The Provincial Derbies and Emerging Ireland Stars

Leinster versus Munster

Both Leinster and Munster have named strong teams for their hugely anticipated clash at a near sold out Croke Park, which looks like breaking the URC attendance record with a near 80,000 crowd. Munster have something of an injury crisis at prop, in particular, where they are forced to name an academy prop, Kevin Ryan, as their loosehead on the bench. However, they have the strength in depth to cover the other 22 positions with serious players despite the absence through injury of Peter O’Mahony, Oli Jager, Dave Kilcoyne, Billy Burns, Thaakir Abrahams, and Shane Daly.

Leinster have a similar problem in the backs where the absence of Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O’Brien, Jordan Larmour, Rob Russell, and Tommy O’Brien has forced them to play Liam Turner, normally a centre, on the wing, and with two specialist 10’s on the bench. Joe McCarthy is hardly missed with all the other frontline locks available. Injuries to hookers, Sheehan, Kelleher, and McKee give Lee Barron a start with academy hooker Gus McCarthy, fresh from his exploits on the Emerging Ireland tour, on the bench.

On paper, Leinster should be the favourites, but rugby isn’t played on paper and Munster will be well up for this match with memories of their 2009 European Cup semi-final clash in Croke Park still regarded as the watershed moment in the respective strengths and sporting achievements of the two sides. It will certainly be a “no holds barred” encounter!

LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Liam Turner, Garry Ringrose, Jamie Osborne, James Lowe; Ciarán Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Lee Barron, Tadhg Furlong; RG Snyman, James Ryan; Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).

Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Cian Healy, Thomas Clarkson, Ryan Baird, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Harry Byrne.

MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Sean O’Brien; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Rory Scannell, Stephen Archer; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne; Jack O’Donoghue, John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Kevin Ryan, John Ryan, Tom Ahern, Ruadhán Quinn, Conor Murray, Tony Butler, Shay McCarthy.

Ulster versus Connacht

Ulster are close to full strength missing mainly Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, and Stuart McCloskey in the backs, and Hookers Rob Herring and Tom Stewart up front. Brothers Alan and David O’Connor are on opposing benches.

Connacht are also close to full strength which means jack Carty doesn’t even get a place on the bench. Ben Murphy keeps Caolin Blade out of the starting XV which means there will be an interesting tactical sub-plot with his dad coaching the ulster side. Temi Lassi, ex Leinster academy is on the bench for Connacht as their normal no. 2 tight head, Jack Aungier, was with the Emerging Ireland side. Similarly, Ulster are missing Cormac Izuchukwu due to his involvement with the Emerging Ireland tour.

I find this match hard to call with Ulster having home advantage and beating Glasgow Warriors last time they played in Ravenhill. Connacht have started their season exceptionally will but can be inconsistent and rarely play at full tilt for the full 80. I suspect it will be a case of whichever side takes their scoring opportunities better and here I suspect Connacht may have a slight edge.

ULSTER: Ethan McIlroy; Werner Kok, Stewart Moore, Jude Postlethwaite, Jacob Stockdale; Aidan Morgan, John Cooney; Andrew Warwick, John Andrew, Tom O’Toole; Iain Henderson (capt), Kieran Treadwell; David McCann, Sean Reffell, Nick Timoney.

Replacements: James McCormick, Callum Reid, Corrie Barrett, Alan O’Connor, Marcus Rea, Nathan Doak, Ben Carson, Mike Lowry.

CONNACHT: Santiago Cordero; Mack Hansen, Piers O’Conor, Bundee Aki, Shayne Bolton; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Denis Buckley, Dave Heffernan, Finlay Bealham; Joe Joyce, Josh Murphy; Cian Prendergast (capt), Seán O’Brien, Paul Boyle.

Replacements: Dylan Tierney-Martin, Peter Dooley, Temi Lasisi, Oisín Dowling, David O’Connor, Caolin Blade, Cathal Forde, Conor Oliver.

Emerging Ireland Tour

Emerging Ireland 36 Pumas 24

Emerging Ireland 29 Western Force 24

Emerging Ireland 33 Cheetahs 24:

Emerging Ireland completed their one week South African tour with three victories against the Pumas, Western Force, and the Cheetahs on the hot and arid High Veldt of Bloemfontein. Coincidentally, they conceded 24 points in each match but won by playing some attractive rugby and scoring 6, 4 and 5 tries, respectively.

Some, like Sam Prendergast, Jack Aungier, Evan O’Connell, and the tour bolter, 19 year old Alex Usanov, played in every match, and played some sublime rugby. But everyone contributed, and most embellished their reputations.

To be fair, it is difficult to assess the quality and level of motivation of the opposition. I would put the overall standard at no higher than the very bottom end of the URC, if that, so we have to avoid getting too carried away with these results. This was not test rugby and doing well here is hardly a guarantee of future success at senior club, never mind test level. The grand prize of €15K for winning the competition was hardly a huge motivation for any of the teams.

But the Irish players had an opportunity to impress the national coaches, and some have, no doubt, been pencilled in for future promotion to the senior squad. Some have not even got senior provincial contracts yet, and one, Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley/Leinster) – who got more minutes than any other hooker – is still in the Leinster sub-academy. Zac Ward is also only on a temporary contract with Ulster.

