The 'new model' athletes fresh off Leinster's academy production line set to stalk the PRO14
Here it is, the time of season when reigning European Cup holders Leinster stand out from the crowd for very different reasons.
The Irish province is globally admired for its near annual consistency in competing for cup and league trophies at the business end of a campaign.
However, they have also developed a canny knack under Leo Cullen for best managing their resources in the PRO14 when Ireland’s Six Nations commitments take precedence.
It’s no mean feat. Leinster accounted for 17 of Joe Schmidt’s original Irish squad of 35 players in 2016 (48.5%), 15 of the 40 in 2017 (37.5%), 18 of the 36 in 2018 (50%) and last week they had 16 in the 38 announced for 2019’s tournament (42.1%).
No matter the heaviness of this national demand, however, they have yearly been able to cope during the traditional four rounds of league fixtures – rounds 14 through to 17 – played during the spring Test rugby window.
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Before Friday night’s latest round 14 win over Scarlets, they had only lost one of a dozen games played under Cullen at this time of year over the last three seasons.
Fifty-one out of a possible 60 points bagged. A strike rate that left next-best rivals – the Irish trio of Connacht on 46 points, Ulster and Munster with 35 points each – trailing in their wake, never mind mention of Welsh, Scottish and Italian adversaries. Impressive.
Leinster’s bottom line is winning European Cups, but performing well in low-key league games during the Test window is non-negotiable for Cullen.
When Leinster’s impeccably high standards last dropped in spring 2015, the province shockingly lost to struggling Dragons and then needed an 80th minute try for a win bonus against minnows Zebre at the RDS. This uncharacteristically shoddy home form wasn’t helped by a loss at Scarlets and a draw at Ospreys.
Just six tries were scored in 320 minutes, their eight-points-from-20 haul ranking them joint-eighth best in that spring’s four-match block. It didn’t go down well in the boardroom and ultimately cost Matt O’Connor his job even though Leinster took eventual champions Toulon to extra-time in a European semi-final in Marseille.
O’Connor blamed the level of Ireland call-ups for the slump, an accusation that led to a heated row with Schmidt and IRFU boss David Nucifora. His defence was undermined by the fact Leinster had won all four matches the previous spring when Ireland captured the 2014 Six Nations title with 19 from Leinster in their 36-strong squad (55.8%).
Having been part of the Irish system as a player, Cullen is more in tune with the national-team-comes-first ethos of the IRFU. Stacks of provincial guys away? No problem is his constant response, his perspective being that a Six Nations window minus his stars instead provides ample opportunity to glimpse the next taxi off the rank in the province’s fast-producing talent conveyor belt.
Jack Conan, Tadhg Furlong, Ross Molony, Ed Byrne, Will Connors, Max Deegan and Ciaran Frawley are just some names of recent vintage that have made first starts or debuted off the bench in league rounds 14 to 17.
Some home performances have been richly entertaining, too. Eight tries against Zebre in 2016. Seven versus Scarlets in 2017. Ten against Kings last February. Fifty-eight tries in total in their dozen games under Cullen, who has now successfully resumed this spring show with Friday’s night success over Scarlets. Next up is a trip to Zebre before South African duo Kings and Cheetahs come to the RDS. Four wins from four? It’s a very achievable target.
Cullen likes rolling the dice. Ten of the 19 players in Leinster’s academy have already played with the senior team, a half-dozen (Oisin Dowling, Jack Kelly, Jimmy O’Brien, Hugh O’Sullivan, Paddy Paterson and Scott Penny) making the breakthrough this term from the laboratory manned by Peter Smyth, Cullen’s old pal from Blackrock.
This spring is already no different in this blood-them-young approach. Seven academy apprentices were in the 23 that faced Scarlets, but the starting back row – Deegan, Penny and Caelan Doris – is the unit to watch evolve in the coming weeks. They are the type of hulking personnel who underline the powerful next wave coming through the ranks.
They haven’t hung about breaking onto the scene. A Leinster academy apprenticeship is designed to last three years, but Deegan, 22 since October, and Doris, 21 next April, each only needed one year’s tuition before earning full professional contracts.
Penny, a year-one academy member who only turns 20 next September, can potentially be similarly fast-tracked to full status given his good impression since making a November debut against Ospreys.
They’re a trio who pack a punch, too. Their vital statistics – Deegan: 1.93m/109kgs, Penny: 1.82m/100kgs, Doris: 1.94m/106kgs – are more than a match for seasoned pros at the club like Conan: 1.93m/111kgs, Sean O’Brien: 1.88m/108kgs, Rhys Ruddock: 1.91m/111kgs and Josh van der Flier: 1.85m/98kgs, who have been away this week in Portugal with Ireland. Dan Leavy: 1.91m/106kgs would also have been in the Algarve but for his need to dust off injury cobwebs following his stellar 2018.
