AIL 23-24

Lansdowne 17 Rams 7

Terenure v Trinity tomorrow night in first pre season league game in Lakelands.

20:00 kick off if anyone in Dublin looking to kill a Tuesday evening.

Terenure 61 DUFC 14

How did Conor Phillips go ? Great signing

Any idea of the Trinity line up or any names involved?

Yea, some dubious enough scores. Up to 28points were potentially not scores. So in reality it was more like 33-14 to Terenure. Also our Ireland U20s wingforward wasn't playing so he would have made a huge difference. Big tour up next week.

1Jerry Cahir

2Conall Henchy

4Cuan Doyle

5Max Dunne

6Dan Carroll

7DYLAN RYAN

8David Walsh

9Cormac King

10Harry Colbert

11Aidan Henry

12Louis McDonough

13Victor Allen

14William Twomey

15Taylor Gleeson 

16Oisin Mc closkey17Conor Cagney18Gerhard Zdunek19Luke O'Callaghan20Oscar Cawley21Conor Tracey22Hugh Goddard23Finn O’Connor

Yea, well it was the same ref as the AIL game in Lakelands last year. Coincidence? I don’t think so!

There was at least 4 scores that just weren’t tries. We should have scored to at end of 1st half. My point is had it not been for some decisions and other factors the score would have been a lot closer and was reflective of the game.

I heard at the sideline from multiple sources that Terenure were brining in Michael Bent as player/scrum coach. That would be a great signing.

I've no idea if ref was the same, can't even remember who reffed the AIL final, but that is more to do with the festivities afterwards and will take your word for it

But are suggesting the ref gamed this so we would win easily? You are going down a big rabbit hole there. It was a pre season game, where one side was a good deal stronger than the other.

At least 4 scores that weren't tries. We won by 47 points, maybe flattered us a little but bench was emptied early etc.

But ok.

No idea on Michael Bent - news to me.

This reference about the referee being in some way biased is hilarious nonsense. Referees makes mistake, and his decision to award that penalty at the end of last season's game was a poor call. But to imply a deliberate bias on an on going basis is tinfoil hat stuff.

I don't want to get into names. As I'm not sure if it's confirmed and he only said to his knowledge it was happening. But that's at least 4 people who I have heard Bent is coming to Terenure, wouldn't be surprised if Leinster want him on the books during the World Championships.

In fairness to the ref, he had a great game overall.

Similar situation in Ulster where Harlequins can’t field v Instonians due to a lack of front rows.

Word is Gavin Jones, the Trinity centre who joined Clontarf has had to retire on medical grounds. Awful shame and hope he is ok, a really really good player

Quinny has gone to London for work. Big loss for us! Our attack was sharp vs Wesley. I hear James Nicholson who joined the Connacht Academy, has signed for Lansdowne. Huge signing if true! He was very good in the World Championships. My son is a youths player in Lansdowne, saw him down there at 1sts training.

Pretty sure Peter Sullivan stayed with Lansdowne while he was with Connacht. Guess there's only so much game time with Buccs and also players/Connacht academy coaches may believe playing at a higher level is worth the travel.

I suppose only 1 Connacht club in the top three divisions means you can't send every academy player to Bucs as they won't all play

It is to do with the Pro Player rule- they got an exemption for Sam Illo when Buccs were in 2A, as we spoke to him and also for Shayne Bolton for Galwegians as he had played so few games. But pro player can only play in Div 1A/1B - so if a lad needs games from Connacht - say an Oisin Dowling - well he could go back to Tarf.

Mark Boyle was on a Development Contract - so could play in 2B

They have but when Eric Elwood took over I think he put a stop to it. Pretty sure they won't let it happen anymore - but wait and see what happens with James Nicholson albeit wasn't he with UCD last year, unless no longer in college, you'd assume he would stay with them?

Shannon trained against Munster last night in Thomond Park, wasn't advertised but seemed they allowed selected members attend - pity!

It sounds like it could be a tough season for the Parish side, they've not replaced Coffee or Sean McCarthy and both would have been keys players. Also my understanding is the majority of the management team left over the summer so all must not be well in Coonagh! They've still not announced the new management team which is odd considering how good their social media coverage usually is.

Cookies garryowen tomorrow night, great to have rugby back!!

It makes sense for Connacht to be fair, if they take him in, train him and so on, they should want the Connacht clubs to get the benefit of it