Minor correction on your list Bayern. Darragh did not go to Roscrea, but his older brother Tadgh did. I would expect 1-2 more in next year's academy crop.
btw: They also had a prop who made the Spanish U20s last year and currently have another Spanish prop on the SCT this year.

I'm not sure reliance on Roscrea is the answer. Part of the issue is that Roscrea is fee paying, not everyone can afford it, They do have some rugby bursaries, introduced in 2012, but tend to offer them at Junior level rather than Seniors. Secondly the school is cleary focused on Academics first before Sport, particularly in the last few years so they are not interested in just Rugby ability.

I think the link for Connacht is that a lot of the their students come from The West(particularly Mayo) - I went there myself and there were 3-4 of us from Galway at the time.

rossie wrote: In theory that's a grand idea Bayern but who is going to pay for it?

5 Scholarships a year, Connacht could easily afford to sponsor that.

In theory that's a grand idea Bayern but who is going to pay for it?

Walshe is a youth product from Connacht who went to Roscrea for 6th year.
SOB has been talked about before.
Moloney is from Laois and went to Roscrea, he was a Leinster schools player for two years and was offered an full academy spot by Connacht straight from School and took it over a sub academy spot with Leinster.

Roscrea offers players the opportunity of playing in the schools cup, which is the best breeding ground for talent in the country.

Personally I think Connacht should push all there top young players to go there, Connacht need to maximize what talent does come out of their schools and youths system.

Look at Connacht players in recent u-20 teams:
2014
Jacob Walshe - Cistercian College Roscrea
Sean O'Brien - Cistercian College Roscrea
Rory Moloney - Cistercian College Roscrea
2013
Darragh Leader - St. Joseph's College
Robbie Henshaw - Marist College
Adam Boland - Blackrock
Mark Roche - Blackrock
Alex O'Meara - exile
David Panter - exile
2012
Diarmuid Higgins - Gallen Community School
Callum O'Connell - exile
Daniel Qualter - Marist College
Aaron Connelly - Coláiste Iognáid
Kieran Marmion - exile
Jack Carty - Marist College
Conor Finn - Cistercian College Roscrea
Shane Layden - Cistercian College Roscrea

Are players like Conor Kenny(Garbally College),Peter Claffey (Garbally College) and Conan O'Donnell (Summerhill College), who are all involved with the Ireland u18 schools side be better suited to playing schools rugby in Connacht or would they be better served at Roscrea for 6th year playing Leinster Schools rugby?

columoc wrote:
The Roscrea set up is good, but probably not brilliant - good on facilties, resources, professional coaches, heritage, being a boarding school and playing in Leinster,(Roscrea have also three on Leinster sub Academy) but really has nothing that a good school with a rugby vision in Connacht could not do. Plus Roscrea is small <200 in the school. Surely Jes & Bish could do better? Maybe the branch need to look deeper in this area.

Does the branch not encourage promising under age kids to go to Roscrea so that as many as possible will be under one roof? afaik the Connacht academy coaches visit Roscrea fairly regularly too, not sure it would be possible for them to visit every promising school is Connacht and would it even be optimal? At least this way future academy players are playing together regularly, getting one to one coaching/face time with a professional set up and hopefully instilling a pro-Connacht ethos in the kids so they want to stay with Connacht even if others offer them places in their academies.

O'Brien played rugby since mini's at Wegian I believe and won JUnior Cup in n2009 & 2010 while in school in Calasanctius Oranmore, so I'm not sure how "homegrown" Roscrea he is in fairness..

Yes, he would have started minis in Galway. He went to Roscrea in 1st year left during 3rd year (2009), then returned midway through 5th year (2011). Maybe if he never went to Roscrea he may have developed the same, or maybe not. That is not the issue, it is why others (or not enough) are not getting through the Connacht schools system, or are they?

columoc wrote: I note the three Connacht lads in the squad were all from Cistercian Roscrea - all part of last year's SCT. Jacob Walshe did go through the Connacht school's system before that, but Moloney & O'Brien were "homegrown" in Roscrea.

The question this raises is how can Connacht improve the quality of lads coming through the Connacht schools. Even in the Academy CCR have supplied Finn, Layden & Tadgh Leader, that is six from there, one third of the academy; but apart from Marist, litle seems to be coming through the Connacht schools. Am I being fair?

The Roscrea set up is good, but probably not brilliant - good on facilties, resources, professional coaches, heritage, being a boarding school and playing in Leinster,(Roscrea have also three on Leinster sub Academy) but really has nothing that a good school with a rugby vision in Connacht could not do. Plus Roscrea is small <200 in the school. Surely Jes & Bish could do better? Maybe the branch need to look deeper in this area.

O'Brien played rugby since mini's at Wegian I believe and won JUnior Cup in n2009 & 2010 while in school in Calasanctius Oranmore, so I'm not sure how "homegrown" Roscrea he is in fairness..

www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/battli...r-marist-143470.html

inpho.ie/media/ApoxH6y9TQAghFZ4tE1NjQ..a...n4mmJ2aoYnbVgG5dik.a

Totally agree. Focus in primary and secondary is very much on soceer and GAA when I was growing up. That was more down to history and tradition than anything else. Bartley Fallon was a teacher in Marys when I was there at the same time he was coaching under 20, and Marys didn't even have a team.

I'm sure its more of a transitional thing. As teachers/coaches who played continue to come in there'll be more teams, more lads playing it etc. and it becomes a cyclical thing. Still thing Connact/IRFU could do more in the line of encouragement, mind.

I note the three Connacht lads in the squad were all from Cistercian Roscrea - all part of last year's SCT. Jacob Walshe did go through the Connacht school's system before that, but Moloney & O'Brien were "homegrown" in Roscrea.

The question this raises is how can Connacht improve the quality of lads coming through the Connacht schools. Even in the Academy CCR have supplied Finn, Layden & Tadgh Leader, that is six from there, one third of the academy; but apart from Marist, litle seems to be coming through the Connacht schools. Am I being fair?

The Roscrea set up is good, but probably not brilliant - good on facilties, resources, professional coaches, heritage, being a boarding school and playing in Leinster,(Roscrea have also three on Leinster sub Academy) but really has nothing that a good school with a rugby vision in Connacht could not do. Plus Roscrea is small <200 in the school. Surely Jes & Bish could do better? Maybe the branch need to look deeper in this area.

connachtexile wrote: I think they can do it. Admitedly I don't know any of the Munster or Ulster guys but the Leinster/Connacht lads in their, know their stuff. Brewer, Dardis, Adam Byrne, the 2 Moloneys, SOB 2.0 and Leavy are all top quality.

Who of the Munster/Ulster boys should we keep an eye on?

They could do it but this isn't the best crop in a long time.. this crop struggled a lot last year at u19 level.

team that finished 5th in the RWC had much more talent, especially in the pack with the like of Furlong and Henderson being excellent prospects with a lot of experience at this level. Not to mention players like Scannell, Conan, Gilsenan.

Calm the hype, Leavy might be the only player in the Henderson/Furlong/Hanrahan level of talent.

Expect wins versus Scotland and Italy, and close games against the other three that could go either way.. Most of the players you mentioned all have the potential to be very good but nearly all have proved very little and have minimal experience at this level.

Jack O'Donoghue is a cracking back row, UL Bohs player in AIL 1B. Jack Cullen is a super little scrum half, is only U19's, former Exile. Leinster do have some great players and obviously dominate numbers. Brewer is lucky to be there as he has not played much this year, big reputation but that is it. Not so sure about that squad, hope they do well, but not so convinced.

I think they can do it. Admitedly I don't know any of the Munster or Ulster guys but the Leinster/Connacht lads in their, know their stuff. Brewer, Dardis, Adam Byrne, the 2 Moloneys, SOB 2.0 and Leavy are all top quality.

Who of the Munster/Ulster boys should we keep an eye on?

connachtexile wrote: To be fair this is the best crop I've seen in a long time. We have a serious chance of winning this if injuries don't kill us.


RELAND UNDER-20 Squad (2014 RBS Under-20 6 Nations Championship):

Max Abbott (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Harrison Brewer (Terenure College/Leinster)
Rory Burke (Cork Constitution/Munster)
David Busby (Queen's University/Ulster)
Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster)
Adam Byrne (UCD/Leinster)
Jack Cullen (Bruff/Munster)
Billy Dardis (UCD/Leinster)
Shane Delahunt (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Peter Dooley (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Ian Fitzpatrick (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Stephen Gardiner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Dan Goggin (Young Munster/Munster)
Oisin Heffernan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Cian Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Dan Leavy (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
Nick McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)
Conor McKeon (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Rory Moloney (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Ross Molony (UCD/Leinster)
Sean O'Brien (Galwegians/Connacht)
Jack O'Donoghue (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Gary Ringrose (UCD/Leintser)
Peter Robb (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Frankie Taggart (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Peadar Timmins (UCD/Leinster)
Jacob Walshe (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Alex Wootton (Garryowen/Munster)

Jesus I wouldn't go that far at all.

Two years ago was a special team, this years team doesn't seem to have that quality so far..
Some elite players sure, but too many question marks.. lets see how it goes..

at 6'3 and over 100kgs Dan Leavy is another off the conveyor belt of big Leinster back-row youngsters with huge potential. should be a good 6=nations

To be fair this is the best crop I've seen in a long time. We have a serious chance of winning this if injuries don't kill us.


RELAND UNDER-20 Squad (2014 RBS Under-20 6 Nations Championship):

Max Abbott (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Harrison Brewer (Terenure College/Leinster)
Rory Burke (Cork Constitution/Munster)
David Busby (Queen's University/Ulster)
Ross Byrne (UCD/Leinster)
Adam Byrne (UCD/Leinster)
Jack Cullen (Bruff/Munster)
Billy Dardis (UCD/Leinster)
Shane Delahunt (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Peter Dooley (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Ian Fitzpatrick (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Stephen Gardiner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Dan Goggin (Young Munster/Munster)
Oisin Heffernan (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Cian Kelleher (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Dan Leavy (UCD/Leinster) (capt)
Nick McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)
Conor McKeon (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Rory Moloney (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Ross Molony (UCD/Leinster)
Sean O'Brien (Galwegians/Connacht)
Jack O'Donoghue (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Gary Ringrose (UCD/Leintser)
Peter Robb (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Frankie Taggart (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Peadar Timmins (UCD/Leinster)
Jacob Walshe (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Alex Wootton (Garryowen/Munster)

I would have thought that Rory Parata would have been in with a big shout.