Leinster 2013/14

[Cormac]

Looks like Leinster's squad and academy are complete for next season:

Senior Squad - 40 players

LHP - Cian Healy, Jack McGrath, Jack O'Connell
THP - Mike Ross, Michael Bent, Martin Moore
Hooker - Richardt Strauss, Sean Cronin, Aaron Dundon
Locks - Leo Cullen, Mike McCarthy, Devin Toner, Quinn Roux, Ben Marshall, Tom Denton
Flankers - Sean O'Brien, Kevin McLaughlin, Rhys Ruddock, Dominic Ryan, Shane Jennings
No. 8 - Jamie Heaslip, Jordi Murphy, Leo Auva'a
SH - Eoin Reddan, Isaac Boss, John Cooney
FH - Ian Madigan, Jimmy Gopperth
Centre - Brian O'Driscoll, Gordon D'Arcy, Eoin O'Malley, Brendan Macken, Andrew Goodman, Noel Reid
Wing - Luke Fitzgerald, Fergus McFadden, Dave Kearney, Darren Hudson
Full-Back - Rob Kearney, Zane Kirchner

Players Out: Heinke vd Merwe (Stade Francais), Tom Sexton (Melbourne Rebels), Jamie Hagan (London Irish), Mark Flanagan (???), Damian Browne (Oyonnax), Johnny Sexton (Racing Metro), Fionn Carr (Connacht), Andrew Conway (Munster), Isa Nacewa (Retirement).

Players In: Mike McCarthy (Connacht), Jimmy Gopperth (Newcastle), Zane Kirchner (Blue Bulls)

Promotions from the Academy: Jordi Murphy, Ben Marshall (two-year deals), Noel Reid, Jack O'Connell, Martin Moore and Darren Hudson (one-year deals).

Academy: 22 players

LHP: Ed Byrne (Year 2), Peter Dooley (1)
Hooker: James Tracy (3), Brian Byrne (2)
THP: Tadhg Furlong (3)
Locks: Tadhg Beirne (2), Gavin Thornbury (2), Ross Molony (1)
Flankers: Conor Gilsenan (3), Dan Leavy (2), Josh vd Flier (2)
No. 8: Jack Conan (2)
SH: Luke McGrath (3)
FH: Cathal Marsh (2), Steve Crosbie (1)
Centre: Colm O'Shea (3), Jordan Coghlan (3), Tom Daly (1)
Wings: Sam Coghlan-Murray (3), Andrew Boyle (3), Adam Byrne (1)
Full-Back: Billy Dardis (1)

[rocky]

That's still a very useful-looking squad you have there, Cormac. Hard to spot any major areas of weakness. How do you rate the front row players behind Church and Ross?

[kingofthehill]

Luke McGrath to do an 'Olding' is my prediction.

The boy has class.

[rumncoke]

King

Hardly an Olding, McGrath is a 3rd year Academy

But i hope he is as good as you think because Murray is sound but slow and takes an age out of the ball

and is the real surprise in the Lions squad.

[kingofthehill]

King

Hardly an Olding, McGrath is a 3rd year Academy

But i hope he is as good as you think because Murray is sound but slow and takes an age out of the ball

and is the real surprise in the Lions squad.

By doing an 'Olding' I meant he could play for Ireland while still being in the academy system.

[nonplussed]

Luke McGrath is a class act, a future Irish international and Lion!

[ruckover]

Luke McGrath is a class act, a future Irish international and Lion!

I wouldn't be quite sold on Lion yet but definitely could make it for Ireland. Certainly if he plays a lot this season and improves, I could see him donning a Lions shirt sometime in the near future.

[Cormac]

That's still a very useful-looking squad you have there, Cormac. Hard to spot any major areas of weakness. How do you rate the front row players behind Church and Ross?

More worried about tight-head than loose. Would have preferred to see Bent departing, rather than Hagan. If Bent doesn't show improvement in the first couple of months, I wouldn't be surprised to see Martin Moore pass him out in the pecking order.

McGrath at loose-head has shown a lot of improvement this season, so much that vd Merwe's absence for the last 4 months of the season wasn't noticed that much.

[LeinsterLad]

Not sure what to expect this season if I'm being honest.

I think there's a certain expectation from both inside and outside Leinster that the team wont be able to compete to the level it has over the last number of years, but I'm not certain about that.

It is entirely possible that Leinster could drop down a few levels, I hope that's not the case, but it has to be considered possible when players like Sexton and Nacewa are gone and a new coach is coming in, definitely a fair bit of uncertainty there.

But with regards to how the team will get on, I think Madigan is more than capable of stepping up and being a top class Heineken Cup standard 10 right now. Of course Sexton will be missed, but I don't see why Madigan can't grow to that level and he can run a backline just as well as Sexton (some might say even better!) but his game management definitely isn't as good.

Nacewa another big loss, I think a massive amount will be decided by how we get on with injuries. I think if we have a very lucky season with regards to injuries, we have the squad to compete to win both Heineken and Pro12 honors as we've done in the past.

A few key injuries to players who are prone, Luke Fitzgerald for example, we could suffer. We're also relying on Kirchner to hit the ground running and be of a high standard, but I think we will have added dimensions, McCarthy coming in, guys like O'Malley and Fitzgerald will add a lot extra (as we've been without them so much) if they can remain fit...

I'm quietly optimistic. We could go out in the groups of the Heineken, we could win the Heineken, a lot will come down to luck, so we'll just have to wait and see.

[tigerburnie]

Be interesting to see how Matt O'Connor fits in.

[browner]

Eoin O'Malley the young Leinster centre...forced to retire through injury...25 years old.

[BR]

Eoin O'Malley the young Leinster centre...forced to retire through injury...25 years old.

[Dublin4]

Gutted for Eoin.
Ulster fans may remember his appearance against Clermont in the H cup two years ago over there where he was outstanding.
25 last month and career over. It's a very tough old game and you would want to think long and hard before recommending a young guy to live his dream. Eoin had searched internationally for a specialist to sort his knee but to no avail.

[BaggyTrousers]

I foresee a gradual downgrade in Mexico. The loss of Sexton & Nacewa is huge - I will brook no argument on that.

Still an impressive squad however, so a gradual rather than rapid decline is my expectation. Much will depend on how the remaining "oul'hauns" perform/ remain fit.

Interesting to see Ed Byrne taking a break from the comedy circuit, he bought my daughter a pint once, though I understand he will still be a regular on Mock the Week, but I doubt he has the physique for Loosehead.

Just one man's opinion, even if it carries more weight than most - nearing 18 stone & rising.

Pip pip, off to soak in the tub with a San Miguel or twelve - possible drowning danger.

PS sorry for O'Malley, never had much luck on the injury front.

[BuckRogers]

Never nice to see any player have to curtail their career involuntarily, a real shame for the lad.