a quality boot. I would say that he is the closest thing to world class we can ask for coming through right now. Apart from his discipline which he has to work on, and is a big worry (can't be having a ten whose missing for ten minutes every other game)

stephen_n · 18-09-2009 02:18PM

andrewdcs wrote: »

Think 10 is ok actually. From above, there is a buzz about McKinley (10)... consensus generally that he's got more strings to his bow than Sexton, just needs a season or two, will hopefully get a reasonable run in the ML.

Missed McKinley when I was reading through the first time!

wixfjord · 18-09-2009 02:30PM

Size=everything wrote: »

Noel Reid as well, future for 10 is looking very healthy in my eyes

By any chance are you or are you related to Noel Reid?:pac:

nosco · 18-09-2009 03:27PM

As much as i'd like to see it, being a leinster and irish fan, i really don't and can never see sexton being world class.

He by no means has the turn of pace and handling ability i alluded to above. I am talking about a truly talented 10 who can make things happen with the ball in hand, which as I said we haven't had for as long as I can remember. Again, this is not sexton.

Real FM · 18-09-2009 03:36PM

Slightly off topic, but a player who people had big hopes for - Royce Burke-Flynn has just moved to a club in Italy.

Would love to see a 10 come through that's at this age gropu but I don't think we really need to worry because Sexton is still very young.

anonymous_joe · 18-09-2009 03:40PM

Real FM wrote: »

Slightly off topic, but a player who people had big hopes for - Royce Burke-Flynn has just moved to a club in Italy.

Would love to see a 10 come through that's at this age gropu but I don't think we really need to worry because Sexton is still very young.

Is that definite?

Size=everything · 18-09-2009 03:43PM

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Is that definite?

Yeah hes moved to Treviso

Size=everything · 18-09-2009 03:44PM

wixfjord wrote: »

By any chance are you or are you related to Noel Reid?:pac:

ha no but in all the under 20s games I watched thus far this season hes been the one whose impressed me the most

FridaysWell · 18-09-2009 05:18PM

Does anyone think that any of the fly halves mentioned above will be a 'centre' type fly half, as in much like Dan Carter, a strong runner, excellent tackler? And still excellent at passing, kicking etc.?

A friend of mine was playing for a Leinster squad while in school at fly half, brilliant player, had it all, but Leinster dropped him after he moved to a grinds school. Shame.

Hyperbullet · 19-09-2009 12:28PM

FridaysWell wrote: »

Does anyone think that any of the fly halves mentioned above will be a 'centre' type fly half, as in much like Dan Carter, a strong runner, excellent tackler? And still excellent at passing, kicking etc.?

A friend of mine was playing for a Leinster squad while in school at fly half, brilliant player, had it all, but Leinster dropped him after he moved to a grinds school. Shame.

Why did that happen? Sounds ridiculous to cut off a player due to them changing schools

Size=everything · 19-09-2009 12:43PM

Hyperbullet wrote: »

Why did that happen? Sounds ridiculous to cut off a player due to them changing schools

Because grind schools don't play rugby and at that age he would of been on the Leinster school's team which picks players based on form playing for their school. You can hardly justify picking one player over another when they're not even playing rugby.

anonymous_joe · 19-09-2009 01:26PM

Hyperbullet wrote: »

Why did that happen? Sounds ridiculous to cut off a player due to them changing schools

As far as I know the Institute doesn't compete in the S's. Would be the most likely answer.

The thing about schools rugby is that while we all know it's too influential, etc, it's still bloody influential. If you go to one of Rock, Michaels, Clongowes, Belvo, Marys, etc, the chances of you fulfilling your talent are higher than if you go elsewhere. Rightly or wrongly that's the case.

Hyperbullet · 19-09-2009 08:07PM

anonymous_joe wrote: »

As far as I know the Institute doesn't compete in the S's. Would be the most likely answer.

The thing about schools rugby is that while we all know it's too influential, etc, it's still bloody influential. If you go to one of Rock, Michaels, Clongowes, Belvo, Marys, etc, the chances of you fulfilling your talent are higher than if you go elsewhere. Rightly or wrongly that's the case.

Thanks for the info. Being honest i'm not into schools rugby really, and I didnt realise that it has that much influence.

FridaysWell · 20-09-2009 01:49AM

Yep, thats right he moved to the Institute Joe. No rugby.

Hyperbullet wrote: »

Why did that happen? Sounds ridiculous to cut off a player due to them changing schools

He only plays club rugby now, and being honest, at that age level, club rugby is hardly recognised. Any representitive teams made up of club youth players are run by coaches who pick their own clubs players. Thats the way the system works, it's just a shame. I'd say he will try make it at college or U21s but I suppose he has lost out on high-quality (or exposure) games/training with Leinster.

anonymous_joe · 20-09-2009 02:36AM

Hyperbullet wrote: »

Thanks for the info. Being honest i'm not into schools rugby really, and I didnt realise that it has that much influence.

They've got fantastic coaches, great facilities and a very visible competition. Hence the club underage game being totally ignored by the general public and producing less players.

A solid chunk of the Irish team has gone through one of the rugby schools. Especially Ulster, Leinster and Corkonian or Limerick players. Though the schools matter less in Munster than the other two.

FridaysWell wrote: »

Yep, thats right he moved to the Institute Joe. No rugby.

He only plays club rugby now, and being honest, at that age level, club rugby is hardly recognised. Any representitive teams made up of club youth players are run by coaches who pick their own clubs players. Thats the way the system works, it's just a shame. I'd say he will try make it at college or U21s but I suppose he has lost out on high-quality (or exposure) games/training with Leinster.

Fairly safe assumption, heh. A few lads have made it via club rugby though in fairness. Shaggy mar shampla, or Niall Ronan even. They're both from Boyne (or whatever that club's called) aren;t they?

Irish Rugby's Best Emerging Talents

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