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

I'd be in general agreement there, but don't rate Sam Grove-White.

Evans is improving, Whitehouse & Adamson have reached their ceiling.

Frank gets a lot of stick & little commendation when he does well.

Unfortunate that Brace, Busby, Cross (& even Frank) are all unavailable just on nationality grounds. Saw Vedovelli at the Sportsground recently and he went well. Gnecchi was ok until recent outings. Ben Breakspear is ok, but nowhere near a URC semi level.

Davidson is always impressive & has stepped up to near Elite level and would have been my preferred option for Loftus. MUN & G Warriors are welcome to Piardi, who like Gnecci has moments of inconsistency. Had thought Morne Ferreira might get that particular gig.

If all goes well this will be, hopefully, the last mention of the Refs this weekend.

I'd expect Penny to go potentially as captain similar to how Deegan was captain at the same age in 2022. Guys like Frawley, Blade and Daly all went on the last tour also and were fairly established players so I'd imagine they'll take a smattering of experience again to allow a bit of cohesion and not a totally callow side.

Leinster had 11 players on the last tour including a couple of very fringe players like Andrew Smith and Culhane. I reckon we'll see similar numbers with a handful of the same guys going again. I think Deegan, Frawley, Milne, Osbourne and McCarthy will be removed from the squad and we'll see the likes of Gunne, Boyle, Barron, Gus McCarthy, COT, Turner, Brownlee, Russell, Mangan, Andrew Osbourne and Paddy McCarthy all in consideration.

Peter O Mahony has been written off more time than he's been written on, but his time is surely coming towards it's end. And in the meantime Ahern at munster and Baird at leinster have stepped up to replace him at Ireland and provincial level. With the likes of Conan, Deegan, Timony already internationals and prospects like Cormac Izuchukwu, Dave McCann, Ruahan Quinn, Culhane, Martin moloney and probably Murphy back at connacht this year, the field is seriously crowded.

Penny is often captain for leinster so leinster must see leadership qualities in him. Penny should go. Would likely captain the side.

I agree we should be starting to phase out the players who wont be in the next world cup. Those being POM (37), Murray (37), Healy (40), Aki (37). I don't think it should happen all at once. Back row is certainly the easiest to bring in established players owing to the quality already in situ.

I think you're being a tad generous to Martin Moloney and Josh Murphy there. I wouldn't consider either of them viable options in Green with younger players already performing at a higher standard. Murphy himself will be 30 next season.

I would have Gleeson in the squad as one of the first names as I think he's a potential 50 cap number 8. Kendellen and Hodnett would also be in with a shout.

Also a huge fan of Dave McCann. I would have him as captain. And if I were Richie Murphy I'd be making him Ulster captain next season

I have been thinking for a long time who are we going to bring to the next world cup and I came up with 3 players at each position:

LH: Andrew Porter, Jack Boyle, Tom O'Toole (makes the switch)

HKR: Dan Sheehan, Ronan Kelleher, Tom Stewart

TH: Tadhg Furlong, Oli Jager, Scott Wilson

LHLK: Joe McCarthy, Edwin Edogbo, Alan Spicer (Bit of a stretch if not Spicer then Cormac Izuchkwu)

THLK: James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne, Iain Henderson

B.S FLKR: Ryan Baird, Tom Ahern, Cian Prendergast

O.S FLKR: Josh Van Der Flier, Alex Kendellen, Ruadhán Quinn

N8: Caelan Doris, James Culhane, Brian Gleeson

SH: Craig Casey, Nathan Doak, Fintan Gunne

FH: Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley

LW: Mack Hansen, James Lowe , Jacob Stockdale

IC: Robbie Henshaw, Cathal Forde, Hugh Gavin

OC: Garry Ringrose, ,Jamie Osborne, James Hume

RW Calvin Nash, Robert Baloucoune, Jordan Larmour

FB Hugo Keenan, Henry McErlean, Jimmy O'Brien

I think in the near future, Ireland are going to start prioritising added bulk when it comes to the forwards. That's why I have added James Culhane, Ruadhan Quinn and Alan Spicer.

David McCann and Matthew Devine are definitely two players I can see making an Irish squad. McCann is a scoring machine but I look at him and keep thinking he is going to fall into the Gavin Coombes utility forward role that while it helps your team as a whole, it doesn't seem to be rewarded by the current Irish set up who seem to like to have players in defined roles. Devine could very easily get into the setup but I am just such a fan of Casey, Doak and Gunne. Casey and Gunne offer lightning quick ball and Doak offers more physicality as well as good place kicking.

I think I'm alot higher on Henry McErlean than most but I think he is a wonderful footballer and has bags of potential. There is plenty of talent to keep Ruadhan Quinn out of an Irish jersey but I just have such strong feelings that he is going to be a monster for Munster in the near future.

I think Culhane will get brought to the emerging Irish tour and do fairly well for himself. Leo clearly has alot of faith in him and I think he is going to push on sooner rather than later.

With Devine, I do see the similarity to JGP but I just have watched alot more Fintan Gunne as I've been watchin him since his old belvo days. I also wouldn't be shocked if JGP is still knocking around next world cup.

Culhanes season was wrecked by injury.

he’s a great footballer but not a scrum half , could well be a utility player in the future , but not at Frawleys level

I don't see JGP being usurped over the next few years.

He will be "only" 34 at the next world cup and has a (touch wood) good injury profile

I could very easily see JGP at the next world cup but I can't see him in a starting role. Having him come off the bench would be excellent in the final 20 minutes of a match,

A lot of his game is speed to ruck etc, he might not have as many minutes on the clock as his early career was a lot of subs but I would be surprised if he was still the starting 9 for Ireland come the next WC, surprised but not shocked after 56 year old Sexton

I wonder does Connors start this one. I think given the way the Bulls try to generate momentum by using powerful carriers his tackling would be useful to have. On the other hand you'd only get 35 minutes of van der Flier then. But maybe it'd be better to have van der Flier fresh for a potential final…