ormond lad wrote: 20s play Munster in Sportsground on Thursday

Does anyone have any idea when kickoff is at. I could make 3pm plus need to collect my free tickets

Strange SOH not getting academy here considering his performances in AIL this season.

Connacht 17s played a Munster 17s and Italian 17s in the Sportsground today. Anyone at these games
19s play Ulster in Ashbourne tomorrow and 20s play Munster in Sportsground on Thursday

connachtexile wrote: I think O'Hagen didn't get one (an academy contract that is) because of his relative youth. He's still eligible for the Ireland U19's which tells you how young he is and Ulster coming in and poaching a sub-academy player from us is pretty unprecedented. Hope he comes to us, if not I wish the lad all the best in Ulster.

It's not poaching, he wasn't getting an academy contract here so Ulster gave him one.

I think O'Hagen didn't get one (an academy contract that is) because of his relative youth. He's still eligible for the Ireland U19's which tells you how young he is and Ulster coming in and poaching a sub-academy player from us is pretty unprecedented. Hope he comes to us, if not I wish the lad all the best in Ulster.

If he is that good perhaps a development contract would be more in order plus his study expenses. Afaik thats how rog came into munster set up.

I know that it is difficult to pick out young talent, but the obvious stand out thing for me with this young lad was his kicking ability. When I saw him play in the 20's and then for Corinthians in the AIL he was winning games purely with his boot. I am really not sure of the stats but would say that in the 20's he only missed one kick in three games and in the AIL took it on to a new level, everytime they got a penalty from the half way line in, it would nearly always be scored. The Buccs game were he got 3 penalties in the last 10 minutes including a touch line winner to sneak it by a point. When you see teams get down because the scoreboard keeps going the wrong way when they give penalties away. He has the best boot that I have seen for many a year and that is an ability that I think we could badly do with. Lots of things can be coached to young players, but it was a natural kicking ability that I saw.
I would love to know what the score is with him and I hope more than anything that the financial problems that we had going on over the last few months did not result in us not giving him an academy contract.

I would also add that I think that the likes of Jack Carty and Darragh Leader did enough to get more than a one year contract. They both have played enough first team games and shown enough in those games to warrant longer. Our young players need to be encouraged and rewarded.

Damned if you do damned if you don't. Probably should have signed him at the end of last season. Parks was probably going to have to step back at the end of this season and with Ronaldson and Nikora the only real experienced 10s we have he should have been tied up. Think we have missed out big time if he goes north.

O'Hagan's meant to have had a stormer in the U-19 game. Hope he comes to us but even if he doesn't he looks like one for the future for Ireland.

Connacht u17s played an American club in Dangan yesterday. Complete mismatch that Connacht won by 100+
The Americans would have been better off playing an alright club side never mind a provincial side and when scores were raking up if game was to continue the coaches of each side would have learned more by mixing up the two teams so that all players learned more than what they did.
They had barely beaten Suttonians in Dublin in their opening game of their tour.

Ulster Bank Player of the Year – Division 1A

Nominees: Danny Riordan (Old Belvedere RFC), David Joyce (Clontarf), Ian Hirst (Clontarf)

Congrats to Danny. Never reached his potential at Connacht like I'd hoped but good to see him doing well.

Ulster Bank Player of the Year – Division 2A

Nominees: Rory Parata (Galwegians RFC), Ian Porter (Banbridge RFC), Peter McCabe (UCC)

Good to see future Connacht Scrum-half Ian Porter also in the list.

Got this today. Might be of interest

**Shortlist of Ulster Bank League players as follows:



Ulster Bank Player of the Year – Division 1A

Nominees: Danny Riordan (Old Belvedere RFC), David Joyce (Clontarf), Ian Hirst (Clontarf)



Ulster Bank Coach of the Year — Division 1A

Nominees: Bobby Byrne (UCD), Andy Wood (Clontarf), Paul Cunningham (Old Belvedere RFC)



Ulster Bank Rising Star Award – Division 1A:

Nominees: Jack Conan (Old Belvedere RFC), David Joyce (Clontarf), Andrew Boyle (UCD), Dan Goggin (Young Munster RFC)



Ulster Bank Player of the Year – Division 1B

Nominees: Jack O’Donoghue (UL Bohemians RFC), Finn Gormley (Corinthians RFC), Robert Duke (Terenure College RFC)



Ulster Bank Player of the Year – Division 2A

Nominees: Rory Parata (Galwegians RFC), Ian Porter (Banbridge RFC), Peter McCabe (UCC)



Ulster Bank Player of the Year – Division 2B

Nominees: Derek Corcoran (Nenagh Ormond RFC), Leonard Slattery (Thomond RFC), Chris Keane (Skerries RFC)



Ulster Bank Team of the Year – Across all UBL Divisions

Winner announced on the night



Ulster Bank Club Volunteer of the Year – Across all UBL Divisions

Winner announced on the night



Ulster Bank PRO of the Year

Nominees: Sam O’Byrne (Clontarf), Sile Geraghty (Tullamore RFC), Thomas O’Brien (Old Wesley RFC)

Have yet to have it confirmed that O'Hagan is leaving, still don't know what the story is there. However he played for Corinthians last weekend and is turning out for Ireland with a Galway club and Connacht as his province listed beside his name so the very best of luck to him and Ciaran Gaffney for the game against France. Two very talented players who hopefully will go on to great things in the game.

The ulster and leinster schools system is so much stronger than munster or connachts that we do well to get any on at all.

Just one Connacht player makes the Ireland U19 team against France. Yes O'Hagan is in there but he's Ulster bound

IRELAND U19 to play France U19 – Thursday 17th April.

15. Billy Dardis (UCD – Leinster)
14. Ciaran Gaffney (Galwegians – Connacht)
13. Gary Ringrose (UCD – Leinster)
12. Harrison Brewer (Terenure – Leinster)
11. Jack Owens (Campbell Belfast – Ulster)
10. Sean O'Hagan (Corinthians – Connacht)
9. Jack Cullen (Bruff – Munster)

1. Jeremy Loughman (Blackrock College – Leinster)
2. Sean McNulty (UCD – Munster)
3. Oisin Heffernan (Lansdowne – Leinster)
4. Josh Murphy (UCD – Leinster)
5. Alex Thompson (Methody Belfast – Ulster)
6. Stephen McVeigh (Clongowes – Leinster)
7. Ben Kilkenny (St Munchins – Munster)
8. Lorcan Dow (Queen's University – Ulster)

Replacements
16. Steven Weir (Methody Belfast– Ulster)
17. Michael Lagan (Methody Belfast– Ulster)
18. Mike O'Donnell (Crescent College – Munster)
19. Josh Davidson (Sullivan Upper – Ulster)
20. Ross Todd (Sullivan Upper School – Ulster)
21. Conor Young (Instonians – Ulster)
22. Josh Bingham (Methodist College – Ulster)
23. Fergal Cleary (Clongowes – Leinster)

first half highlights here