The Future of Rugby: Ireland U23
We have now entered the home stretch in our ‘Future of Rugby’ series, with our recent look at France completing the teams ranked eighth through fifth, and we now come to Ireland, currently the fourth ranked side in the world, and their U23 options.
The Irish pathway is consistently productive in the province of Leinster thanks, in addition to the excellent work done at the school, club and provincial levels, to the size of the population, but one of the more encouraging signs in recent years have been the green shoots that have shown themselves in the other provinces.
We have put together a XV of the best U23 talents in Irish rugby currently, with the only selection criteria being that the player must be 23 or younger on May 1st 2020.
- Jordan Larmour, Leinster
Larmour is an obvious and understandable call, with the versatile back three player already one of the most exciting and elusive attacking threats in the game. That said, there is cause for encouragement with some good depth building behind the Leinsterman, most notably in Munster’s Jake Flannery and Ulster’s Michael Lowry.
- Calvin Nash, Munster
Nash is unlucky not to have seen more playing time for Munster over the last season or two, but has been a victim of the consistency and durability of Keith Earls, Andrew Conway and Darren Sweetnam. The 2020/21 season could be a make or break one for Nash as he seeks to establish himself as his hometown side, and he has the talent to do just that.
- Hayden Hyde, Ulster
A really tough call here with Leinster’s David Hawkshaw a very accomplished player, though we erred on the side of Hyde’s potential and just how destructive of a player he could become. A former age-grade back row at Harlequins, Hyde has been playing at centre for less than three seasons, but he is already showing signs that he can push on at the position at a higher level.
- Dan Kelly, Loughborough University
Having headed to Loughborough from Kirkham Grammar last summer, Kelly is another success story for the Irish Exiles programme. He shone during the U20 Six Nations and has since secured a professional contract with Leicester Tigers. That may put the brakes on a career with Ireland, although for now he is still eligible to the nation’s age-grade side and will be monitored closely by the provinces and the IRFU.
- Robert Baloucoune, Ulster
There is plenty of competition here for Baloucoune and it all comes from his Ulster teammates. The trio of Rob Lyttle, Angus Kernohan and Aaron Sexton are all very talented individuals and more than deserving of honourable mentions. As for Baloucoune, the next challenge is emulating his other teammate, Jacob Stockdale, and making the leap to senior international rugby.
- Harry Byrne, Leinster
A few other names for consideration here, including Leinster’s versatile Ciarán Frawley, as well as Bill Johnston and Johnny McPhillips, two players who weren’t quite able to lock down starting roles with their previous provinces. That said, Byrne is advancing swiftly down the path taken by his older brother Ross a few seasons ago, and has already been included in a senior Ireland training squad.
- Craig Casey, Munster
Munster and probably Ireland have their successor to Conor Murray in the form of Casey, with the cultured scrum-half one of very few examples of an U20 player featuring for the province at the senior level. Those appearances were beginning to increase in volume this season, before the COVID-19 outbreak has all but ended it. He and Byrne could go on to emulate the synergy that Murray and Johnny Sexton have had over the past decade.
- Josh Wycherley, Munster
With both Cian Healy and Jack McGrath heading into the latter stages of their careers, as well as provincial teammate Dave Kilcoyne, Wycherley is a name we could be hearing a lot more about in the coming seasons. He was impressive at the U20 level and though he is to make that transition to regular senior rugby with Munster, there looks to be the bones of a very good prop there.
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- Ronan Kelleher, Leinster
It was tempting to go with Connacht’s Dylan Tierney-Martin here as recognition not only for his ability, but also the challenges Connacht face in comparison to the other three provinces, though Kelleher is currently a number of steps ahead of his positional rival. Kelleher has excelled in the Guinness PRO14 in both the tight and the loose, and won a well-deserved call up to the Ireland senior squad earlier this year.
- Tom O’Toole, Ulster
O’Toole just sees off the challenge of Leinster’s Jack Aungier here, and for the most part that is due to his increased experience at the senior level so far. The sizeable 21-year-old already has a significant amount of appearances for Ulster to his name and though neither Tadhg Furlong or Andrew Porter is going anywhere anytime soon, O’Toole will soon add enviable depth and competition to the position for Ireland.
- James Ryan, Leinster
Does this selection even need explanation? Ryan’s rise to becoming one of the best locks in the world is well-known at this point and he is set to remain there for plenty of seasons to come. The British and Irish Lions will be his next challenge.
- Fineen Wycherley, Munster
We’ve opted for Wycherley here and is fully deserving of the spot, though there is significant competition coming from his teammate Thomas Ahern and Leinster’s Ryan Baird. Between this trio, Ireland’s lock stocks are looking in particularly fine fettle moving forward and the competition for spots will be intense, not least so because Iain Henderson, Jean Kleyn and Ultan Dillane still have a number of seasons left in them.
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- Max Deegan, Leinster
Munster’s Gavin Coombes or Connacht’s Cillian Gallagher would also be good options here, though we have moved over Deegan from his customary No 8 spot as he is too good to leave out of this XV. It’s a position Deegan looks comfortable in, too, and the added ball-carrying he would bring to the position is something that very few coaches would pass up.
- Scott Penny, Leinster
Penny looks to the manor born in his fleeting appearances at the senior level so far and consequently squeezes in ahead of Paul Boyle and Will Connors. He was a part of the Ireland U20 Grand Slam-winning side in 2019 and is the epitome of a mobile and dominant breakdown openside flanker. It seems as though injuries, just as they have with Dan Leavy, are the only thing that can hold Penny back.
- Caelan Doris, Leinster
Leinster’s prolific run producing No 8s continues apace with Doris, who comes off the back of Deegan, Jack Conan and Jamie Heaslip also making their way through that pathway. Doris has made his senior international debut already and has the potential to emulate Heaslip over the coming years, though honourable mentions are due for Munster’s John Hodnett and Ulster’s Azur Allison, two players who could be pushing Doris in the years to come.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments