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A great big Munster thread

Tony Butler (Out-half/Garryowen), Patrick Campbell (Back three/Young Munster) and Edwin Edogbo Edwin Edogbo (Lock/UCC) have joined the academy in year 1. All look like promising players playig a good bit of AIL, especially Campbell who is supposed to be a nice footballer. Glad that we've backfilled the academy a bit too after giving a lot of lads senior contracts. Edogbo is seriously young to go straight to the academy at 18. Can't think of anyone who has gone in that young. but he's been training with the seniors and looks a big unit.

Greencore Munster Rugby Academy 2021/22

Year Three: Paddy Kelly (Lock/Garryowen), Eoin O'Connor (Lock/Young Munster), Paddy Patterson (Scrum-half/UCD), Jonathan Wren (Back three/Cork Constitution).

Year Two: Scott Buckley (Hooker/UCC), Cian Hurley (Lock/Garryowen), Alex Kendellen (Back-row forward/UCC), Conor Phillips (Winger/Young Munster).

Year One: Tony Butler (Out-half/Garryowen), Patrick Campbell (Back three/Young Munster), Ethan Coughlan (Scrum-half/Shannon), Mark Donnelly (Prop/Garryowen), Edwin Edogbo (Lock/UCC), Daniel Okeke (Back-row forward/Shannon).
 
Tony Butler (Out-half/Garryowen), Patrick Campbell (Back three/Young Munster) and Edwin Edogbo Edwin Edogbo (Lock/UCC) have joined the academy in year 1. All look like promising players playig a good bit of AIL, especially Campbell who is supposed to be a nice footballer. Glad that we've backfilled the academy a bit too after giving a lot of lads senior contracts. Edogbo is seriously young to go straight to the academy at 18. Can't think of anyone who has gone in that young. but he's been training with the seniors and looks a big unit.

Greencore Munster Rugby Academy 2021/22

Year Three: Paddy Kelly (Lock/Garryowen), Eoin O'Connor (Lock/Young Munster), Paddy Patterson (Scrum-half/UCD), Jonathan Wren (Back three/Cork Constitution).

Year Two: Scott Buckley (Hooker/UCC), Cian Hurley (Lock/Garryowen), Alex Kendellen (Back-row forward/UCC), Conor Phillips (Winger/Young Munster).

Year One: Tony Butler (Out-half/Garryowen), Patrick Campbell (Back three/Young Munster), Ethan Coughlan (Scrum-half/Shannon), Mark Donnelly (Prop/Garryowen), Edwin Edogbo (Lock/UCC), Daniel Okeke (Back-row forward/Shannon).
3 lads with serious potential.

Tony is a serious 10 and Edwin is a serious athlete and shows his talent that he has got this offer despite being out with injury,
 
Any reason these lads weren't brought into the academy at the start of the season?
Always filter them through. Tony and Patrick were just going through different assessments. Always were on radar.
Edwin too was being managed and well his age dictated alot in that talks were ongoing but wanted to see how he went in adult rugby too.
 
Any reason these lads weren't brought into the academy at the start of the season?

they earned their academy spots during preseason and upto now... the distribution due to covid meant they missed out on a lot of rugby and they have to be further evaluated before they got academy contracts

They were always likely to join, it was just a matter of when.
 
Can certainly understand caution on lads who likely hadn't played much men's rugby until this year. They've all be involved with squads and played A games now though. All look like athletes too.
 
they earned their academy spots during preseason and upto now... the distribution due to covid meant they missed out on a lot of rugby and they have to be further evaluated before they got academy contracts

They were always likely to join, it was just a matter of when.
To be fair they have all played a hell of a lot of AIL for lads their age too. Tony and Patrick were serious GAA guys too.
 
Not sure how I feel about it. Wouldn't say he really lived up to the expectations I had for him when he was announced. Fair enough if he wants to go back for a better gig, no issues with that. Early decision gives us time to find a replacement anyway.



