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Leinster have used eye-watering 57 players to reach the PRO14 final
If the result goes Leinster’s way in Glasgow on Saturday night, Leo Cullen better hope that more than a single keg of the sponsor’s brew will be on tap for his squad otherwise it won’t be much of a party.
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Such is the number of players Cullen has called on during his province’s PRO14 campaign, there wouldn’t be much Guinness to go around if all 57 players who have appeared this term lined up for a celebratory drink.
It’s quite the startling statistic underlining exactly the level of resources that go into repeatedly reaching these league finals.
This is Leinster’s eighth league decider in 10 seasons, their third in four seasons with Cullen at the helm, and the pity about what will unfold on Saturday at Celtic Park is that the XV the coach will start with will be very different from the XV of the players who have mostly filled the one to 15 shirts during their 22 matches before this latest final.
If selection for the showpiece was undertaken solely on the basis of rewarding the individuals who have most played their part in the club getting to the final, the contingent of star names would be few and far between.
When you have score 9?7? tries in a season there are bound to a few corkers ?
Here are five of @leinsterrugby's best from this season ?
Watch out for some spectacular scores from @jameslowenz, Jordan Larmour, Conor O'Brien and @adamsbyrne ? pic.twitter.com/4hq1T5Hl3v
— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) May 22, 2019
We’d have a front row of Jack McGrath, James Tracy and Michael Bent, a second row of Scott Fardy and Ross Molony and behind them a back row of Max Deegan, Caelan Doris and Josh Murphy.
The pattern would continue in the back line. Jamison Gibson-Park and Ross Byrne would be the half-backs, the midfield would consist of Rory O’Loughlin alongside Conor O’Brien, while Dave Kearney, James Lowe and Adam Byrne would head the queue for the back three jerseys.
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Cullen is the sort of guy appreciatively conscious of the large-scale manpower that goes into ensuring the level of competitiveness remains high at the province which consistently provides the majority of players to Joe Schmidt’s Ireland squad.
The 'new model' athletes fresh off Leinster's academy production line set to stalk the PRO14 https://t.co/bRJeWCv7FY
— liam heagney (@heagneyl) January 26, 2019
It’s no easy trick trying to maintain the consistency in team performance when using 44 first-team players bolstered by 13 from the academy. But somehow Leinster manage to keep churning out the results that keeps the supporters cheering along in their droves – over 12,000 season tickets are already sold for next season.
The contribution of his enormous squad was something that was on Cullen’s mind in the aftermath of their home semi-final win over Munster last Saturday, the coach highlighting: “Why are we here in the RDS? We are here because we have used a lot of players to get us in the situation where we actually have enough points to finish top of the conference, so all the work that goes in with all the players in the wider squad to get us here.”
Over 12,000 Season Ticket sold!
Secure your seat for next season: https://t.co/6vxicudN8e#BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/cjkXl7UQHv
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) May 22, 2019
It was a generous acknowledgement he soon reiterated when addressing supporters at a function elsewhere in the stadium some time later, and these contributions by their squad players have been further highlighted in the statistical information doing the rounds ahead of the Celtic Park final.
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Of the eight categories listed by the PRO14, five are topped by players unlikely to be starting on Saturday. Doris is listed as Leinster’s main ball carrier in the league, doing so on 167 occasions. Dave Kearney has made 661 metres, Gibson-Park has had 15 clean breaks, Deegan has tackled 212 times and Porter has won nine turnovers.
Only in defenders beaten, topped by Jordan Larmour on 38, and lineouts won and lineouts steals, both headed by Fardy on 47 and six, do we come across names that will definitely be in the starting XV versus Warriors.
It’s all information that reinforces precisely how rugby has very much become a squad game, with Leinster nearly fielding four full teams of different players during this 2018/19 league.
