Leinster 2009/10 Squad Announcement...

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

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

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/newsroom/3692.php

Leinster Rugby are delighted to announce the squad for the 2009/10 season... Scotland international lock Nathan Hines has signed a two-year deal with the Heineken Cup champions and he arrives from Perpignan where his form prompted a call up to the recent British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.

Hines will be joined by Ireland tight-head prop Mike Ross (Harlequins) and Australian back Shaun Berne (Bath) who have each agreed two year deals with the province. Hooker Richardt Strauss, 23, has also agreed a deal with the province and joins from the Cheetahs.

The quartet will join Ireland international scrum-half Eoin Reddan who had previously signed a three-year deal from London Wasps.

Meanwhile, scrum-half Paul O'Donohoe, who made four senior appearances last season, and hooker Jason Harris-Wright have both been awarded their first professional contracts and are the latest graduates from the Leinster Academy.

Leo Cullen will continue as captain after guiding the province to the Heineken Cup ***le last season, while there is one remaining vacancy in the playing squad. Leinster will travel to Nice for a week long training camp in the south of France which will include a pre-season friendly against Rugby Nice Cote d'Azur on Friday, 21st August (KO: 7pm, local) before continuing their preparations with a game against London Irish a week later on Friday, 28th August in Donnybrook (KO: 7pm) ahead of the start of the Magners League campaign.

Meanwhile, over 10,600 season ticket holders have signed up to watch Leinster next season in the RDS. The application deadline for this season closes this Friday. Full details of season ticket packages can be found HERE

Leinster Squad 2009/10 (alphabetical order)...

BACKS: *Shaun Berne, Gordon D'Arcy, Girvan Dempsey, Luke Fitzgerald, Shane Horgan, Chris Keane, Rob Kearney, Simon Keogh, Fergus McFadden, Isa Nacewa, *Paul O'Donohoe, Brian O'Driscoll, Eoin O'Malley, *Eoin Reddan, Jonathan Sexton

FORWARDS: Leo Cullen, John Fogarty, *Jason Harris-Wright, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, *Nathan Hines, Trevor Hogan, Bernard Jackman, Shane Jennings, Stephen Keogh, Ronan McCormack, Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O'Brien, Malcolm O'Kelly, *Mike Ross, *Richardt Strauss, Devin Toner, CJ van der Linde, Stan Wright[/b]

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

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/newsroom/3690.php

The Leinster Academy list for 2009/10 has been announced... There are eight new recruits in the Academy line-up for the forthcoming campaign, amongst them former Blackrock College duo Andrew Conway and Brendan Macken as well as Ireland Under-20 forwards Ciaran and Rhys Ruddock, sons of former Leinster coach Mike. David Kearney, Ian Madigan, Kyle Tonetti and Ian McKinley each made their Senior Leinster debuts last season.

Leinster Academy 2009/10: *Andrew Conway, *Mark Flanagan, David Kearney, *Michael Keating, *Brendan Macken, Ian Madigan, *Stewart Maguire, Jack McGrath, Ian McKinley, Shane Monahan, David Moore, Niall Morris, *Ciaran Ruddock, *Rhys Ruddock, *Dominic Ryan, Paul Ryan, Tom Sexton, Eamonn Sheridan, Eoin Sheriff, Kyle Tonetti[/b]

 

[Jockstap]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (snoopy snoopy dog dog @ Aug 13 2009, 12:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/newsroom/3692.php

Leinster Rugby are delighted to announce the squad for the 2009/10 season... Scotland international lock Nathan Hines has signed a two-year deal with the Heineken Cup champions and he arrives from Perpignan where his form prompted a call up to the recent British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.

Hines will be joined by Ireland tight-head prop Mike Ross (Harlequins) and Australian back Shaun Berne (Bath) who have each agreed two year deals with the province. Hooker Richardt Strauss, 23, has also agreed a deal with the province and joins from the Cheetahs.

The quartet will join Ireland international scrum-half Eoin Reddan who had previously signed a three-year deal from London Wasps.

Meanwhile, scrum-half Paul O'Donohoe, who made four senior appearances last season, and hooker Jason Harris-Wright have both been awarded their first professional contracts and are the latest graduates from the Leinster Academy.

Leo Cullen will continue as captain after guiding the province to the Heineken Cup ***le last season, while there is one remaining vacancy in the playing squad. Leinster will travel to Nice for a week long training camp in the south of France which will include a pre-season friendly against Rugby Nice Cote d'Azur on Friday, 21st August (KO: 7pm, local) before continuing their preparations with a game against London Irish a week later on Friday, 28th August in Donnybrook (KO: 7pm) ahead of the start of the Magners League campaign.

Meanwhile, over 10,600 season ticket holders have signed up to watch Leinster next season in the RDS. The application deadline for this season closes this Friday. Full details of season ticket packages can be found HERE

Leinster Squad 2009/10 (alphabetical order)...

