The UAFC

Dave wrote:Hope they all go skiing

Neill_M wrote:Campbell beat Methody 17-8 in the 1st semi final


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kingofthehill wrote:

Neill_M wrote:Campbell beat Methody 17-8 in the 1st semi final


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Maul not work?


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Russ wrote:

kingofthehill wrote:

Neill_M wrote:Campbell beat Methody 17-8 in the 1st semi final


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Maul not work?


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You did the analysis for Campbell

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kingofthehill wrote:

Russ wrote:

kingofthehill wrote:

Neill_M wrote:Campbell beat Methody 17-8 in the 1st semi final


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Maul not work?


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You did the analysis for Campbell

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must be grim being an MCB back.


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Russ wrote:

kingofthehill wrote:

Russ wrote:

kingofthehill wrote:

Neill_M wrote:Campbell beat Methody 17-8 in the 1st semi final


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Maul not work?


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You did the analysis for Campbell

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must be grim being an MCB back.


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Im sure they have a great time at Ollies

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Neill_M wrote:2nd semi final today at 2:30pm RBAI v Armagh.

Russ wrote:

Bayern wrote:Best forwards in Ulster schools:

John McKee(Campbell)
David McCann(RBAI)
Jamie MacCartney(Campbell)

Discussion

Is it fair to start identifying "best" players at schoolboy?
At what point do we go for equality of opportunity?

Wouls UR not be better putting on a series of development sessions and inviting players who want to try and make it post schools to apply and spend time with pro coaches?

I remember when I was at school the hockey sides had regional development squads (which are now paying fruit with the national side improving). Does rugby have this?

Having been through the "development squad" selection process with my son it is pretty obvious that there are some masssive flaws in the system - its pretty obvious why good / outstanding players are being missed.

The U16 development squad seems to be the first step for selection - the initial selection day had 150 boys for a 2 hour session. The session consisted of about 30 minutes on position focused drills (front row did some "scrums", 2nd and back rows did lineout lifting and backs did some passing), then 30 minutes of evasion drills for everyone and finally some matches. There were about 6 coaches there. In that 2 hours there was no way that the potential for any of those 150 boys could be assessed, yet at the end most of them were cast adrift and about 30 take through for the squad.

The other big problem was that because of the age grades being birth year, there were boys from medallion year plus boys from the year below. The ones from the year below had a year less experience, most had never lifted in lineouts before and were mostly smaller physically. So, they had much less chance of getting through - yet the fact that their coaches from the schools considered them to have the potential showed that, in a fairer system, they would thrive.

Also, the favoured selection was for hookers and scrum halves. If you put that as your position you were guaranteed to get through no matter how crap they were - yet there were a hell of a lot of very talented players that were rejected on the day.

So from that experience I have a very very dim view of how the youth system in Ulster can ever hope to identify the talented players. My son plays for a school that would be in the top 8-10 school but not one of the big 4. In this year (his medallion year) there hasnt been anyone from the youth system out to watch a single one of their matches. There are a number of very talented players in their team, yet none of them will make it into the youth set up now and will likely disappear off and play rugby at a uni across the water.

There's bound to be an Irish Tadgh Furlong farting about in Omagh/Rainey or somewhere that because they dont get close to the latter stages of the cups and dont regularly play the marquee sides may get overlooked

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BaggyTrousers wrote:So Hogwarts make the final, they must be hoping their head wizard doesn't use the expeliamous spell on anyone vital before the final defeat to RBAI, the master-race and purveyors of quality football.

pwrmoore wrote:

BaggyTrousers wrote:So Hogwarts make the final, they must be hoping their head wizard doesn't use the expeliamous spell on anyone vital before the final defeat to RBAI, the master-race and purveyors of quality football.

Might need to rethink that prediction Baggy. Inst 15 - 26 RSA with a few minutes t play

ColinM wrote:

pwrmoore wrote:

BaggyTrousers wrote:So Hogwarts make the final, they must be hoping their head wizard doesn't use the expeliamous spell on anyone vital before the final defeat to RBAI, the master-race and purveyors of quality football.

Might need to rethink that prediction Baggy. Inst 15 - 26 RSA with a few minutes t play

FODS