Ireland Under-20 2024 Team

has someone done the team of the last 3 years U20? Good insights to the future

agree but the stand out guys do and I have stand out for at least half of the 15 , just interesting to see if someone else has done the hard yards . Easier of course to pick the backs as skills v bulk is easier to identify at the u20 age group

Hard to know what to make of the result today, I'm veering towards the glass half empty view, maybe there are too many options available in certain positions, but we need Faloon to make the correct calls which I think from today's game might be a bit clearer in the games ahead. The backrow didn't work and the centers defensively didnt seem to work well together either. There's more to come from Gleeson and he can be a real game changer if match fit so wouldn't blame him for backrow issues and it improved when he came on even though the balance wasn't right. Our scrums will always struggle but games are not won or lost there, and that goes for Irish teams in general

give it a try man! I’ll start with the easy bit

7 Culhane

8 Gleeson

9 Gunne

10 Prendergast

Tell me more !!

Dupont was on the bench for France u20s, some players just explode at senior rugby and others don't translate as well. If you look at the list of u20 player of the year the careers of the players vary from world class to names you haven't heard. The provinces job is to give talent with the potential the platform to fulfill il that potential.

He was in and out of the team but he was a 2 year U20 player which normally suggests he's a serious operator. Also played outhalf for them a bit.

He played Leinster in the Champion's Cup when he was still with Castres as a 19 year old and he was well flagged in advance as a future star….and he was brilliant against Leinster if a little raw.

Interesting activity. In trying to keep it solely to how they performed at U20s and not since then (or factoring in their potential too)

1 - Jack Boyle

2 - Gus McCarthy

3 - Paddy McCarthy

4 - Evan O'Connell

5 - Conor O'Tighearnaigh

6 - Rueben Crothers

7 - Ruadhan Quinn

8 - Brian Gleeson

9 - Fintan Gunne

10 - Sam Prendergast

11 - James Nicholson

12 - Hugh Gavin

13 - Hugh Cooney

14 - Finn Treacy

15 - Henry McErlean

Tough exercise.

Despite the majority of these players winning the U20s grand slam or getting very close, there are still some gaps in class here.

There are also excellent players missing out.

Scott Wilson, Ronan Foxe, Joe Hopes, Diarmuid Mangan, James Culhane, Sean Edogbo, James McNabney, Ben Brownlee, Fionn Gibbons, Pa Campbell were all stunning players at U20s level but were pipped by (to me) players who performed better at that age grade.

There are players in there who I don't feel will go on to have long senior careers (and I really hope I'm wrong… make me eat my words lads!) in COT, Crothers, Nicholson, Cooney and Treacy

Dont recall any standouts in the 2022 backline

Gunne had a high profile coming out of school but I felt he had a very average 6N - Devine definitely looked better in his U20 performances (even discounting his recent promise at senior level).

Mullins probably worth a mention too on the wing - has kind of flown under the radar since due to his Sevens focus. But it's very competitive.

Recency bias will always be a factor of course.

But the 2022 backline was decent but with better options in the most recent 2 years I feel.

The players that started the 6 nations 2022 and the Summer series that year mostly were the likes of:

Pa Campbell, Chay Mullins, Jude Postlethwaite, Fionn Gibbons, Charlie Tector, Matthew Devine, Tony Butler, Aitzol King, Dan Hawkshaw among others.

I mentioned Campbell vs McErlean, to be fair that was a closish call. Both are stunning full backs and in the same team one could conceivably switch one to the wing. But I wanted to keep it as much positional as possible (hence Culhane not getting in over Gleeson)

Mullins and King especially were decent options there on the wings given the relative lack of top class I included. I wouldn't be fighting too hard including either of them over Nicholson but Finn Treacy I feel has shown a lot more pace and rugby nous.

Tbf to Devine he was excellent at U20s level and as someone else argued he could be considered over Gunne. I would argue that Gunne did deliver on his hype though and also added a very accomplished kicking game during his time there. Regularly getting excellent change on his box kick clearances.

Just covering both posts with the same reply.

Definitely arguments for other players in some positions. Less so in others

Gunne ’a very average 6N’ are you kidding me he was a standout performer on a standout team, key 8/9/10 partnership role alongside Sam Prendergast & Gleeson in delivering 6N Slam. Interesting to read the views , always going to be a favouritism to recent teams but fun to exchange all the same. We all have our ’spotted him at schools level’ selection so we will too be biased , I’d have Culhane in for sure. Back to this year crew I hope improve for next game that was too squeaky for my liking

Boyle

McCormick

McCarthy

O’Connell

Hopes

Culhane

Quinn

Gleeson

Devine

Prendergast

Mullins

Gavin

Postlethwaite

Treacy

Campbell

Georgia were HUGE in fairness

Corrigan good but nowhere near McKillop