Schools Rugby 2017 2018 Thread SEE MOD WARNING POST #1773

Granny15

irishfan9 wrote: »

possibly, what happened last year then?

They outclassed a forward orientated country side.

They outsmarted them and out-stamina'ed them like most good Dublin schools do to country opposition (Clongowes included).

But they hit a brick wall when they came up against Rock. Very often it is telling how far a school has come when they play against Rock.

I should know Michael's have never beaten them in the Senior Cup.

irishfan9

Granny15 wrote: »

They outclassed a forward orientated country side.

They outsmarted them and out-stamina'ed them like most good Dublin schools do to country opposition (Clongowes included).

But they hit a brick wall when they came up against Rock. Very often it is telling how far a school has come when they play against Rock.

I should know Michael's have never beaten them in the Senior Cup.

well yes, if Zaga meet Rock, Rock will be favourites unsurprisingly..

FrannoFan

Granny15 wrote: »

A decent Top 6 school with some decent forwards.

when you say "top 6" would you include Marys and Terenure in that?

There is Rock, Michaels, Belvo and the rest.

Clongowes have fallen away since McNamarra stopped coaching but still ahead of the chasing pack

You would expect a team from the League to make the semi final and considering Gonzaga unbeaten with 4 wins and a draw in the league have every chance of being the League side that does well this year.

Whoever wins the league won't fear a Terenure or Marys

Granny15

irishfan9 wrote: »

well yes, if Zaga meet Rock, Rock will be favourites unsurprisingly..

.......Although they beat them in the friendly. Certainly a lot can be achieved with an extra intelligent bunch of players but the telling of a Cup winning team is how they adapt when they meet obstacles - can they change the way they play? Gonzaga have proven they lack this ability at this stage of their development.

Granny15

FrannoFan wrote: »

when you say "top 6" would you include Marys and Terenure in that?

There is Rock, Michaels, Belvo and the rest.

Clongowes have fallen away since McNamarra stopped coaching but still ahead of the chasing pack

You would expect a team from the League to make the semi final and considering Gonzaga unbeaten with 4 wins and a draw in the league have every chance of being the League side that does well this year.

Whoever wins the league won't fear a Terenure or Marys

What Terenure and Mary's have is resources from thier clubs that League teams don't have. Good coaches come and go and some schools rise and fall with the tide of this but class is permanent - the Gick and Mary's have the brains trust from their clubs. and the guarantee that their players will advance beyond SCT level because of thier top division clubs. League schools don't have this.

irishfan9

Granny15 wrote: »

.......Although they beat them in the friendly. Certainly a lot can be achieved with an extra intelligent bunch of players but the telling of a Cup winning team is how they adapt when they meet obstacles - can they change the way they play? Gonzaga have proven they lack this ability at this stage of their development.

you were fairly definitive that they won't go on a cup run.. i think you are wrong.. depending on their draw they could easily go on a cup run just like last year.

irishfan9

Granny15 wrote: »

What Terenure and Mary's have is resources from thier clubs that League teams don't have. Good coaches come and go and some schools rise and fall with the tide of this but class is permanent - the Gick and Mary's have the brains trust from their clubs. and the guarantee that their players will advance beyond SCT level because of thier top division clubs. League schools don't have this.

Terenure have been poor for years...

Ayewserious

Does anyone no what rocks starting 15 will look like come cup time?

FrannoFan

Granny15 wrote: »

What Terenure and Mary's have is resources from thier clubs that League teams don't have. Good coaches come and go and some schools rise and fall with the tide of this but class is permanent - the Gick and Mary's have the brains trust from their clubs. and the guarantee that their players will advance beyond SCT level because of thier top division clubs. League schools don't have this.

Its been quite a while since either of these teams did anything in the cup.

Jack mcgraths year last time Marys made an impact around 10 years ago

Terenure haven't reached a semi in quite a while either.

Newbridge and Roscrea have done more in the last few years.

D14Rugby

FrannoFan wrote: »

Its been quite a while since either of these teams did anything in the cup.

Jack mcgraths year last time Marys made an impact around 10 years ago

Terenure haven't reached a semi in quite a while either.

Newbridge and Roscrea have done more in the last few years.

In fairness roscrea have done more than most in recent years, depending how far back you go. Newbridge is a very debatable call.

Is it time for the annual why have terenure and marys declined in recent years already? Starting early this year.

urbanchick

FrannoFan wrote: »

when you say "top 6" would you include Marys and Terenure in that?

There is Rock, Michaels, Belvo and the rest.

Clongowes have fallen away since McNamarra stopped coaching but still ahead of the chasing pack

You would expect a team from the League to make the semi final and considering Gonzaga unbeaten with 4 wins and a draw in the league have every chance of being the League side that does well this year.

