Ireland Under-20 Training Squad Named

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

http://www.irishrugby.ie/283_18642.php

The Ireland Under-20 squad will be in camp for three days in November. The camp includes a match against the Munster 'A' side at Dubarry Park on Thursday, November 5. The squad includes a number of players from last season such as Rhys Ruddock, Dominic Ryan and Nevin Spence, while recent Connacht debutante Tiernan O'Halloran is one of the new faces having made the step up from the Under-18s.

IRELAND UNDER-20 SQUAD (November Training Camp):

Patrick Butler - Shannon/Munster
Risterard Byrne - UCD/Leinster
Brian Cagney - UCC/Munster
Andrew Conway -Blackrock College RFC/ Leinster
John Cooney -UCD/Leinster
Eoin Griffin - Corinthians/Connacht
Brian Hayes - Cork Constitution/Munster
Michael Heaney - Belfast Harlequins/Ulster
Brian Kingston - Blackrock College/Leinster
Brendan Macken -Blackrock College RFC/Leinster
Ben Marshall - UCD/Leinster
David McSharry - UCD/Leinster
David O'Callaghan - UCC/Munster
Jack O'Connell - Lansdowne/Leinster
Tiernan O'Halloran - Galwegians/Connacht
Brian O'Hara - UL Bohemians/Munster
Paul Pritchard - Ballymena/Ulster
Noel Reid -UCD/Leinster
Rhys Ruddock -UCD/Leinster
Dominic Ryan -Lansdowne/Leinster
Nevin Spence - Ballynahinch/Ulster
Stewart Maguire - Old Belvedere/Leinster
Sean McCarthy - Worcester/Exiles
James McKinney - Queens/Ulster
David Doyle - UCD/Leinster
Simon Zebo - Cork Constitution/Munster
Denis Buckley - NUI Galway/Connacht
Paddy Ryan - Highfield/Munster
Christopher Lilly - St. Mary's College/Leinster[/b]

Munster - 7

Leinster - 14

Connacht - 3

Ulster - 4

Exiles - 1

The biggest surprises as far as I'm concerned are the non-inclusion's of Ulster centre Michael Allen and flyhalf/centre Luke Marshall along with the Leinster backrow pair of Richard Bent and Jordi Murphy.


I'm becoming like a broken record speaking about Macken and Conway as exceptional talents so I'll name some others to go along with them. Denis Buckley bullied everybody he scrummaged against in the u20 interpros. Brian Hayes is another superb 2nd row coming off the Munster production line in that position. Dominic Ryan and Rhys Ruddock are destined for higher honours in the not too distant future - I suspect both will feature for Leinster at some stage this season. James McKinney is a fine outhalf. Eoin Griffin is on the verge of a breakthrough with Connacht and given Ta'auso's frequent injury problems, will feature for them this year. Tiernan O'Halloran is the best Irish wing prospect in God knows how long. Nevin Spence played for Ulster in pre-season and has blinding pace.


In my opinion, this is easily the most talented u20 squad since that which won the Grand Slam 3 seasons ago.

 

[monkeypigeon]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (snoopy snoopy dog dog @ Oct 21 2009, 07:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE

http://www.irishrugby.ie/283_18642.php

The Ireland Under-20 squad will be in camp for three days in November. The camp includes a match against the Munster 'A' side at Dubarry Park on Thursday, November 5. The squad includes a number of players from last season such as Rhys Ruddock, Dominic Ryan and Nevin Spence, while recent Connacht debutante Tiernan O'Halloran is one of the new faces having made the step up from the Under-18s.

IRELAND UNDER-20 SQUAD (November Training Camp):

