Provincial Schools Cups 2013-2014 [MOD NOTE POST 1]

FrannoFan wrote: »

Schools are possibly guilty of not fostering a relationship with the Schools. Some do but a lot are more concerned with immediate goals like winning the cup.
Clubs do themselves no favours by paying lads to play 20's. If you give a lad a few grand to play for your club when he is that age grade, how is he to be motivated to play for the same clubs seconds/thirds for free after wards?

How many players get a few grand to play 20s????
paying players has to change but clubs need to develop links between players when they're still in school and keep contact all through school years.

RuPi wrote: »

Why are Dublin schools so far ahead in general? A lot of Ulster schools train just as much but are still off the pace, is it down to resources? Quality of coaching? The culture? Is more done from an earlier age rather than waiting to Senior rugby?

Bigger schools, can pay coaches. resources could be it. Coaching perhaps. hard to say

FrannoFan wrote: »

If you are in a rugby school in leinster you are training 4 days a week from a young age compared to twice a week perhaps in a club.
Added to that there is the cultural significance of making schools sides
The number of competitive sides drive up the standards. Methody are as good as most leinster schools but there might only be 1/2/3 tough team for them in ulster. When you see a smaller school like Andrews have 4 Irish u18 it gives you the idea of the standard across the board. The big 6 and around 4 to 5 strong league schools setting high standards for each other make it all very competitive.

RuPi was talking of other schools. But in the clubs there is more and more club sides doing 2+ pitch sessions and getting players in to do scheduled gym work etc

Congrats to all. Any news on u19 selections for upcoming match.

When/where is the 19's match?

u19 match is on Thursday 17th,also tuesday 22nd afaik

Crescent Comp play a Munster u19 selection Friday as Munster increase prep for summer training,
Leinster u20s coaches would have had a look at some players who could be playing u20 in September as there was a game in Donnybrook today.

Interesting idea from Connacht

http://www.connachtrugby.ie/connacht-open-trials-for-u19-u20s-squads/#ConnachtNews

RobbieRuns wrote: »

Very good idea. I always think that the GAA heads in the west would love a go, this opens the door. Get them all in, open the floodgates.

I'm not sure it would work for people who haven't played the sport before if that's what you mean? But certainly couldn't be accusations of club players around the country being ignored out West.

Hagz wrote: »

Strong u19 squad. But no David O'Connor

10 Ulster, 11 Leinster, 8 Munster, 5 Connacht. fair enough
Josh Bingham (Methodist College/Ulster) *
Harrison Brewer (Terenure College/Leinster) †
Fergal Cleary (Clongowes Wood College/Leinster)
Jack Cullen (Bruff/Munster) * †
Billy Dardis (UCD/Leinster) *
Josh Davidson (Sullivan Upper School/Ulster)
Lorcan Dow (Queen's University/Ulster) *
Stephen Fitzgerald (Ard Scoil Ris/Munster)
Ciaran Gaffney (Galwegians/Connacht) *
Oisin Heffernan (Lansdowne/Leinster) * †
Marc Kelly (Cistercian College Roscrea/Connacht)
Ben Kilkenny (St. Munchin's College/Munster)
Michael Lagan (Methodist College/Ulster) *
Jeremy Loughman (Blackrock College/Leinster) *
Angelo Marica (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Steven McMahon (Garryowen/Munster)
Sean McNulty (UCD/Munster) * †
Stephen McVeigh (Clongowes Wood College/Leinster)
Josh Murphy (UCD/Leinster) *
Liam O'Connor (Christian Brothers Cork/Munster)
Mike O'Donnell (Crescent College Comprehensive/Munster) *
Cian O'Donoghue (Clongowes Wood College/Leinster)
Sean O'Hagan (Corinthians/Connacht)
Conor Oliver (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Greg O'Shea (Shannon/Munster)
Pat O'Toole (Corinthians/Connacht)
Jack Owens (Campbell College/Ulster) *
Tomas Quinlan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Gary Ringrose (UCD/Leinster) * †
Charlie Rock (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Cian Romaine (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Alex Thompson (Methodist College/Ulster) *
Ross Todd (Sullivan Upper School/Ulster)
Steven Weir (Methodist College/Ulster) *
Conor Young (Instonians/Ulster) *

Hagz wrote: »

Ireland u18s schools beat Georgia 20-10. Tries from Jack Power, Will Connors and a brace from Jacob Stockdale again.

Stockdale seems to be a really class act. Great to see Georgia coming close enough for a second year running.
England hammered Portugal 62-5, Wales beat Scotland 23-21 and France beat Italy 29-7.
England Wales and Ireland France in semis

5 changes to side for tomorrows semi final

15. Jack Power (Blackrock College/Leinster)
14. Jordan Larmour (St. Andrew's College/Leinster)
13. Colm Mulcahy (Clongowes Wood College/Leinster)
12. Matthew Gilsenan (St. Michael's College/Leinster)
11. Jacob Stockdale (Wallace High School/Ulster)
10. Jimmy O'Brien (Newbridge College/Leinster)
9. Rowan Osborne (Clongowes Wood College/Leinster)
1. Andrew Porter (St. Andrew's College/Leinster)
2. John Molony (Clongowes Wood College/Leinster)
3. Conan O'Donnell (Summerhill College/Connacht)
4. James Ryan (St. Michael's College/Leinster) (capt)
5. Sean O'Connor (Rockwell College/Munster)
6. Will Connors (Clongowes Wood College/Leinster)
7. Johnny Guy (St. Andrew's College/Leinster)
8. Max Deegan (St. Michael's Collge/Leinster)
Replacements:
16. Conor McIlmurray (Campbell College/Ulster)
17. Hugo Kean (Blackrock College/Leinster)
18. Conor Kenny (Garbally College/Connacht)
19. Peter Claffey (Garbally College/Connacht)
20. Greg Jones (St. Andrew's College/Leinster)
21. David Duggan (St. Michael's College/Leinster)
22. Paul Kiernan (Presentation Brothers Cork/Munster)
23. Oisin O'Meara (St. Michael's College/Leinster)
24. Alan McMahon (Rockwell College/Munster)
25. Calvin Nash (Crescent College Comprehensive/Munster)

Irish u18 schools won 24-11.
Trys from Sean O Connor, Jacob Stockdale and Matthew Gilsenan as well as 9 points from boot of Gilsenan got Ireland their place in the final which means between the youths and schools we have been finalists 6 times with 1 win which came in 2011.

Hagz wrote: »

Wow, that's excellent. Well done to the boys.

Not a bad days work for a squad that you didnt rate as being strong this year. Well done lads. Hagz ....look at the doughnut not the hole inside.

England or Wales? I presume England