Any word on the Academy?

[Bayern]

What is that team for?

development side to play an AIL XV

[Jetstream]

What is that team for?

Ulster Development versus an AIL selection this Friday at Gibson Park.


Ulster U18 Schools team. to play Leinster tomorrow 3.30pm
(1-8) Blake McClean Royal (Belfast Academical Institution), Connor Magee (Banbridge Academy), Rio McDonagh (Wallace High School), Ryan Halpin (Down High School), Zack McCartney (Coleraine Grammar School), Matthew Heasley (Dromore High School), Thomas Dougan (Captain) (Royal School Armagh), Callum McKinney (Campbell College Belfast)

(15-9) James Kerr (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Henry Ralston (Campbell College Belfast), Fraser Cunningham (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Quinn Armstrong (Wallace High School), Russell Alo Veikune (Campbell College Belfast), Frank Davis (Belfast Royal Academy), Callum Irvine (Ballymena Academy)

Replacements:

James Clark (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Zak Molyneaux (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Nathan Noble (Sullivan Upper School), Harry Thallon (Sullivan Upper School), Sam Warwick (Wallace High School), Callum Soper (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Oliver Berry (Methodist College), Josh Gibson (Royal Belfast Academical Institution)

[Bayern]

(15-9) Ben McFarlane, Lukas Kenny, James Girvan, Ben Gibson, Ethan Graham, Zach Quirke, Ryan Davis

(1-8) Jack Boal, Henry Walker, Cameron Doak, James McKillop, Mark Lee, Bryn Ward, Josh Stevens, Lorcan McLaughlin

Replacements: Zac Solomon, Jacob Boyd, Flynn Longstaff, Scott Craig, Conor Neary, Adam Montgomery, James Humphreys, Rory Ellerby, Henry Boyle, Josh Eagleson

bold = u20s

[chunky]

More interestingly the AIL select team, boys who have been round the block and shown they can cut it in senior rugby -

AIL Select XV
15 Adam Doherty (Banbridge RFC)

14 Curtis Henry (Ballymena RFC)

13 Bevan Prinsloo (Instonians RFC)

12 Mark Best (Ballynahinch RFC)

11 Dylan Nelson (City of Armagh RFC)

10 Robbie Johnston (QUB RFC)

9 Rhys O’Donell (Instonians RFC)

8 Bradley Luney (Ballynahinch RFC)

7 Dave Cave (Malone RFC)

6 Adam Lamont (Ballymena RFC)

5 Robert Sproule (Omagh RFC)

4 Adam McNamee (Malone RFC)

3 Joe Charles (Ballynahinch RFC)

2 Dan O’Neill (Rainey Old Boys RFC)

1 David Braden (Omagh RFC)

Replacements

16 Sam Green (Malone RFC)

17 Lawson Porter (Malone RFC)

18 James Leary (Bangor RFC)

19 John McCusker (Rainey Old Boys RFC)

20 Cameron Steenson (Dungannon RFC)

21 Robin Sinton (Banbridge RFC)

22 Lewis Finlay (City of Armagh RFC)

23 Pierce Crowe (Ballymena RFC)

24 Glen Faloon (City of Armagh RFC)

25 Matthew Montgomery (Dungannon RFC)

26 Ross Taylor (City of Armagh RFC)

27 Mark Keane (Instonians RFC)

Staff: Adam Craig (Ballynahinch RFC) Ian McKinlay (Rainey Old Boys RFC), Josh Pentland (Malone RFC), Rab Logan (Banbridge RFC)

[Big-al]

Would be a good game to go and watch.

When is it?

[justinr73]

Five quid at Gibson Park at 7.30 on Friday night.

Would have gone but I’m going out for my tea.

[Jetstream]

(15-9) Ben McFarlane, Lukas Kenny, James Girvan, Ben Gibson, Ethan Graham, Zach Quirke, Ryan Davis

(1-8) Jack Boal, Henry Walker, Cameron Doak, James McKillop, Mark Lee, Bryn Ward, Josh Stevens, Lorcan McLaughlin

Replacements: Zac Solomon, Jacob Boyd, Flynn Longstaff, Scott Craig, Conor Neary, Adam Montgomery, James Humphreys, Rory Ellerby, Henry Boyle, Josh Eagleson

bold = u20s

Was Ben Gibson originally a 10?

[Big-al]

Five quid at Gibson Park at 7.30 on Friday night.

Would have gone but I’m going out for my tea.

Surely the chippy will still be open at 9.30??