Patrick Butler - Shannon/Munster
Risterard Byrne - UCD/Leinster
Brian Cagney - UCC/Munster
Andrew Conway -Blackrock College RFC/ Leinster
John Cooney -UCD/Leinster
Eoin Griffin - Corinthians/Connacht
Brian Hayes - Cork Constitution/Munster
Michael Heaney - Belfast Harlequins/Ulster
Brian Kingston - Blackrock College/Leinster
Brendan Macken -Blackrock College RFC/Leinster
Ben Marshall - UCD/Leinster
David McSharry - UCD/Leinster
David O'Callaghan - UCC/Munster
Jack O'Connell - Lansdowne/Leinster
Tiernan O'Halloran - Galwegians/Connacht
Brian O'Hara - UL Bohemians/Munster
Paul Pritchard - Ballymena/Ulster
Noel Reid -UCD/Leinster
Rhys Ruddock -UCD/Leinster
Dominic Ryan -Lansdowne/Leinster
Nevin Spence - Ballynahinch/Ulster
Stewart Maguire - Old Belvedere/Leinster
Sean McCarthy - Worcester/Exiles
James McKinney - Queens/Ulster
David Doyle - UCD/Leinster
Simon Zebo - Cork Constitution/Munster
Denis Buckley - NUI Galway/Connacht
Paddy Ryan - Highfield/Munster
Christopher Lilly - St. Mary's College/Leinster[/b]

Munster - 7

Leinster - 14

Connacht - 3

Ulster - 4

Exiles - 1

The biggest surprises as far as I'm concerned are the non-inclusion's of Ulster centre Michael Allen and flyhalf/centre Luke Marshall along with the Leinster backrow pair of Richard Bent and Jordi Murphy.


I'm becoming like a broken record speaking about Macken and Conway as exceptional talents so I'll name some others to go along with them. Denis Buckley bullied everybody he scrummaged against in the u20 interpros. Brian Hayes is another superb 2nd row coming off the Munster production line in that position. Dominic Ryan and Rhys Ruddock are destined for higher honours in the not too distant future - I suspect both will feature for Leinster at some stage this season. James McKinney is a fine outhalf. Eoin Griffin is on the verge of a breakthrough with Connacht and given Ta'auso's frequent injury problems, will feature for them this year. Tiernan O'Halloran is the best Irish wing prospect in God knows how long. Nevin Spence played for Ulster in pre-season and has blinding pace.


In my opinion, this is easily the most talented u20 squad since that which won the Grand Slam 3 seasons ago.

[/b][/quote]

Brian Hayes is indeed a fantastic player but we won't see him for a while in a senior team. A year or 2 anyway. Brian O'Hara is one I'd like to see getting some time in the Munster A matches as he's a great player.

Simon Zebo is also a speedy focker. Though beyond that I don't know a whole lot about him.

Think Nevin Spence is a very good player. And yes it is a dangerous looking squad.

 

[Jockstap]

Well done Tiernan O'Halloran, he's my sister's friend great to finally see a Connemara man in a green jersey, besides Connacht.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Monkeypigeon @ Oct 21 2009, 07:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Brian O'Hara is one I'd like to see getting some time in the Munster A matches as he's a great player.[/b]

I forgot about O'Hara. He played in the u20 World Cup during the summer. A couple of years ago he was hyped up by one of the Sundays - the Tribune I think. That backrow looks very tasty - Ruddock, Ryan and O'Hara.

Guessing the strongest team:
15. Conway
14. O'Halloran
13. Macken
12. Reid/Griffin
11. Spence
10. McKinney/Reid
9. Cooney
1. Buckley
2. Doyle
3. O'Connell
4. O'Callaghan
5. Hayes ©
6. Ruddock/Ryan
7. O'Hara
8. Ruddock/Ryan
Bench: Byrne, Cagney, Maguire, Marshall, Pritchard, Heaney, Griffin/McKinney/Reid, Zebo

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Of the squad named, Andrew Conway, David Doyle, Brendan Macken, James McKinney and Tiernan O'Halloran are still eligible for the u19s.

I don't know if anybody's interested but here's the Ireland u20 development team which beat France 6 months ago:

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

15. Darren Hudson (Leinster)
14. Nevin Spence (Ulster)
13. Noel Reid (Leinster)
12. Eoin Griffin (Connacht)
11. Diarmaid McCarthy (Munster)
10. Cormac O'Flynn (Munster)
9. John Cooney (Leinster)
1. James Robinson (Connacht)
2. Risteard Byrne (Leinster)
3. Jack O'Connell (Leinster)
4. David O'Callaghan (Munster)
5. Brian Hayes (Munster) (capt)
6. Chris O'Brien (Leinster)
7. Brian O'Hara (Munster)
8. Patrick Butler (Munster) Replacements:

16. Robin O'Sullivan (Leinster)
17. Kieran Brookes (Exiles)
18. Ben Marshall (Leinster)
19. John Quill (Munster)
20. Adam Kennedy (Connacht)
21. Brian Kingston (Leinster)
22. Luke O'Dea (Munster)[/b]

Quite a number of these players have dropped out of the reckoning.

Darren Hudson played on the wing for Leinster u20 this season and seems to have been usurped as fullback by Andrew Conway.

Diarmaid McCarthy was an unbelievably talented schools centre for Castletroy who's fallen off the map. I would have suspected he'd be in the Munster academy by now but he's not even in their u20 setup. I think he's playing for Garryowen.

Cormac O'Flynn has been in a tussle with Gareth Quinn McDonagh, who I believe is still u19, for his province.

Chris O'Brien played for Leinster u20 this season but he has Rhys Ruddock and Dominic Ryan, both of whom were with the full u20 squad at the time, to contend with now.

Robin O'Sullivan isn't in the Leinster u20 setup with David Doyle, a converted flanker, having taken over as their 1st choice hooker.

Kieran Brookes seems to have been lost to England. He recently signed for Newcastle. He's English by birth and qualified for Ireland through his mother.

John Quill was playing for Munster u20 in the interpros and, like Chris O'Brien, seems to have lost out to Ruddock and Ryan.

Adam Kennedy is a very good scrumhalf but Michael Heaney of Ulster must have had a better interpro series. I wonder whether the selection of James McKinney has anything to do with this. Perhaps management want to keep that halfback pairing together.

Luke O'Dea is playing AIL I think. I'm surprised he hasn't been named in the squad but both Noel Reid (who made an appearance in last year's 6 Nations) and Andrew Conway can play at 15.

 

[bb2009]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (snoopy snoopy dog dog @ Oct 22 2009, 07:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Of the squad named, Andrew Conway, David Doyle, Brendan Macken, James McKinney and Tiernan O'Halloran are still eligible for the u19s.

I don't know if anybody's interested but here's the Ireland u20 development team which beat France 6 months ago:

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE

15. Darren Hudson (Leinster)
14. Nevin Spence (Ulster)
13. Noel Reid (Leinster)
12. Eoin Griffin (Connacht)
11. Diarmaid McCarthy (Munster)
10. Cormac O'Flynn (Munster)
9. John Cooney (Leinster)
1. James Robinson (Connacht)
2. Risteard Byrne (Leinster)
3. Jack O'Connell (Leinster)
4. David O'Callaghan (Munster)
5. Brian Hayes (Munster) (capt)
6. Chris O'Brien (Leinster)
7. Brian O'Hara (Munster)
8. Patrick Butler (Munster) Replacements:

16. Robin O'Sullivan (Leinster)
17. Kieran Brookes (Exiles)
18. Ben Marshall (Leinster)
19. John Quill (Munster)
20. Adam Kennedy (Connacht)
21. Brian Kingston (Leinster)
22. Luke O'Dea (Munster)[/b]

Quite a number of these players have dropped out of the reckoning.

Darren Hudson played on the wing for Leinster u20 this season and seems to have been usurped as fullback by Andrew Conway.

Diarmaid McCarthy was an unbelievably talented schools centre for Castletroy who's fallen off the map. I would have suspected he'd be in the Munster academy by now but he's not even in their u20 setup. I think he's playing for Garryowen.

Cormac O'Flynn has been in a tussle with Gareth Quinn McDonagh, who I believe is still u19, for his province.

Chris O'Brien played for Leinster u20 this season but he has Rhys Ruddock and Dominic Ryan, both of whom were with the full u20 squad at the time, to contend with now.

Robin O'Sullivan isn't in the Leinster u20 setup with David Doyle, a converted flanker, having taken over as their 1st choice hooker.

Kieran Brookes seems to have been lost to England. He recently signed for Newcastle. He's English by birth and qualified for Ireland through his mother.

John Quill was playing for Munster u20 in the interpros and, like Chris O'Brien, seems to have lost out to Ruddock and Ryan.

Adam Kennedy is a very good scrumhalf but Michael Heaney of Ulster must have had a better interpro series. I wonder whether the selection of James McKinney has anything to do with this. Perhaps management want to keep that halfback pairing together.

