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
Good to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
17 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
17 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks 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 🤐
17 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….
17 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 💪
17 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
14 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.
17 Go to comments