The Academies

FrannoFan wrote: »

I'd say a lot of Leinster academy lads live at home.

Ringrose is still living at home!

Expensive place to rent and on buttons.

Ringer does not live at home

My idea was to have a clubs academy for the best young clubs lads. The academy would have living quarters and would be seasonal, perhaps during July.
It wouldn't be full time. More of a top level skills and fitness course.
I think it would make sense. It would obviously be a talent type contest. Bring in top class coaching and staff and gauge where the players are.

Lucas44 wrote: »

majority of academy players live together in and around Ucd..

Find it hard to believe ringrose wouldn’t be able to pay for accommodation if he really wanted, him & his brother both went to blackrock. That’s the guts of 250k for secondary school so perhaps not the best example

As for academy players on buttons, there 8k of buttons is 8k more than the students that pay for accommodation in dublin get. Don’t forget a lot of the academy players are also students too, hence get helped out by scholarships in some cases for accommodation on college campuses.

The players not being able to afford it is definitely not what’s holding back a centralised academy, it’s the fact it’s a poor idea and deteriorates the value of playing for one province and would almost certainly end with a huge lack of motivation/jobs for development officers and coaches in provinces from u17- sub academy

Sec school cost wouldnt be 250k. Its expensive but for 2 brothers not boarding its not near 250k
Would agree with you about academy players and benefits over normal students.
I agree its a poor idea. I dont think it would reduce the value of playing for any one province and certainly dont agree that it would change the motivation levels of many of the development officers/coaches within provinces from u16 or 17 as IMO they would be thinking a lot more about it being great these guys are simply playing pro...

Dubinusa wrote: »

My idea was to have a clubs academy for the best young clubs lads. The academy would have living quarters and would be seasonal, perhaps during July.
It wouldn't be full time. More of a top level skills and fitness course.
I think it would make sense. It would obviously be a talent type contest. Bring in top class coaching and staff and gauge where the players are.

What do you mean by club academy?
There already is a seasonal set up in the summer where players live in for under 18s/19s and sub academy.
Its through July and August.

Many older players can be and have been added on training contracts either from start of pre season or any other stage of season where they train with province and some play A games or pre season games

bayern wrote: »

Soroka has a long way to go before i'd rate him ahead of Hodnett or David McCann, and given his pure size I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up at lock.

McIlroy has looked much better than Smith to date.

Soroka is still just 19. Looks like a good prospect. I think he could be Leinster's future 6. Of course, Maloney will undoubtedly get a shot too.
I also think Soroka could possibly be tried at 8! He's really going to struggle to get time as a lock, imo.

Peter Smyth:

Smyth insists the IRFU do not intend to introduce a central academy system, but he acknowledges that more movement of young players between provinces is inevitable.

“It’s always the case, ultimately, that players will seek the best opportunity to play the game.

"The system is there to provide players with the resource and abilities to maximise their talent and provide them with playing opportunities.

“After that, it’s up to the player to see where those best opportunities are for him.”

https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/other-rugby/dropout-danger-as-talented-players-have-their-rugby-futures-put-on-hold-40107890.html

Academy players who've gotten senior game time this season:

Leinster
Liam Turner(21/Centre) - 6 senior apps(363 mins), injured.
Max O’Reilly(20/Fullback) - 4 senior apps(243 mins)
Tom Clarkson(20/TH Prop) - 6 senior apps(194 mins)
Michael Milne(21/LH Prop) - 5 senior apps(154 mins), injured.
David Hawkshaw(21/Outhalf-Centre) - 7 senior apps(129 mins)
Jamie Osborne(19/Centre) - 3 senior apps(100 mins)
Andrew Smith(20/Wing) - 1 senior app(80 mins), injured.
Michael Silvester(22/Fullback) - 2 senior apps(55 mins), injured.
Alex Soroka(20/Backrow) - 1 senior app(22 min)
Marcus Hanan(20/LH Prop) - 1 senior app(15 min)

Munster
Ben Healy(21/Outhalf) - 12 senior apps(525 mins)
Josh Wycherley(21/LH Prop) - 9 senior apps(322 mins)
John Hodnett(22/Backrow) - 3 senior apps(193 mins), injured.
Tom Ahern(20/Lock) - 4 senior apps(119 mins)
Sean French(21/Wing) - 1 senior app(58 mins)
Jack Daly(22/Backrow) - 1 senior app(22 mins)
Jack Crowley(21/Outhalf) - 1 senior app(14 mins)
Jake Flannery(21/Outhalf) - 1 senior app(7 mins)

Ulster
Ethan McIlroy(20/Back Three) - 7 senior apps(315 mins)
David McCann(20/Backrow) - 3 senior apps(116 mins)
Aaron Sexton(20/Back Three) - 1 senior app(72 mins)
Cormac Izuchukwu(21/Lock) - 2 senior apps(41 mins)
Callum Reid(22/LH Prop) - 1 senior app(32 mins)
Ben Moxham(19/Wing) - 2 senior apps(21 mins)
Nathan Doak(19/Scrumhalf) - 1 senior app(15 mins)

Connacht
Sean O'Brien(22/Centre) - 4 senior app(117 mins)
Cian Prendergast(21/Lock-Blindside) - 4 senior app(85 mins)
Colm De Buitlear(23/Wing) - 2 senior app(77 mins)
Diarmuid Kilgallen(20/Wing) - 1 senior app(5 mins)

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

That's fantastic to see. Especially players like Turner, Healy, Wycherley and McIlroy who have serious minutes under their belt.