Luke O'Dea is playing AIL I think. I'm surprised he hasn't been named in the squad but both Noel Reid (who made an appearance in last year's 6 Nations) and Andrew Conway can play at 15.
[/b][/quote]

Risteard Byrne was the number one hooker for Leinster and was just coming back from injury at the time of the interpros and thats why Doyle was starting for the first two games. Byrne will start hooker for Ireland. Doyle has another year at under 20s aswel . I see him more as a number 8 however .

Robin O Sullivan is in the Leinster setup , he was the starting openside for the 20s this season and was involved in the A game yesterday against Connacht .

The team I would like to see is ;
1.O Connell
2.Byrne
3.Maguire
4.Hayes
5.O Callaghan
6.O Hara
7.Ryan
8.Ruddock
9.Cooney
10.McKinney
11.Conway
12.McSharry/Griffen
13.Macken
14.Spence
15.Reid

16.Doyle ( Annett would be my choice if he was in the sqaud)
17.Buckley
18.Cagney
19.Marshall
20.Pritchard/Butler
21.Heaney
22.McKinney
23.Zebo/Lilly

 

[bb2009]

Sorry think i fell asleep whilst making that sqaud , backline i would have is
Cooney , Reid , O Halloran , McSharry/Griffen, Macken , Spence , Conway
Subs being Heaney, McKinney and Griffen/Zebo/Lilly

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bb2009 @ Nov 5 2009, 05:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Risteard Byrne was the number one hooker for Leinster and was just coming back from injury at the time of the interpros and thats why Doyle was starting for the first two games. Byrne will start hooker for Ireland. Doyle has another year at under 20s aswel . I see him more as a number 8 however .

Robin O Sullivan is in the Leinster setup , he was the starting openside for the 20s this season and was involved in the A game yesterday against Connacht .

The team I would like to see is ;
1.O Connell
2.Byrne
3.Maguire
4.Hayes
5.O Callaghan
6.O Hara
7.Ryan
8.Ruddock
9.Cooney
10.McKinney
11.Conway
12.McSharry/Griffen
13.Macken
14.Spence
15.Reid

16.Doyle ( Annett would be my choice if he was in the sqaud)
17.Buckley
18.Cagney
19.Marshall
20.Pritchard/Butler
21.Heaney
22.McKinney
23.Zebo/Lilly[/b]

Thanks for posting this. I was reading the Sindo a couple of weeks ago and there was an article in it about the Irish academy system. Accompanying the article was a picture of a few Leinster sub-academy players - Robin O'Sullivan was one of those (the others were scrum half Peter Du Toit, backrow Jordi Murphy and David Doyle).

Niall Annett is a superb prospect. He was injured during the u20 interpros. Methody played him at 8 but he captained the Ireland u18 team from hooker last season.

You could be right sticking Conway on the wing and Reid at fullback. Conway is playing at 11 for Rock (and bloody well too). With Rob Kearney having the fullback spot at Leinster sown up and the Luke Fitzgerald experiment in the centre likely to continue, Conway's best path to the top may be out wide. He along with Tiernan O'Halloran and current schools player Sam Coghlan Murray are potential star finishers for years to come. Is Reid starting at fullback for UCD? I think he is with Niall Earls at flyhalf.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

The Ireland u20s played a Munster Academy selection today. Ireland won 23-7. I haven't seen what the Ireland selection was but this is the Munster lineup:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

Munster Academy: Luke O’Dea (Shannon), Mark Doyle (UL Bohs), Mike Kelliher (Richmond), Danny Barnes (Dolphin), Finbar Aherne (UL Bohs), Andrew Burke (UCC), Dave O’Driscoll (Cork Con), JP Cooney (Garryowen), Sean Henry (UL Bohs), Pa O’Regan (UL Bohs), Ed Kelly (UL Bohs), Sean Duggan (Shannon), John Quill (UCC), Eoghan Grace (Shannon), Dan Heffernan (Shannon) Replacements: Ger Burke (Young Munster), Brendan Cullinane (Garryowen), Darragh Frawley (UL Bohs), Keith Quigley (Nenagh), Rob Guerin (Shannon), Gareth Quinn McDonogh (Shannon), Cian Aherne (UL Bohs).[/b]

Doyle, Barnes and Burke represented Ireland at u20 level last year. Kelliher and O'Driscoll missed out on selection for the the Ireland squad this season. O'Dea and Quill were in the u20 development squad last year. Regan and Grace are 22 or 23. Sub Cian Aherne was a Leinster academy member for the last couple of years. Gareth Quinn McDonogh was an Ireland u18 international last year. I'm unfamiliar with the others in the Munster squad.