[CIMANFOREVER]

What is that team for?

Ulster Development versus an AIL selection this Friday at Gibson Park.


Ulster U18 Schools team. to play Leinster tomorrow 3.30pm
(1-8) Blake McClean Royal (Belfast Academical Institution), Connor Magee (Banbridge Academy), Rio McDonagh (Wallace High School), Ryan Halpin (Down High School), Zack McCartney (Coleraine Grammar School), Matthew Heasley (Dromore High School), Thomas Dougan (Captain) (Royal School Armagh), Callum McKinney (Campbell College Belfast)

(15-9) James Kerr (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Henry Ralston (Campbell College Belfast), Fraser Cunningham (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Quinn Armstrong (Wallace High School), Russell Alo Veikune (Campbell College Belfast), Frank Davis (Belfast Royal Academy), Callum Irvine (Ballymena Academy)

Replacements:

James Clark (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Zak Molyneaux (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Nathan Noble (Sullivan Upper School), Harry Thallon (Sullivan Upper School), Sam Warwick (Wallace High School), Callum Soper (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Oliver Berry (Methodist College), Josh Gibson (Royal Belfast Academical Institution)

Good to see plenty of non traditional grammar school involvement...

[justinr73]

Five quid at Gibson Park at 7.30 on Friday night.

Would have gone but I’m going out for my tea.

Surely the chippy will still be open at 9.30??

Oh I seem to have got myself into a Muddle….

[Bayern]

Leinster Schools 45 Ulster Schools 24.

[Tap+Go]

Very poor start for the U18 Schools having lost to all 3 other provinces over the last couple of weeks. I know at least 12 of the 23 from today trained up a year group last summer with 9 being in inter-pro action last year for either the Clubs or Schools, with many as starters. So really was expecting stronger showings.

Looking at last year & this summer to date we have 1 win & 1 draw out of 12 games against the other provinces!

2022:
U19: 1 win 2 losses
U18 Schools: 3 losses
U18 Clubs: 1 draw 2 losses

2023: to date
U18 Schools: 3 losses

Aware the U17 also took 2 teams to the High Performance Centre last Friday for a blitz style round robin against the other provinces and think they possibly won 1 out of 6 shortened games. So the trend doesn’t look like stopping next year.

Something seems fundamentally off. Ulster are id’ing more players than ever but the teams just aren’t competitive. Is the coaching not as good or is the prep off (Leinster generally take their age grade teams in tour to England before the interpros or Munster actually have the players living on site per a training camp approach). Or are our players not as skilled or fit - possibly with other province players more exposed to gaelic games from a young age. While you don’t need many underage players coming through each year, Ulster need to start identifying the issues & finding solutions or we are likely to become increasingly more reliant on other provinces pathways. We aren’t going to match Leinster but we should be competitive against Munster & Connacht.

[HammerTime]

It's worrying how much poorer we are getting as each year passes. Nobody at UR has any answers.The 1.2 million spent on DV would have revolutionised the underage setup. No more big money signings until we have our own sh!t together. With these teams being so far off the pace at U17 level and against the likes of Connacht ... it's another 10 years at least in the doldrums for UR. Utterly depressing and I can see why so many are losing interest.

[Big-al]

It's worrying how much poorer we are getting as each year passes. Nobody at UR has any answers.The 1.2 million spent on DV would have revolutionised the underage setup. No more big money signings until we have our own sh!t together. With these teams being so far off the pace at U17 level and against the likes of Connacht ... it's another 10 years at least in the doldrums for UR. Utterly depressing and I can see why so many are losing interest.

Agree entirely. Increase investment into youth rugby and it won’t be long until we see benefits. Signing very expensive players is only plastering over the wound and kicking the can down the road. UR have been doing since 2010 and are still trophyless.

This years u20 batch looks promising, but after that we’re really struggling.

[Jetstream]

It's worrying how much poorer we are getting as each year passes. Nobody at UR has any answers.The 1.2 million spent on DV would have revolutionised the underage setup. No more big money signings until we have our own sh!t together. With these teams being so far off the pace at U17 level and against the likes of Connacht ... it's another 10 years at least in the doldrums for UR. Utterly depressing and I can see why so many are losing interest.

Agree entirely. Increase investment into youth rugby and it won’t be long until we see benefits. Signing very expensive players is only plastering over the wound and kicking the can down the road. UR have been doing since 2010 and are still trophyless.

This years u20 batch looks promising, but after that we’re really struggling.

The sad reality is that nobody at Ulster Rugby seems to care.