Whoever wins the league won't fear a Terenure or Marys

I doubt any of the league semi finalists will fear them either. There are 4 standouts in league: zaga, roscrea, knock and gerards

Granny15

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

what they did was fine. Is what other schools like michaels do on social media also an issue or is it just the smaller schools??

They're not going too far. You could criticise Michaels more for what they put up on social media which is far more ott than anything really that other sides have put online.

Could have fooled me - half of Leinsterfans is filled up with Clongowes past pupils from the 90's teams - and they are known pumpers WUMMERS.

Very little Michaels presence except on their own designated Twitter Facebook pages.

Very little Michaels presence on this message board.

Granny15

urbanchick wrote: »

Not good enough for purposely setting out to humiliate teams - everyone knows the grueling schedule of schools rugby : that deserves respect, win with dignity, do they not realize leinster schools laughing at them.

Nobody's laughing at Fintans. Probably just the country teams are. Cultural differences and all.

Granny15

FrannoFan wrote: »

Its been quite a while since either of these teams did anything in the cup.

Jack mcgraths year last time Marys made an impact around 10 years ago

Terenure haven't reached a semi in quite a while either.

Newbridge and Roscrea have done more in the last few years.

They're (Nure Mary's) sipping Pina Coladas under their parasols. They have been there and done that and have nothing to prove but can turn it on when needed.

irishfan9

Granny15 wrote: »

They're (Nure Mary's) sipping Pina Coladas under their parasols. They have been there and done that and have nothing to prove but can turn it on when needed.

Not really tho

irishfan9

be nice if Terenure could produce a decent under-20 player, Dardis & Brewer really fell flat.

Therajman

Does anyone no what rocks starting 15 will look like come cup time?

1.donncha mescal
2.Sean Molony
3. Thomas clarkson
4.Sean obrien
5.Jack Stapleton
6. james Burke
7. Michael mcgagh
8.Ed brennan
9. Louis oreilly
10. James tarrant
11.David Fitzgibbon
12. Tom Maher
13. Liam turner
14. Liam Mcmahon
15. Harry Donnelly

Weaker team than Belvo and michaels in my opinion

irishfan9

Therajman wrote: »

Does anyone no what rocks starting 15 will look like come cup time?

1.donncha mescal
2.Sean Molony
3. Thomas clarkson
4.Sean obrien
5.Jack Stapleton
6. james Burke
7. Michael mcgagh
8.Ed brennan
9. Louis oreilly
10. James tarrant
11.David Fitzgibbon
12. Tom Maher
13. Liam turner
14. Liam Mcmahon
15. Harry Donnelly

Weaker team than Belvo and michaels in my opinion

Cian Duffy?
Gavin Jones?

Assume Fitzgibbon is meant to be at 10?

Therajman

irishfan9 wrote: »

Cian Duffy?
Gavin Jones?

Assume Fitzgibbon is meant to be at 10?

No fitzgibbon is playing on wing at the moment

irishfan9

Therajman wrote: »

No fitzgibbon is playing on wing at the moment

wow, surprising enough.

Where is Gavin Jones, Cian Duffy & Niall Comerford?

Therajman

irishfan9 wrote: »

wow, surprising enough.

Where is Gavin Jones, Cian Duffy & Niall Comerford?

Cian Duffy is starting as mescal is injured at the moment but other two can't get into the team at the moment id imagine or else injured

irishfan9

Therajman wrote: »

Cian Duffy is starting as mescal is injured at the moment but other two can't get into the team at the moment id imagine or else injured

surprised if Jones couldn't..

Comerford is a big GAA prospect so could have packed rugby in for that.

Therajman

irishfan9 wrote: »

surprised if Jones couldn't..

Comerford is a big GAA prospect so could have packed rugby in for that.

I can't see jones getting into that team to be honest

Therajman

irishfan9 wrote: »

surprised if Jones couldn't..

Comerford is a big GAA prospect so could have packed rugby in for that.

Overrated in my opinion

irishfan9

Team with the best 10 will win the cup, so Belvedere for three in a row.

Chris hughes25

irishfan9 wrote: »

Belvo also had the best player on the field in both games and will do so again this season if they meet.

No they won’t penny is a better 7 than hawkshaw a 10 and Baird is a better second row ... hawkshaw is brilliant but future may not lie at 10 and Ireland u18 were playing him 13 last year before his injury

irishfan9

Therajman wrote: »

I can't see jones getting into that team to be honest

No? he was involved last year as a 4th year.

certainly interesting.. Maher/Turner is a very good centre pairing.

irishfan9

Chris hughes25 wrote: »

No they won’t penny is a better 7 than hawkshaw a 10 and Baird is a better second row ... hawkshaw is brilliant but future may not lie at 10 and Ireland u18 were playing him 13 last year before his injury

Hawkshaw is the best player playing schools rugby and his proven as much the past two seasons..