Given that possible Munster selections Patrick Butler, Brian Cagney, Brian Hayes, David O’Callaghan, Brian O’Hara, Simon Zebo and Paddy Ryan were on Ireland duty, it's not too disheartening a result for the province.

 

[bb2009]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (snoopy snoopy dog dog @ Nov 5 2009, 05:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bb2009 @ Nov 5 2009, 05:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Risteard Byrne was the number one hooker for Leinster and was just coming back from injury at the time of the interpros and thats why Doyle was starting for the first two games. Byrne will start hooker for Ireland. Doyle has another year at under 20s aswel . I see him more as a number 8 however .

Robin O Sullivan is in the Leinster setup , he was the starting openside for the 20s this season and was involved in the A game yesterday against Connacht .

The team I would like to see is ;
1.O Connell
2.Byrne
3.Maguire
4.Hayes
5.O Callaghan
6.O Hara
7.Ryan
8.Ruddock
9.Cooney
10.McKinney
11.Conway
12.McSharry/Griffen
13.Macken
14.Spence
15.Reid

16.Doyle ( Annett would be my choice if he was in the sqaud)
17.Buckley
18.Cagney
19.Marshall
20.Pritchard/Butler
21.Heaney
22.McKinney
23.Zebo/Lilly[/b]

Thanks for posting this. I was reading the Sindo a couple of weeks ago and there was an article in it about the Irish academy system. Accompanying the article was a picture of a few Leinster sub-academy players - Robin O'Sullivan was one of those (the others were scrum half Peter Du Toit, backrow Jordi Murphy and David Doyle).

Niall Annett is a superb prospect. He was injured during the u20 interpros. Methody played him at 8 but he captained the Ireland u18 team from hooker last season.

You could be right sticking Conway on the wing and Reid at fullback. Conway is playing at 11 for Rock (and bloody well too). With Rob Kearney having the fullback spot at Leinster sown up and the Luke Fitzgerald experiment in the centre likely to continue, Conway's best path to the top may be out wide. He along with Tiernan O'Halloran and current schools player Sam Coghlan Murray are potential star finishers for years to come. Is Reid starting at fullback for UCD? I think he is with Niall Earls at flyhalf.
[/b][/quote]

Yep Reid is definitely starting for UCD unsure where exactly though as he has history of playing in basically every position in the backline . Im pretty sure Annett has another year at Under 20s aswel. Du Toit ,Jordi Murphy and O Halloran are also only under 19s.

Interestingly enough McSharry was injured for the entire inter pro competition so surely his involvement with this sqaud shows how highly they rate him. Remember reading reports of him tearing up defences in South Africa whilst on the Leinster Schools side that toured there about three years ago.

There is some amount of depth in the back three in this country at the moment. Darren Hudson another Leinster under 20 who is generally a Full Back or Wing was playing 13 for the A side the other day .

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (bb2009 @ Nov 6 2009, 03:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Yep Reid is definitely starting for UCD unsure where exactly though as he has history of playing in basically every position in the backline . Im pretty sure Annett has another year at Under 20s aswel. Du Toit ,Jordi Murphy and O Halloran are also only under 19s.

Interestingly enough McSharry was injured for the entire inter pro competition so surely his involvement with this sqaud shows how highly they rate him. Remember reading reports of him tearing up defences in South Africa whilst on the Leinster Schools side that toured there about three years ago. [/b]

I remember that squad. The bulk of Leinster's representation in this Ireland setup featured on that unbeaten tour. Du Toit, who's a scrum half, was Leinster's starting openside flanker for the biggest games on the tour.

Andrew Conway is under 19 too - he was born in 1991 according to the Leinster website making him eligible to play again next season.