Dave wrote: ↑Sun Apr 17, 2022 8:37 pm
I don't think Dan will be off anytime soon. He has made good enough progress here. In two years we will have an opportunity post world cup to sign potentially some tasty talent not gobbled up by France. Some of our younger talent maturing nicely by then - Lowry, Baloucoune, Hume etc getting international exposure. McCann, Sexton, Doak etc hopefully fully integrated into the first team. Timoney, Treadwell, Stockdale at the peak of their powers. A last dance couple of seasons for Cooney, Big Stu, Marty, Herring etc.
You get the picture. Keeping this squad together and add in some hefty f*** off forwards. I would want to be around for that if I was Dan.
World domination.
Yep, that's pretty much where we are currently at. We've come a long way since Sunday 20th May 2018 when we were in a play off match with the Ospreys just to qualify for the European Cup. We have the back line lets hope we get those forwards coming through and a couple of quality NIQs up front.
We'd 7 forwards in an Ireland Grand Slam winning team this year, if a couple of them don't make it through to european cup level we'd be terriibly unlucky.
BRING OUR BOYS HOME #BOBH
THROWN UNDER THE BUS AND EXILED 14/04/18
They will take 5 years to fully come through. We need hard nosed grunt now and there is an opportunity with so much of it leaving the English Premiership. O'Connor et al are good at League level but they always seem to get found out V Leinster/Toulouse etc.
HammerTime wrote: ↑Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:45 am
They will take 5 years to fully come through. We need hard nosed grunt now and there is an opportunity with so much of it leaving the English Premiership. O'Connor et al are good at League level but they always seem to get found out V Leinster/Toulouse etc.
It's the age old problem we don't produce forwards, Rory Best and Iain Henderson are the only two home grown forwards of the professional era to be termed regular internationals. You could argue Ferris but he was injured more than not. Bit part players Neil Best and Chris Henry credible mentions.
Realistically we need to be producing 7 forwards per Ireland U20 squad for the forseeable. If IF we could produce forwards like we have done backs over the last twenty years we'd have silverware.
It's a conveyor belt of forwards on top of 2-3 quality NIQ forwards that are needed.
Leinster have year on year an all international Irish pack and have managed one European Cup trophy in the last decade. Sobering thought as to how far we are away.
BRING OUR BOYS HOME #BOBH
THROWN UNDER THE BUS AND EXILED 14/04/18
I’m not sure if I’d consider Chris Henry a bit part player but I get your point and it’s correct. Hopefully the structures are in place now to spot the talent at an early age and bring them through.
I still believe more could be done to encourage young GAA players to join rugby clubs and play through the winter. That’s a big demographic that we should be making more of like the other three provinces do.
HammerTime wrote: ↑Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:45 am
They will take 5 years to fully come through. We need hard nosed grunt now and there is an opportunity with so much of it leaving the English Premiership. O'Connor et al are good at League level but they always seem to get found out V Leinster/Toulouse etc.
It's the age old problem we don't produce forwards, Rory Best and Iain Henderson are the only two home grown forwards of the professional era to be termed regular internationals. You could argue Ferris but he was injured more than not. Bit part players Neil Best and Chris Henry credible mentions.
Realistically we need to be producing 7 forwards per Ireland U20 squad for the forseeable. If IF we could produce forwards like we have done backs over the last twenty years we'd have silverware.
It's a conveyor belt of forwards on top of 2-3 quality NIQ forwards that are needed.
Leinster have year on year an all international Irish pack and have managed one European Cup trophy in the last decade. Sobering thought as to how far we are away.
Well, if you look through the u20/u19/u18 Irish squads this season the majority of players involved from ulster are forwards.
Very poor u18 representation though. Worryingly poor.
Big-al wrote: ↑Mon Apr 18, 2022 1:29 pm
Well, if you look through the u20/u19/u18 Irish squads this season the majority of players involved from ulster are forwards.
Very poor u18 representation though. Worryingly poor.
Yes, it's very encouraging and there is hope, but we've been here before with young forwards making the Irish squads and they haven't come through.
Notable absentees over recent years Matthew Agnew, Matthew Dalton, Joe Dunleavy, Aaron Hall, Peter Cooper, Azur Allison, JJ McKee
What has happened McCann? After a good start to the season he has disappeared.
BRING OUR BOYS HOME #BOBH
THROWN UNDER THE BUS AND EXILED 14/04/18
UlsterNo9 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 18, 2022 4:45 pm
What has happened McCann? After a good start to the season he has disappeared.
Apparently Dan is not impressed. Not bulked up enough.
Thought that on the physical side he was not quite at the level required yet. Clearly has a lot if skill and potential. Hopefully working on it to make a big impact next season. With Jordi heading towards the latter part of his career and Duane's international commitments he'll nit be short of opportunities next season if he us good enough.
UlsterNo9 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 18, 2022 4:45 pm
What has happened McCann? After a good start to the season he has disappeared.
Apparently Dan is not impressed. Not bulked up enough.
Concussed in training before travelling to SA.
Thanks KOTH. That makes sense as I would have expected him to have made that trip and got a run out ahead of Rea Snr.
Given the importance of the games left and strength of opposition he may not see any more game time (maybe a bench spot for 1 game) . Really hope there are already plans in place to get him primed for next season with whatever needs to be worked on.
StandUp wrote: ↑Mon Apr 18, 2022 1:14 pm
I’m not sure if I’d consider Chris Henry a bit part player but I get your point and it’s correct. Hopefully the structures are in place now to spot the talent at an early age and bring them through.
I still believe more could be done to encourage young GAA players to join rugby clubs and play through the winter. That’s a big demographic that we should be making more of like the other three provinces do.
I agree but how do we attract GAA players when the schools that promote GAA seem to be more or less hostile to other sports, especially rugby. I get it; our gain would be their loss and, of course, there are 'other issues' as well.
StandUp wrote: ↑Mon Apr 18, 2022 1:14 pm
I’m not sure if I’d consider Chris Henry a bit part player but I get your point and it’s correct. Hopefully the structures are in place now to spot the talent at an early age and bring them through.
I still believe more could be done to encourage young GAA players to join rugby clubs and play through the winter. That’s a big demographic that we should be making more of like the other three provinces do.
I agree but how do we attract GAA players when the schools that promote GAA seem to be more or less hostile to other sports, especially rugby. I get it; our gain would be their loss and, of course, there are 'other issues' as well. It's a shame that such a high percentage of our young guys don't have a chance to give rugby a go.
