Development Pathways

That's not the context of how I used it; but I can give you chapter and verse in terms of stats if you want to show how Leinster have a far better track record of backing their younger players in these situations if you'd like?

Here's the actual comment:

What Munster should be asking themselves is why Tony Butler has only made 1 appearance total - off the bench against Wasps when two thirds of the team had COVID, in the past 2 seasons. Charlie Tector (less than 1 month older) has played 6 times for Leinster over the same period, while Sam Prendergast has more minutes for Leinster than Butler has for Munster.

It's an entirely fair statement.

Once again here, with a player injured, the proposal is to go and sign an "Alby Mathewson" type, rather than backing the two academy scrum halves you have, plus Neil Cronin who is still there on a senior contract.

Banging on about having the least number of NIQ players is a bit much too - Munster have 2 at present, Leinster have 3 (I'm not including either Healy or Abdaladze), Ulster have 4, Connacht have 4.

It's a fairly recent thing as well - last year Leinster had 1, while Munster have 4.

You already have an NIQ centre coming in, which takes you level with Leinster, and if you sign the NIQ front rower, OH and now SH you want, it would be an almost unprecedented number of NIQ players.

Leinster don't just get minutes into academy players in throwaway games, and have a far better track record than the other provinces of actually seeing their academy players play meaningful minutes so to evaluate them, and not ending up with guys sitting on the senior squad who've almost never played for them.

Contrast that with Tony Butler who is going into Year 3 of the Academy and his only time on the field has been 7 minutes off the bench in the COVID Armageddon game back in December '21, and now, Munster fans are clamouring again to sign another NIQ 10.

The differences are pretty stark in Academy player utilisation.

The best players make Irish squads, regardless of where they sit on depth charts. This has been proven time and time again now.

Leinster have way more guys in Irish squads because Leinster are way better than the other provinces at this moment in time.

And, Jack Crowley made an Irish squad and got capped at a time when he'd done exactly nothing at a senior level in rugby, so not sure that argument stacks up. Ben Healy had plenty of minutes and opportunities, he just wasn't rated that highly by the Irish mgmt.

For a guy who has twice now accused me of making a confusing argument, I've literally no idea what point you're trying to make in the first piece there as the sentence seems to just fall off a cliff.

Leinster seem to recognise better than the other provinces that it's a squad game, and therefore you need to expand your playing pool and get more minutes into more players. You have a better sense of what they're about, and see how they're able for the next level. It's very hard to make that call on a guy who literally never gets the chance.

It would be a phenomenal coincidence if it just happened that all these guys who wither and die in academies without gametime were actually all just not up to it.

These guys come through similar underage player pathways, and shine at underage levels.

When they get into the academy, where the actual coaching and development is supposed to take place, they stall.

James French is a perfect example of this - you've a guy who was an Irish U20 prop in 2018. He's 6ft 1, and 120kg. He was an All Ireland schoolboy shotput champion, so he's clearly got a good level of athleticism and power.

He goes three years through the Munster academy, without getting a sniff of minutes (despite Munster fans consistently complaining about the quality of their scrum over the same period). He gets one appearance, the same COVID game against Wasps when the bulk of the squad is missing, and then never plays again.

He washes out this year early from his contract, despite signing a 2 year extension in Jan 2022, at the age of 24. It's the job of coaches to turn raw athletes like this guy into players, but for too long Munster have a poor return in this respect. He's supposedly signing for Ulster for next season.

It’s genuinely difficult to follow your childish stream of consciousness posting style.

Of course I think Leinster have excellent talent in their academy, but in scenarios where Leinster are caught in a particular position, like hooker this season, they back the academy player to fill the gap, like John McKee, who has played multiple times this year for Leinster in Europe and the league.

When Munster find themselves similarly tight, like next season at both half back positions it seems, the immediate response from Munster fans on here is to call for an NIQ player, no suggestion that Butler or Oliver or Coughlan could step up.