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Update on ex-Saracens hooker McElroy who is 12 weeks into Bristol trial after limbo
Pat Lam has provided an update on the progress of Tadgh McElroy, the ex-Ireland U20s hooker who arrived at Bristol in March on a four-week trial period that has since been extended. It’s now a dozen weeks since the Bears issued the March 11 media release that noted the arrival of the front-rower with a chequered past.
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The hooker had created headlines in his homeland in 2017 when he decided to join Saracens rather than the Connacht academy, a decision that resulted in Irish age-grade officials excluding him from the U20s World Cup that he was set to feature at in Georgia.
McElroy made the move back to Ireland after he exited Saracens in 2019 and his form for club side Clontarf had been promising until the All-Ireland League shut down in March 2020. That tournament has remained in cold storage since then, leaving the soon-to-be 24-year-old in limbo until Lam decided to take a look at what the front-rower might have to offer.
First-team matchday inclusion has understandably proven beyond McElroy, particularly as Bristol swooped in early May to snap up one-cap Scotland hooker Jake Kerr after he impressed on a free trial at the Bears following his release from his Leicester Tigers contract the previous month.
But Lam has now reported that McElroy is still beavering away behind the scenes and a decision on whether Bristol will take him on for the 2021/22 campaign will soon be made. “Tadgh is still there, he is just on trial, he has done really well,” said Lam when queried by RugbyPass as to what the latest situation was regarding the Irishman.
3 years ago then Irish U20s No.2 @tadghmcelroy controversially signed for Saracens and was replaced by Ronan Kelleher. Injury and bad luck have left him back on Irish soil and without a pro club.
– @heagneyl finds out he doesn't hold grudges ?? #IREvSCOhttps://t.co/CTxIoAW1hD
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 1, 2020
“The Tadgh McElroy that arrived, that was training by himself up near Dundalk, it was really difficult (for him) to be able to come here and grow but physically and as a person, he has really enjoyed it and come through. I’m really pleased with the progress that he has made. There is a lot more progress for him to make obviously, but he has come in and been a really good person in the group,” continued the Bristol boss who added “that will be out later” when asked if a decision was soon likely on McElroy’s future.
While McElroy is toiling in the shadows, the more experienced Kerr has landed on his feet at the league leaders, making three Gallagher Premiership appearances in successive matches and starting twice – more exposure in a few weeks at Bristol than he had across the 2020/2021 season with Leicester where he was restricted to two appearances off the bench.
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There is no contract small print that makes him unavailable for Bristol selection this Saturday when they travel to Leicester, but Lam was coy about how the player might feel about going up against his old club just eleven weeks after playing eight minutes for Tigers off the bench at Exeter. “Yeah, he is up for selection. You’ll have to ask him yourself (about how he is feeling).”
Ex-All Blacks back-rower Steven Luatua has missed five of the six Bristol defeats this season, an absence that highlights his importance as a big overseas recruithttps://t.co/TaMGScx3nz
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 2, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood 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.
27 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.
9 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.
27 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?
11 Go to comments