BACKS: *Shaun Berne, Gordon D'Arcy, Girvan Dempsey, Luke Fitzgerald, Shane Horgan, Chris Keane, Rob Kearney, Simon Keogh, Fergus McFadden, Isa Nacewa, *Paul O'Donohoe, Brian O'Driscoll, Eoin O'Malley, *Eoin Reddan, Jonathan Sexton

FORWARDS: Leo Cullen, John Fogarty, *Jason Harris-Wright, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, *Nathan Hines, Trevor Hogan, Bernard Jackman, Shane Jennings, Stephen Keogh, Ronan McCormack, Kevin McLaughlin, Sean O'Brien, Malcolm O'Kelly, *Mike Ross, *Richardt Strauss, Devin Toner, CJ van der Linde, Stan Wright[/b]

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

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/newsroom/3690.php

The Leinster Academy list for 2009/10 has been announced... There are eight new recruits in the Academy line-up for the forthcoming campaign, amongst them former Blackrock College duo Andrew Conway and Brendan Macken as well as Ireland Under-20 forwards Ciaran and Rhys Ruddock, sons of former Leinster coach Mike. David Kearney, Ian Madigan, Kyle Tonetti and Ian McKinley each made their Senior Leinster debuts last season.

Leinster Academy 2009/10: *Andrew Conway, *Mark Flanagan, David Kearney, *Michael Keating, *Brendan Macken, Ian Madigan, *Stewart Maguire, Jack McGrath, Ian McKinley, Shane Monahan, David Moore, Niall Morris, *Ciaran Ruddock, *Rhys Ruddock, *Dominic Ryan, Paul Ryan, Tom Sexton, Eamonn Sheridan, Eoin Sheriff, Kyle Tonetti[/b]

[/b][/quote]


Why do the Ruddock brothers play for Ireland, shouldn't they play for wales?

 

[dullonien]

They've got an Irish Mum. I think they've both played for Ireland and Wales at under-age levels, but it appears for the moment both are leaning towards playing for Ireland. As they're on Leinsters books, I suppose they've spent much of thei youth living in Ireland? Were they born in Wales or Ireland? Mike Ruddock seems to be very supportive anyway.

It's their decision in the end, both look like good prospects, hope they do well.

 

[shazbooger]

So we've lost Contepomi and Rocky and we gain Reddan, Hines and Ross. I dont know much about Berne and Strauss to be honest but overall I'm happy enough. Still think we are short a loose forward as we are looking lightweight on the bench in that department but there is still time.

Great to see both Andrew Conway and Brendan Macken move straight from school into the academy. There were rumours they may be going professional at all and they were both considered great prospects for the future.

As for the Ruddocks. I believe at least one of them was born here but they have both grown up here so its much of a muchness really.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

As far as I'm aware the Ruddock with the Irish name (Ciaran) was born in Wales and the one with the Welsh name (Rhys) was born in Dublin.

I'm happy with the squad. Leinster could be a bit short on backrow cover but against that a couple of injuries would give talented academy players like Rhys Ruddock, Dominic Ryan and Paul Ryan a shot. They're all a bit green but very talented. Perhaps the one remaining vacancy will be filled by a new 6 or 8 although I've heard that Leinster are giving a trial to a versatile rugby league convert among the backs. Don't know how true it is.

I really like how the academy is shaping up. Today Reggie Corrigan was announced as the academy scrum coach. Given the great job he did with some average senior players at Ulster in a short period, getting his hands on talented kids in the Leinster academy could be of major benefit to Irish rugby as a whole/

Andrew Conway is brilliant with ball in hand but his kicking game is weak from what I saw of him. Given his small stature and the presence of a lot of talented fullbacks in Leinster already, I wouldn't be surprised to see him converted to wing.

Brendan Macken wasn't as well hyped as a schools player but he may have a better pro career. His "problem" is schools rugby was that he was so powerful that he'd take a lot upon himself rather than pass the ball but his passing game, when he used it, was excellent. I think he's a goalkicker too.

Stewart Maguire seems to have been poached from the Dragons. He's a bit of a mystery man to me. Let's see what Reggie Corrigan can do to him because he's absolutely massive.

Over on Munsterfans there's a bit of a Leinster v Munster shitfight constantly going on. Without wishing to start one here, I find it interesting that Leinster have increased the size of their academy whereas Munster have seriously reduced their's. Could the reason be that Leinster have dumped a lot of high salaried players (Contepomi, Elsom, Whitaker) and can afford to invest in youth as a result whereas Munster have increased their intake of expensive players (De Villiers and the French prop can't have been cheap)?

 

[lucymorgan]

I really like how the academy is shaping up. Andrew Conway is brilliant with ball in hand but his kicking game is weak from what I saw of him. Given his small stature and the presence of a lot of talented fullbacks in Leinster already, I wouldn't be surprised to see him converted to wing.
regards,
lucy

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