So, this was all about establishing your credentials for a future career as a senior professional rugby player.

Tours like this usually result in a lot of griping from provincial fans that their provinces are missing out on playing key players for crucial URC matches. In reality, very few of this squad get regular game time for their provinces as yet. Only Sean O’Brien, Jack Aungier, Cormac Izuchukwu, Alex Kendellen, and Harry Sheridan could be described as anyway close to regulars for their provincial first team and all will be all the better for this experience. None did their reputations any harm.

But who were the big winners in terms of embellishing their reputations? For me, Sam Prendergast established himself as an Irish international in waiting. I have seen more of him at 10 than I have of Frawley, and for me, it is a toss up between him and Frawley for the back-up position to Crowley at 10. James Culhane and Cormac Izuchukwu may also be knocking on the international selection door any day now, and I really like the look of the Edogbo brothers.

Six players received full international recognition following their selection for the 2022 Emerging Ireland tour. Let’s hope there are similarly rich pickings coming out of this tour, although it must be remembered that this year’s squad is significantly younger and less experienced than the 2022 squad.

First year full contract professionals like Hugh Gavin, Mathew Devine, Jude Postlethwaite, Zac Ward, and Scott Wilson must all be inching towards greater provincial recognition. Connacht have Aki, Forde and now Gavin all vying for the 12 position – it’s great to see the provinces starting to develop some real depth in more positions.

Academy players Hugh Cooney, Ben O’Conner, Andrew Osborne, Alex Usanov, Sean Edogbo, Gus McCarthy, Evan O’Connell, Conor O’Tighearnaigh, and Stephen Smyth, all underlined their claims for senior contracts in the near future, if not next year. Charlie Tector must surely be offered a senior contract by some province – he us currently behind three international 10s and Sam Prendergast at Leinster.

With the chronic shortage of quality props in Irish rugby, someone like Alex Usanov, barely 19 years of age, and who only came into the squad when Jordan Duggan was injured, could be a real find. Easterby has compared him to a young Cian Healy. Praise indeed! Scott Wilson also covered both loose and tight head on the tour, an indication that the national selectors are thinking of him as an option to replace or augment Cian Healy in the national squad.

You can get some idea of the importance the coaches attach to each player by the number of minutes they were on the pitch. Analysing each player’s minutes also gives you some idea of how the coaches husbanded their resources over a tight schedule of three matches in one week.

Squad members: Minutes in each match

(Academy, sub academy, and temporary contract players in Bold)

Back three:

Ben O’Connor (UCC/Munster), 80, 0, 80

Andrew Osborne (Naas/Leinster), 0, 80, 80

Rob Russell (Dublin University/Leinster), 12, (retired, injured).

Zac Ward (Ballynahinch/Ulster/Ireland Sevens), 80, 0, 62

Chay Mullins (Ireland Sevens/Connacht, late replacement), 0, 65, 0

Centres:

Hugh Gavin (Galwegians/Connacht), 15, 0, 80

Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster) 0, 80, 80 minutes

Sean O’Brien (Clontarf/Munster), 80, 80, then released back to Munster

Jude Postlethwaite (Banbridge/Ulster), 68, 65, then released back to Ulster

Out Halves:

Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster), 51, 80, 67

Jack Murphy (Clontarf/Ulster), 29, 0, 13

Charlie Tector (UCD/Leinster, late replacement) 0,15, 18

Scrum Halves:

Ethan Coughlan (Shannon/Munster), 9, 0, 51

Matthew Devine (Corinthians/Connacht), 80, 0, 28

Cormac Foley (Lansdowne/Leinster), 0, 29, 52

Props

Jack Aungier (Lansdowne/Connacht), 45, 39, 58

Mark Donnelly (Munster), 40, Injured

Alex Usanov (Leinster), 40, 51, 58

Scott Wilson (QUB/Ulster), 0, 29 ,22

Ronan Foxe (Munster), 35, 29, 0

George Hadden (late replacement, 0, 0, 22)

Hookers

Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster), 30, 66, then released back to Leinster

Danny Sheahan (Cork Constitution/Munster), 0, 14, 13

Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley/Leinster sub academy), 50, 0, 67.

Locks

Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch/Ulster), 50, 80, 0.

Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht), 80, 0, 80

Evan O’Connell (UL Bohemian/Munster), 30, 26, 58

Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD/Leinster), 0, 54, 22,

Back rows:

James Culhane (UCD/Leinster), 80, 0, 80

Sean Edogbo (UCC/Munster), 0, 20, 80

Sean Jansen (Connacht), 30, 80, 0

Alex Kendellen (UCC/Munster, capt), 80, 80, 0

Harry Sheridan (Dublin University/Ulster), 80, 0, 80

Alex Soroka (Clontarf/Leinster), 0, 60, 28

Frank Schnittger is the author of Sovereignty 2040, a future history of how Irish re-unification might work out. He has worked in business in Dublin and London and, on a voluntary basis, for charities in community development, education, restorative justice and addiction services.