The UAFC

Good article on Finlay.

50 passes a night put Finlay on the U20 fast track https://the42.ie/4991819

Jetstream wrote: ↑Thu Feb 06, 2020 10:07 am Good article on Finlay.

50 passes a night put Finlay on the U20 fast track https://the42.ie/4991819

Saw that and was going to post it. Great to read he's in the academy now- sounds like quite the player, I think there is definitely room to bring him and Doak into the senior team, plus McKee is also in the u20s squad and supposed to be handy too but a year younger. Wait for 1 good young scrum half and three arrive at once...

U20 on BBC website at the minute, Ireland doing well

Super 3rd try great to watch.

Very dominant performance against a fairly disorganised Welsh team.
Halfbacks look great at this level, I like the look of young Lewis at 9 seems to have a good instinct for the game. Could be a good'un for the future in a key position.

Superb first half of running rugby by Ireland. Great to see variety and no bloody box kicking!!!

Good win ground out but they have to become an eighty minute team. Don't let the opposition get a sniff.

Lewis Finlay man of the match after a pretty impressive performance. Clearly, from his interview, he has all that he needs to be a first class purveyor of classic cliches

Looked like the wind had a decent impact on the game, and Ireland's poor scrum didn't help either. Players I noticed the most were Stewart, Finlay, the OH, and the number 11. Was quite an entertaining game which I guess you would expect at this level.

Stewart had some great carries and must have challenged Finlay for man of the match.
Mc Cann was quietly effective and set up a try. Not sure if 8 is his best position. More of a 6.
Moxham was caught out a couple of times positionally and I can see McElroy taking his place if fit. Hyde was out injured.
As for Finlay's cliche ridden interview, I think he was trying to avoid the type of interview Crowley made last week when the number 10 came across as a big headed prat.
There is a lot of praise being placed on Crowley, he is very raw and mixed the good with the bad. His place kicking was very good but out of hand it was very very poor.

Every interview is a cliche -- because nobody wants to rock the boat -- but it was a cliche game -of two halves -- one with the wind and one against it-- nobody can run as fast into a wind and one good kick into space with the wind behind you ensures a gain of 30 to 40 yards.

Every year at under 20 level there will be ,normally , about 4 or 5 players who will make into the professional game , a good back will make sooner ,again normally , than forwards.

There are a number of reasons for this -- existing professional backs get injured more often than forwards playing in the front five and pace exists before power thus forwards mature later than backs but they also play longer. Thus for many of the under 20 forwards different options and opportunities may be available before a professional contract is offered and they lose the motivation to become professional players.

The fact is for most of them they have to be in the right Province at the right time-- necessity being the mother of opportunity.

Jetstream wrote: ↑Fri Feb 07, 2020 11:24 pm Stewart had some great carries and must have challenged Finlay for man of the match.
Mc Cann was quietly effective and set up a try. Not sure if 8 is his best position. More of a 6.
Moxham was caught out a couple of times positionally and I can see McElroy taking his place if fit. Hyde was out injured.
As for Finlay's cliche ridden interview, I think he was trying to avoid the type of interview Crowley made last week when the number 10 came across as a big headed prat.
There is a lot of praise being placed on Crowley, he is very raw and mixed the good with the bad. His place kicking was very good but out of hand it was very very poor.

Stewart looks like he could be a super player, really explosive and for a front row player he picks great lines and has a very good eye for gaps and soft shoulders - frustrating that he's coming through in a position where we're already pretty well-stocked!! I can see him jump up the queue pretty rapidly though..

impressed by Finlay as well, great to see a local 9 coming through. Agree on Crowley, I thought it was similar last week, he looked outstanding at times, but made a fair few errors - exciting player though, one to watch

Looks like the weemin hammered the Welsh as well. Well done girls. Or should that be, 'Congratulations ladies.'
I'm never sure what the collective term for a group of females is. If it was a group of males, I could say, 'Well done, lads, guys, fellas etc.' Any help much appreciated.

solidarity wrote: ↑Mon Feb 10, 2020 9:31 pm Looks like the weemin hammered the Welsh as well. Well done girls. Or should that be, 'Congratulations ladies.'
I'm never sure what the collective term for a group of females is. If it was a group of males, I could say, 'Well done, lads, guys, fellas etc.' Any help much appreciated.

It's always been weemin 'round these enlightened parts! Saw the 2nd half. They had to deal with some atrocious weather in the 2nd half and coped much better than either Sco or End men.

From Ulster pov - Hyde, McIroy, Finlay and McCann start for the 20s v England on Friday night. Stewart on the bench.

Sky Sports Mix 7:45pm KO.