Leinster Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread XII (The Byrne Supremacy)

Who would be willing to move to Connacht? I can't see any of our out half's leaving to go west. It's a no win situation for Connacht if it's a loan and the player leaves.

For Connacht it's an internationally capped player (or U20 player) whilst they await their out-half to recover with no commitment to keep them long-term or jam them up with out-halves post JJ return.

And realistically, if Harry (as an example) is told that this year Ross is #1, Sam is #2 and Frawley will cover after that, it's a win for Harry (given that situation) to get game time at Connacht and show Leinster that he deserves to be starting. And it's a win for Leinster that their fourth choice out-half is getting minutes.

It's a hard to see how it's a loss for Connacht or Harry(?) in that situation.

It's a big win for connacht as they desperately need an out half. They only have Carty and the Academy lad. They need cover and Prendergast is a decent option for them.

Don't worry about connacht. Prendergast would be a decent solution to their problem for next year while JJ recovers.

But it seems Leinster has agreed to give Prendergast more responsibility as evidenced by starting him against Connacht. The person questioning his role must be Harry Byrne (and Charlie Tector). If Prendergast gets decent game time next year and gets leapfroged, I wouldn't resent Harry leaving to get first team games elsewhere.

His options are not only Connacht ulster or give up on pro rugby. Loads of Pro options he could take if not top level urc, prem but us, etc

personally I’d love to see HB at Connacht for a season. Playing week in week out would improve his game and answer a lot of questions about him. He should bite their hand off for the opportunity. At Leinster it will be more of the same, the odd game here and there but never having a chance to grow into the team and establish himself, even half a season of regular starts in Galway would be time far better spent.

At this point, all four options in Leinster can legitimately say they still harbour realistic ambitions of being the Leinster outhalf. They've each had enough game time or big minutes to believe that. With that in mind, it's going to be exceptionally difficult to convince one of them to leave for another province.

Ross Byrne is the de facto first choice option.

Harry Byrne has had significant game time this season including big games in Europe where he has performed well leading to playing for Ireland in the 6N.

Ciarán Frawley has benched at outhalf, had a few starts there and generally been ok when given the opportunity. He has the added bonus that the Irish set up supposedly sees him as someone that can cover outhalf for them also.

Sam Prendergast is a highly rated youngster who has made 15 appearances this season having only turned 21 this spring. Also was brought into the Irish squad in a development role.

So there's plenty to convince all of the above players that things are going very well for them currently. Their roles don't appear to be holding them back. The first three guys have all played for Ireland this season. The last has been brought into the set up.

I think the recent contract retentions has bought Leinster a little bit of time to further assess but they will need to make a decision in the next 8 months. The rumours have been that HB signed his deal some time ago but Leinster are happy to let him move on after it or even before it if an agreement is reached as they're turning their focus to Prendergast. If they've been unambiguous in their discussions with him, he might consider the loan move to Connacht….but then again, why would he?

Connacht are in a very bad place, their squad is arguably set to become weaker next season. At best, no change in standard. Guys like Blade, Aki, Bealham, Heffernan and Carty are all the wrong side of 30. Their coaching team has no been a success. There's very little to attract any of the Leinster outhalves (even including Tector, I'd suggest as he'd potentially be just a squad player there with very little game time).

One of the worrying things for them must be that Mack Hansen's contract is up next summer and there's no way in hell the other provinces aren't circling….

There's a place in Connacht but I don't think Dan Carter would look like a test player there right now. I don't think any peripheral player is well served by being in Connacht these days. Cian Prendergast was playing incredible stuff for them this season but still didn't make the Irish squad for the 6N and was only called up into a development spot after an injury to Ahern.

I just don't see any attraction for a player to move to Connacht right now. Will Connors said upon his renewal that he sees that the best place for him to push back into test contention is at Leinster. There's a strong case for that but, regardless, I think the worst place right now to try and get noticed by the Irish set up is in Connacht especially if you're an outhalf playing behind a pack getting beaten around the place regularly.

Will Connors is a good example of a player not wanting to move to Connacht also.

Apparently when he was in the academy he had some agreement (verbal or otherwise) with Connacht that he'd go there if Leinster didn't pick him up.

Leinster offered him a 1 year dev contract which he took. Connachts legal team swooped in trying to say he'd reneged on his agreement and it got a bit ugly

Ah I can totally understand the feeling that one of them should move. I share it. No other province has 3 dedicated senior outhalves along with one that is well able to play there if required in Frawley (and I'd agree that he is more of a 12 than an outhalf).

Provinces generally have an established outhalf (who may/may not be in the Irish set up and is usually capped), a solid second option and then a younger option to come through who can have game time or a utility player who can cover 10. That's not normally counting guys in the academy.

Carty - Hanrahan - Hawkshaw (utility)

Crowley - Carbery - Scannell (utility)/Butler (academy)

Burns - Flannery/Lowry/Doak (all utility)

Those don't tally with Leinster who have three fully fledged outhalves in their senior squad in Byrne x 2 and Prendergast. Frawley is a utility back but I'd back him as an outhalf right now more than Hawkshaw, Scannell, Butler, Flannery, Doak or Lowry.

That puts Leinster in a position of far greater strength at 10 than the other provinces. Three of them have played at outhalf for Ireland even if for a limited time. Prendergast may be capped in autumn against Fiji. I can't recall such a lopsided situation previously. Injuries provided opportunities this season with Ross Byrne missing 4 months. But if he had been fit, that would have seen Harry Byrne and Frawley gain very few minutes in the Champion's Cup.

If there aren't injuries next season (and Ross Byrne might not even be in the 23), game time for someone like Harry Byrne is going to be very limited, I reckon.

Harry Byrne would be a win for connacht. He's good enough now to help there.

Tector on loan would be pointless except as a warm body. He's a development project.

Harry Byrne isn't remotely as bad as people like to make out. The whole situation, whilst I disagree with how its played out, looks a lot more reasonable when you take into account Leinster don't see Frawley as a 10. So you have 2 established 10s in Ross and Harry and a young 10 in Prendergast.

Harry is better than Ross imo, and the coaches made the wrong choice in putting Ross back in over him for the run in. Ross should be moved on and have Harry as 1 and Sam backing him up. It would also allow Tector to get some time, if he's worth the punt.

Harry at his best has never come near Ross at his best.