He probably isn't a professional 10, but that doesn't matter in schools rugby.

Granny15

Chris hughes25 wrote: »

No they won’t penny is a better 7 than hawkshaw a 10 and Baird is a better second row ... hawkshaw is brilliant but future may not lie at 10 and Ireland u18 were playing him 13 last year before his injury

I'll tell you who has the best 10 in Cup is the Wood. They won't play him tho' until cup time. Dark horses as always.

Therajman

Chris hughes25 wrote: »

No they won’t penny is a better 7 than hawkshaw a 10 and Baird is a better second row ... hawkshaw is brilliant but future may not lie at 10 and Ireland u18 were playing him 13 last year before his injury

I agree

irishfan9

Michaels have had the most talent each of the past two years, it didn't mean much in actual games though did it?

On paper Michaels have the best talent 1-15... in reality they will probably fall short again.

Chris hughes25

irishfan9 wrote: »

Team with the best 10 will win the cup, so Belvedere for three in a row.

Maybe like last year but wasn’t the case 2 years ago.. dean and tynan were both better 10s at the time but belvo had best structure

irishfan9

Chris hughes25 wrote: »

Maybe like last year but wasn’t the case 2 years ago.. dean and tynan were both better 10s at the time but belvo had best structure

Belvo still have the best structure and the best playmaker in hawkshaw which is all that matters at schools level.

irishfan9

I think Clongowes are dark horses this year... if they were better coached they might be my favourites.

Ayewserious

Between belvo and rock again for me, michaels won't beat them come cup time.

Granny15

Ayewserious wrote: »

Between belvo and rock again for me, michaels won't beat them come cup time.

Yeah Clongowes don't have a hope

irishfan9

Granny15 wrote: »

Yeah Clongowes don't have a hope

why not?

by the sounds of things, most of the schools shouldn't bother even showing up.

Ayewserious

The schools in the league are much stronger than last years. Could be a few surprises

Ayewserious

Granny15 wrote: »

I'll tell you who has the best 10 in Cup is the Wood. They won't play him tho' until cup time. Dark horses as always.

Who there 10 then?

irishfan9

Ayewserious wrote: »

Who there 10 then?

David Wilkinson?

Ayewserious

irishfan9 wrote: »

David Wilkinson?

He's a fourth year? There seems to be some good 10s in fourth year

irishfan9

Ayewserious wrote: »

He's a fourth year? There seems to be some good 10s in fourth year

Only 10 that comes to mind for me.

Ayewserious

irishfan9 wrote: »

Only 10 that comes to mind for me.

Sam Cahill, Naill Carroll Adam Dixon, I'm sure the more I'm missing

irishfan9

Ayewserious wrote: »

Sam Cahill, Naill Carroll Adam Dixon, I'm sure the more I'm missing

Not sure if dixon/carroll are very good.. certainly wouldnt put them in same zone as byrne/dean at same stage.

Also only 10 at clongowes that came to mind.

Ruggerhead

Who are the stand out players in the Junior league this year? 1 through 15

irishfan9

Ruggerhead wrote: »

Who are the stand out players in the Junior league this year? 1 through 15

couldn't give you a 1-15...

some players i've heard good things on:

Scott Barron(Blackrock/Prop)
JJ Hession(St. Michaels/Backrow)
Donough Lawlor(Newbridge/Backrow)
Daniel Hawkshaw(Belvedere/Outhalf)
Fionn Gibbons(Castelknock/Centre)

irishfan9

Is Sean Molony the best hooker playing schools rugby?

Granny15

irishfan9 wrote: »

I think Clongowes are dark horses this year... if they were better coached they might be my favourites.

Could say the same for Michaels - they're great at fitness/recovery but have lost all their decent coaches.

irishfan9

Granny15 wrote: »

Could say the same for Michaels - they're great at fitness/recovery but have lost all their decent coaches.

Who are their coaches this year?

And what coaches have they lost?

Granny15

irishfan9 wrote: »

Who are their coaches this year?

And what coaches have they lost?

I think Emmet McMahon is head SCT coach. Andy Skehan Director of Rugby.

They haven't had decent coaches since the late 90's IMO. Proper authoritarians who stamp their style of play on a team.

McMahon is about 30 years of age and Skehan the same. Skehan wasn't the best player in his day would have been on the thirds teams all the way up but McMahon was on the firsts.

Still you need a disciplinarian at SCT level to get the best out of rebellious teenagers not someone who is going to sing Kumbaya and be their best friend.