Edit: if known agenda pushing astroturfer, concern troll and hack fraud BG8 is correct and it's to be Noel McNamara I think I'd be happy with it. Very highly thought of guy who has been groomed for a step up. Added bonus that he can't act like he wasn't able to settle in Limerick, he coached at Glenstal!
 
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Can't blame a fella for moving for family especially during covid times. Must put an incredible stress on a family so far from extended circle.

Regarding his coaching honestly who knows. Jvg gets the grief if we play poorly and while it's larkhams new game plan if we play well. Truth is harder to be sure of. I suspect jvg is well suited to the ceo aspects and forward play but trusting or knitting together a looser game isn't just him.
All depends on the role the replacement gets. There is an awful lot of good young lads who to my mind are slowly developing nicely. Some of them I'd like to see get the chances sooner if I'm honest but it's on the players themselves to make themselves undroppable. Interesting times
 
Can 100% say the replacement search is well WELL underway.
Noel McNamara is 1 option being looked at also.

On Larkham - Can say the man is a gent but also 100% glad there no BS stories of fallouts etc when that is nowhere near the case. Sometimes family comes first and Ireland is a nice country when you are free to enjoy it. These past 2 years have been miserable and nowhere near possible to enjoy.
 
Can 100% say the replacement search is well WELL underway.
Noel McNamara is 1 option being looked at also.

On Larkham - Can say the man is a gent but also 100% glad there no BS stories of fallouts etc when that is nowhere near the case. Sometimes family comes first and Ireland is a nice country when you are free to enjoy it. These past 2 years have been miserable and nowhere near possible to enjoy.
Are other options besides McNamara Irish guys as well?
 
Larkhall confirmed HC for the Brumbies starting 2023. All one big happy family in Canberra.
 
Are other options besides McNamara Irish guys as well?
Yes, from what I hear Prendy is being considered. Also looking at a few NZ guys and interesting name I just seen is Sam Vesty. Not sure what he would be like.

The complex is which bucket will we fill. Do we get a new Head Coach and Backs/Attack coach or a combination.
 
Yes, from what I hear Prendy is being considered. Also looking at a few NZ guys and interesting name I just seen is Sam Vesty. Not sure what he would be like.

The complex is which bucket will we fill. Do we get a new Head Coach and Backs/Attack coach or a combination.
What do you mean? Replace van graan?
 
So we now have 10 positives in the SA group, including staff and players. Remaining 38 guys are clear to travel if they can continue to return negative tests, which is positive just from a personal POV.

Preempt this by saying that obviously rugby is secondary to player health and everyone getting back safely, but I was curious where our squad stands in the event that our entire touring SA squad cannot play in our European opener vs Wasps and here's what I have. Probably have a few players wrong, but you can generally see we won't be able to fulfill a fixture without significant loan signings and a raft of very young academy players being involved, which imo is not really a runner.

Senior players not in SA: James French, Dave Kilcoyne, Declan Moore, Tadhg Beirne, Peter O'Mahony, Joey Carbery, Conor Murray, Rowan Osborne, Damien De Allende, Andrew Conway, Keith Earls, Craig Casey.

Academy not in SA: Mark Donnelly (YR1), Scott Buckley (YR2), Eoin O'Connor (YR3), Daniel Okeke (YR1), Tony Butler (YR1), Patrick Campbell (YR1), Ethan Coughlan (YR1)

Injured Senior players: John Hodnett, Calvin Nash, RG Snyman, Roman Salanoa, Chris Farrell.

Injured Academy players: Edwin Odogbo, Paddy Kelly. Conor Philips and Johnathan Wren listed as injured, may now be fit.

Other: Alex McHenry is on loan with Wasps.

This leaves us to my mind with a provisional matchday squad of:
1. Kilcoyne
2. Moore
3. ??
4. O'Connor
5. Beirne
6. O'Mahony
7. ??
8. Okeke
9. Murray
10. Carbery
11. Earls
12. De Allende
13. ??
14. Wren/Philips/Campbell
15. Conway.
Subs
16. ??
17. French
18. ??
19. ??
20. ??
21. Casey
22. Butler
23. Campbell/Philips/Wren
 

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