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The Official Irish Rugby Thread

Read this earlier

Ireland won a Grand Slam at U20 level in 2023 and beat France in a thriller. From that French U20 team, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Émilien Gailleton, Hugo Auradou, Lenni Nouchi, Marko Gazzotti, Théo Attissogbé, Oscar Jégou and Nicolas Depoortère have all played senior International rugby. Most have logged 50+ senior club appearances. Ireland, by comparison, have brought through Sam Prendergast and Gus McCarthy. A few others are picking up some club rugby, but the majority from that Grand Slam squad still aren’t regulars in provincial 23s, let alone trusted starters.So the issue isn’t talent — that was proven in 2023. The gap is trust. France back their young players early and live with the mistakes.If meaningful game time is the aim, do we need a stronger, more regionally focused top-level AIL to bridge that gap? Or would that even help?
 
Hoggys White Helmet said:
Read this earlier

Ireland won a Grand Slam at U20 level in 2023 and beat France in a thriller. From that French U20 team, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Émilien Gailleton, Hugo Auradou, Lenni Nouchi, Marko Gazzotti, Théo Attissogbé, Oscar Jégou and Nicolas Depoortère have all played senior International rugby. Most have logged 50+ senior club appearances. Ireland, by comparison, have brought through Sam Prendergast and Gus McCarthy. A few others are picking up some club rugby, but the majority from that Grand Slam squad still aren’t regulars in provincial 23s, let alone trusted starters.So the issue isn’t talent — that was proven in 2023. The gap is trust. France back their young players early and live with the mistakes.If meaningful game time is the aim, do we need a stronger, more regionally focused top-level AIL to bridge that gap? Or would that even help?
Click to expand...
IRELAND U-20: Henry McErlean (Terenure College RFC/Leinster); James Nicholson (UCD RFC/Leinster), Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster), John Devine (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht); Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster), Fintan Gunne (Terenure College RFC/Leinster); George Hadden (Clontarf FC/Leinster), Gus McCarthy (UCD RFC/Leinster) (capt), Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University FC/Leinster), Diarmuid Mangan (UCD RFC/Leinster), Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster), James McNabney (Ballymena RFC/Ulster), Ruadhán Quinn (Old Crescent RFC/Munster), Brian Gleeson (Garryowen FC/Munster).

Replacements used: Andrew Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster) for McErlean (52-60 mins), Osborne for Nicholas (60), Liam Molony (Dublin University FC/Leinster) for Quinn (62), George Morris (Lansdowne FC/Leinster) for Hadden, Fiachna Barrett (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht) for P McCarthy (both 67), Joe Hopes (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster) for Mangan, Harry West (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht) for Devine (both 70), Oscar Cawley (Naas RFC/Leinster) for Gunne, Danny Sheahan (UCC RFC/Munster) for G McCarthy (both 78

In fairness, there's a few more getting game time at provincial level
 
Italy will bate us at the Aviva.

I'm going to put on a few quid and all.

This is the worst Irish side since the early 90s. I remember going to the matches at Lansdowne road in the early 90s as a schoolboy. Tickets were £3 from CBC. This is when guys like Philip Danaher were playing out half. They were absolutely woeful.
 
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