LEINSTER’S 2018/19 PRO14 APPEARANCES
LOOSEHEAD (4) – Jack McGrath (7+1), Ed Byrne (6+10), Cian Healy (5+2), Peter Dooley (4+10);
HOOKER (4) – James Tracy (12+5), Sean Cronin (6+4), Bryan Byrne (3+12), Ronan Kelleher (1+1);
TIGHTHEAD (4) – Michael Bent (12+4), Andrew Porter (5+10), Tadhg Furlong (5+3), Vakh Abdaladze (0+5);
SECOND ROW (9) – Scott Fardy (12+2), Ross Molony (9+5), Mick Kearney (6+9), James Ryan (6), Devin Toner (6), Jack Dunne (1+4), Oisin Dowling (1+3), Ian Nagle (1), Ryan Baird (0+1);
BACK ROW (10) – Max Deegan (12+8), Caelan Doris 11+3), Josh Murphy (11+1), Rhys Ruddock (9+1), Jack Conan (6), Dan Leavy (5+1), Josh van der Flier (5+1), Scott Penny (5+1), Sean O’Brien (3+1), Will Connors (1+1);
SCRUM-HALF (5) – Jamison Gibson-Park (11+3), Luke McGrath (7+2), Hugh O’Sullivan (2+10), Nick McCarthy (2+3), Pat Paterson (0+3);
OUT-HALF (3) – Ross Byrne (12+2), Ciaran Frawley (4+7), Johnny Sexton (4+1);
MIDFIELD (8) – Rory O’Loughlin (11+2), Conor O’Brien (10+3), Noel Reid (9+7), Robbie Henshaw (7), Garry Ringrose (5), Jimmy O’Brien (3+4), Tom Daly (0+2), Gavin Mullin (0+1);
BACK THREE (10) – Dave Kearney (10+1), James Lowe (10), Adam Byrne (9+1), Joe Tomane (8+3), Fergus McFadden (8+1), Barry Daly (7+2), Rob Kearney (7), Jordan Larmour (7), Hugo Keenan (3), Jack Kelly (0+1).
WATCH: The RugbyPass behind the scenes documentary on the 2018 Guinness PRO14 final that was won by Leinster against Scarlets in Dublin
Comments on RugbyPass
What happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
2 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
1 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
2 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
9 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
9 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
39 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to commentsHad hoped you might write an article on this game, Nick. It’s a good one. Things have not gone as smoothly for ROG since beating Leinster last year at the Aviva in the CC final. LAR had the Top 14 Final won till Raymond Rhule missed a simple tackle on the excellent Ntamack, and Toulouse reaped the rewards of just staying in the fight till the death. Then the disruption of the RWC this season. LAR have not handled that well, but they were not alone, and we saw Pau heading the Top 14 table at one stage early season. I would think one of the reasons for the poor showing would have to be that the younger players coming through, and the more mature amongst the group outside the top 25/30, are not as strong as would be hoped for. I note that Romain Sazy retired at the end of last season. He had been with LAR since 2010, and was thus one of their foundation players when they were promoted to Top 14. Records show he ended up with 336 games played with LAR. That is some experience, some rock in the team. He has been replaced for the most part by Ultan Dillane. At 30, Dillane is not young, but given the chances, he may be a fair enough replacement for Sazy. But that won’be for more than a few years. I honestly know little of the pathways into the LAR setup from within France. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that on the way up to Top 14, the club very successfully picked up players from the academies of other French teams who were not offered places by those teams. These guys were often great signings…can’t find the article right now, so can’t name any….but the Tadgh Beirne type players. So all in all, it will be interesting to see where the replacements for all the older players come from. Only Lleyd’s and Rhule from SA currently, both backs. So maybe a few SA forwards ?? By contrast, Leinster have a pretty clear line of good players coming through in the majority of positions. Props maybe a weak spot ? And they are very fleet footed and shrewd in appointing very good coaches. Or maybe it is also true that very good coaches do very well in the Leinster setup. So, Nick, I would fully concurr that “On the evidence of Saturday’s semi-final between the two clubs, the rebuild in the Bay of Biscay is going to take longer than it is on the east coast of Ireland”
11 Go to commentsWhat was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
39 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
86 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
86 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
9 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
39 Go to comments