Thanks for the work Bayern. Any chance of sub-academy players?

such as who?

i've covered all academy/sub academy players who have played senior afaik.

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Ben Moxham. Two caps, against Munster and Connacht, if I recall properly.

If you're going to do it, do it right. Don't shake our trust in you.

ah yes, I forgot about him.

He blotted his copybook with leinster when he couldn't handle requirements of sub-academy and was released.

Though you wonder sometimes does sub-academy process suit certain personality types.

Possible Academy additions:

Leinster
Jack Boyle(LH Prop)
Lee Barron(Hooker)
Mark Hernan(Backrow)
Tim Corkery(Outhalf)
Jamie Osborne(Centre)
Chris Cosgrave(Back Three)

Munster
Mark Donnelly(LH Prop)
Cian Hurley(Lock-Blindside)
Ethan Coughlan(Scrumhalf)
Cian Whooley(Outhalf)
Conor Phillips(Wing)

Connacht
Diarmuid McCormack(Backrow)
Matthew Devine(Scrumhalf)
Marcus Kiely(Centre)
Hubert Gilvarry(Wing)

Ulster
George Saunderson(LH Prop)
Oscar Egan(TH Prop)
Harry Sheridan(Lock-Blindside)
Conor McKee(Scrumhalf)
James Humphreys(Outhalf)
Jude Postlethwaite(Centre)

Dubinusa wrote: »

Surprised nobody took Hernan last year. He's a natural 7. Do Leinster have any standout 9's in the pipeline?

Hernan took a place in the leinster sub-academy instead of looking elsewhere.

No outstanding 9's in leinster system at the moment, plenty of promising ones but the lack of rugby hasn't helped anyone.

luke9311 wrote: »

Nothing i can think off the top of my head going by last years schools season that michaels 9 last year looked good but think hes a 5th year this year. Someone made the point earlier in this thread too of LBN was brought in they might switch him to 9 if possible as i think someone said he could have played there for newbridge in earlier years...

Conor Duggan(Castleknock) - Leinster u19 2021, irish u18 2020
Oisin Devitt(Clongowes) - Leinster u19 2021
Fintan Gunne(St. Michaels) - Leinster u18 2021 & 2020

were my top three 9's returning this year, Gunne looks like maybe the best bet but he is still in school next year so still awhile before he matriculates to the academy.

They've all missed out on a year of rugby now at this stage so whose to say what will happen going forward.

LBN being converted to 9 won't happen until he is out of school, if ever. But I agree that he could be potentially special there.

Other notable names:

Michael Moloney(Blackrock) - Leinster u19 2021
Paddy Byrne(Temple Carrig) - Leinster u18 2021
Conor Tracey(St. Marys) - Leinster u18 2021
Tadhg Brophy(Newbridge) - Leinster u18 2021

Will any of these be ready to start for leinster at 21? Id be surprised.

Lbn?

Serbian wrote: »

Had the same question. From digging through the thread and looking up some schools rugby team sheets, I think they’re talking about a Newbridge schools player called Lucas Berti Newman.

Yeah that's the one, he is a small centre even at schools rugby level but he is a playmaker with very good skills.

that newbridge side missed out on winning two cups last year and this year.. they have 5/6 potential academy players in:

Diarmuid Mangan(Lock)
Luke Dunleavy(Backrow)
Donough Lawlor(Backrow)
Sam Prendergast(Outhalf)
Lucas Berti Newman(Utility Back)

realhorrorshow wrote: »

Is Marcus Kiely involved with Connacht already? Hard to know what our academy intake will look like, given all of our notable u20s are already in (bar Diarmuid McCormack but there's a lot of backrows in the academy already). Last few years we have tended to bring in homegrown lads after their u19 season, but obviously those lads have missed out on a lot of rugby. I think Kolo Kiripati, Kacper Palarmczuk, and Matthew Devine would be a few standouts from that age group.

Unsure on Kiely.

Kiripati is a good shout, as you said the lack of rugby this year might slow his progress down.

Jack Tucker another one, Mark Purcell too.

Kendra Tangy Spine wrote: »

I'd say Alan Flannery (Centre) could be in with a shout for a spot in the Munster Academy. He was involved in a few A games earlier in the year.

Yeah he is there with a shout for sure, probably needs to get some irish u20 rugby under his belt though.

I think quite a few players who are u20 this season will be given longer than usual to prove their ability due to the covid break, he could be one of those.