Munster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread.

Academy provide Irish curtain-raiser
1 April 2011, 12:48 pm
By Gary Sherrard

Leicester Tigers have arranged an Irish double for the weekend of the Heineken Cup quarter-final.


Tigers face Leinster in Dublin on Saturday, April 9 in the showpiece European fixture, and on the previous evening the Tigers Academy have arranged a fixture against Munster Academy to be played at Naas Rugby Club (7.30pm). "It's a big weekend for the club with the Heineken Cup quarter-final and now the Academy players have an opportunity to share in the experience," said Tigers Academy manager Neil McCarthy.
"We're looking forward to going over there, playing somewhere new against opposition from out of our usual programme.
"It would be great if the supporters travelling early for the Heineken Cup could come and support us on the Friday evening."
Naas are putting on a full rugby evening with their club's under-13 and under-15 games against Dubai Hurricanes from 6.30pm before the Academy fixture.
from here

profitius wrote: »

I heard that Leicester were supposed to play the Leinster academy but Leinster cancelled it because they fear Leicester poaching their players. Dunno where I read it but if Leicesters academy are playing Munsters then there might be some truth to it.

Of course, now Leicester might pull out because they fear Munster will poach from their acadamy... :pac:

profitius wrote: »

Munster have signed Gareth O'Sullibhean to thier academy.



Haha well who knows they might have a few Irish qualified players. I think some Leicester academy player was on the Ireland club side last week.

Who's Gareth of the one eye?

There's an Ulster/Clongowes fullback with Leicester as well, MacCauley or someone, got time with the "full" team in the Anglo-welsh cup.

I don't mind Leicester signing Irish players. They are a real club with a proper ethos, one of the best places for any young player to be, imo.

profitius wrote: »

You're watching too much TG4! Ó Suilleabhain is the correct spelling I think. He won a Leinster schools cup with Clongowes last year and is from Cork.

What position does he play, is he much use?

Can he convince the other Cork lads with Clongowes to come South again?

Lar na pairce.

profitius wrote: »

He played 10/12/15 with Clongowes. Hes a good kicker and have good skills. With UCC now I think.

I don't know how big he is. He looks about 6ftish. His cousin is Dairmuid O'Sullivan! The Leinster fans who watch schools rugby would know alot more about him than me.

Cheers Prof. Hopefully he can do something, we badly need some backs.

Sin a bhfuil wrote: »

Has played U18 for Ireland and was vice-captain of the Clongowes cup winning team. Tony Ward said he "produced almost the complete centre performance" in the cup final against Michael's last year and picked him out and Stephen McCauley (who is now with Leicester) as the standout players. He kicked 6 from 7 in the cup final and scored a try as well.

He is from Westmeath, though but with a name like O Suilleabhain, he has to have some strong connections to Cork.

If your wondering how I know all of this, I've got access to Clongowes annual for last year.

That's some quality spywork Sin.

Has he been playing much for UCC this season?

Dowling Forced To Call It A Day
5 April 2011, 1:12 pm
By Pat Geraghty

Following extensive medical consultation, Munster regretfully announce that Ian Dowling will retire from professional rugby, as a result of a hip injury sustained earlier in the season.

Dowling (28 )suffered a hip injury in the game against Ospreys last September.
In the course of a career that started in September 2005, the Kilkenny native won 97 competitive caps and played in both the 2006 and 2008 Heineken Cup finals and won a Magners League medal in 2009.. He would have added greatly to that final total but for injury in 2007 and last season when he was stretchered off in the Heineken Cup quarter final game against Northampton at Thomond Park Stadium.
It was a knee injury on that occasion that forced him to miss the rest of the season and he was only playing in his third competitive game that September day when he sustained the hip injury, four minutes into the game, that would ultimately end his career.
The hugely popular member of the squad made his debut in the Magners League game against Lllanelli Scarlets in Musgrave Park and ended his first season with 15 caps and a Heineken Cup winners medal having played in the quarter, semi and final of that competition.
A try scorer in the 2008 quarter final win over Gloucester at Kingsholm he won his second Heineken Cup medal lining out on the wing against Toulouse and a year later won the first of his two international caps against Canada on Ireland's summer tour of North America.
Dowling informed his teammates of his decision ahead of training in CIT this morning and afterwards although admitting he was "gutted" to be ending his career spoke more of the highlights of his six seasons with Munster. "It's been a fabulous experience. I've made some great friends and take with me really great memories, the two Heineken Cup wins obviously the highlights. But besides that, I've had wonderful times with Munster."
"In fairness I've received all the help and assistance I could have asked for from the Munster medics and I'm hugely appreciative of all the time and effort they've put in trying to get me back. We've explored every avenue possible but in the end I know this is the right decision, the only one really."
In the course of his efforts to recover from the hip injury, the 28 year old sensibly made provision for a day of reckoning he knew might arrive and has been engaged in a degree course in Physiotherapy in UL. "I'd have to say I'm excited about this new direction. A lot of the skills that I needed to bring to professional rugby are transferable to what I'm doing now."
"But again I have to thank the course director who has been so supportive in facilitating my studies while I was also rehabbing this injury."
"I've been fortunate really. I had a great career as a professional rugby player. Enjoyed success with Munster. Got to travel the world. And am lucky now to be in the position I'm in with a new career hopefully beckoning."
"But there is a lesson here for all those looking to follow a pro rugby path. It can end abruptly. Keep that in your mind if you're sitting in a classroom with only dreams of playing in Thomond Park." says the holder of an Honours Sports Science Degree (UL).
"I'd like to thanks all those who have supported me in my career, the coaches, fitness guys, all involved with Munster and Ireland and close friends with particular thanks to my parents John and Kitty, sister Catriona and girlfriend Gill who were always there for me in good times and bad."
"And finally, to the Munster fans, the best in the world, my heartfelt thanks for the part you played in making mine such a memorable career."
www.munsterrugby.ie/news/8890.php

Really terrible news, gutted for him and All the best for the future!!

ormond lad wrote: »

the leicester team from here
Leicester Tigers Academy
15 Alex Lewington
14 George Catchpole
13 Joe Cobden
12 Javiah Pohe
11 Stephen Macauley
10 Rory Lynn
9 Luix Roussarie
1 Harry Rudkin
2 Charlie Clare
3 Fraser Balmain
4 Dave Markham
5 Rob Conquest
6 Joe Cousens
7 Jethro Rawling
8 Joe Clowes
Replacements
James Thraves
Michael McNamara
Hamish Watson
George Oliver
Harry Wells
Ash Cooper
Liam Holder
Christophe Ridley
Harrison Lee-Everton
Tahir El Mahdi
Luke Veebel

it will be interesting to see how Stephen Macauley, who played leinster senior cup last year with clongowes gets on