The worrying thing for Leinster’s rivals is this stable of rising new thoroughbreds doesn’t end with Deegan, Penny or Doris. Connors: 1.94m/102kgs, who needed just a two-year apprenticeship, turned pro last summer as did Josh Murphy: 1.96m/107kgs, who is a slightly more late developer as he needed the full three years before earning his stripes.
Age is now very much on the side of these five back row newcomers spoiling for Cullen’s attention. With O’Brien 32 in February, Ruddock 29 next November and Conan 27 next July, these youngsters are sleek, newer models whose talents have enhanced a Leinster roster that lost Jamie Heaslip through retirement at the age of 34 and saw Jordi Murphy, 28 in April, decide last summer his future was best served north up the Irish M1 in Ulster.
Deegan is the current pick of the breakthrough crop, already on 35 appearances and involved in the Champions Cup. But with spring in the air, other rookies are grasping their chance to also impress.
Doris was the best ball-carrying forward on Friday night, claiming 40 meters from eight carries, while Penny topped the game’s tackling charts with 20. They are more than decent figures, numbers that underline how the province’s second string pedigree has Leinster yet again poised to stand out from the PRO14 crowd during a Six Nations window.
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ROUNDS 14, 15, 16 & 17 PRO14 TABLE
(2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18)
W D L BP PTS
Leinster 10 1 1 9 51
Connacht 10 0 2 6 46
*Ulster 7 0 4 7 35
Munster 7 0 5 6 35
Scarlets 7 1 4 4 34
Cardiff 7 0 5 6 34
*Ospreys 7 0 4 5 33
Edinburgh 5 0 7 7 28
*Glasgow 5 1 5 4 26
Treviso 4 0 8 3 19
Dragons 0 1 11 5 7
*Zebre 1 0 2 10 6
*Glasgow, Ulster, Ospreys and Zebre’s round 17 games in 2018 were postponed due to bad weather and played in mid-April long after the Six Nations had finished.
Comments on RugbyPass
A Turtle has more pace and leg drive than Owen Franks, so it’s a good thing he only had to run 90 metres for that try.
2 Go to commentsOh Tamati Tua was in the vastly over-rated Leon MacDonalds Blues system? Well, no wonder he was wasted, much like Emoni Narawa and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens under MacDonald. now look at them. Good thing Tua isn’t eligible, the Aussies latch on to any player who isn’t tied down.
2 Go to commentsMark Telea is a lot of things, but a defensive juggernaut has never been one of them. There will be far bigger tests in that regard for the youngster.
10 Go to commentsLove and respect to Fiji but not a chance outside of 7s
4 Go to commentsGood summation Ned. Agree the Canes were out-muscled for once (except at the scrum!) by a focused Brumbies outfit. Tua deserves consideration for higher honors after the way he humbled Jordie and the Canes defense. Thankfully, his lack of eligibility for Oz keeps him from Joe’s plans. While I also agree the injuries affected the Canes performance, some players seemed to lack focus and intensity for this match. Perhaps after the Blues demolished the Brumbies, they thought it was going to be easy? A good reminder that any slip up in preparation can have a big affect on the result. Brumbies deserved that win.
2 Go to commentsKarl Dixon should never have been appointed this fixture, absolute disgrace, He’s not much of a referee anyway, didn't have the balls to send his mate care off
5 Go to commentsBrilliant article! Harry of 8/9
1 Go to comments‘UK athletes' have been in the NFL from the start.
1 Go to commentsIt’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
23 Go to commentsI commend Colin Scotts bio All Balls. He was the first Aussie to make it to NFL. But he was poached and did a full apprenticeship at the University of Hawaii. He was 130kgs surfed played 1st grade cricket etc. big guy by normal but not NFL standards and a top athlete. Even then the nfl were picking up Tongans and Samoans for their natural size and explosive power. They want explosive power not cardio from the big boys so a guy like Taniela Tupou would have been good if picked up young enough. He has fast twitch and they’d bulk the little lad up and give him something to do. soccer teams set up academies and look for Over Sara’s talent eg Messi was at Barcelona since a teenager and harry kewell went to Leeds as a teenager like 16 or something.
11 Go to commentsThe article alludes to the fact that this isn’t about picking a captain. But picking a great captain. So who would make for a great All Black captain - not just an obvious or safe shoo-in? I’m not sure Ardie’s the guy and Barret doesn’t stand out either.
23 Go to commentsI guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
45 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
5 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
45 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
45 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
5 Go to comments