No except he's not offered a deal with Leinster Academy and is good enough to be given a chance with us...

Just noticed Peter Sullivan in your B team, have you heard something about him?

Bazzo wrote: I think you're doing McKeon a bit of misjustice there. He'd be in or around a 1st choice XV or at least 23 for me.

He and Copeland are the only real options at 8 for me. Time will tell which Robin Copeland shows up in Galway.

I think you're doing McKeon a bit of misjustice there. He'd be in or around a 1st choice XV or at least 23 for me.

Disagree about Roux, despite his cap he's been disappointing last season and not discplined.
Dillanne has had a season off, but could come back stronger. His Baa-baas nice game shows promises.

Everyone else agree it's more SOB 6 Masterson 8 than the opposite? O'Brien played so few that I don't know what position would suit him best.

And as you see my "surprised prospects" are Bundee and Robb as our main 12s and Leavy pushing for wing (if he stays with our Academy)

After last season I'd say Roux is well ahead of Dillane & Thornbury. Also SOB is (maybe) the third best 8 in the squad after Copeland & McKeon, and SOB is head and shoulders above anyone else at 6.

Would love to see Delahunt as starting hooker. Given Best's age and Cronin's travails he could be a RWC bolter.

Backs pick themselves alright unless Horwitz is the second coming of Paul Warwick.

Futility is there but we can have fun imagining 1st team, team A and team B
Obviously controversies will appear as you have to predict "breakthroughs" (and even a few new heads) , not 100% the old picking order

(from 1 to 15, in that order)

1st

Denis Buckley
Shane Delahunt
Finlay Bealham
Ultan Dillane
Gavin Thornbury
Eoghan Masterson
Jarrad Butler
Sean O'Brien
Kieran Marmion
Jack Carty
Matt Healy
Bundee Aki
Tom Farrell
Niyi Adeolokun
Tiernan O'Halloran


A

NIQ LH
Tom McCartney
Conor Carey
Quinn Roux
James Cannon
Cillian Gallagher
James Connolly
Robin Copeland
James Mitchell
David Horwitz
Adam Leavy
Peter Robb
Kyle Godwin
Sevu Reece
Rory Scholes

B

Peter McCabe
Dave Heffernan
Dominic Robertson-McCoy
Peter Claffey
Joe Maksymiw
Sean Masterson
Paul Boyle
Eoin McKeon
Caolin Blade
Craig Ronaldson
Peter Sullivan
Darragh Leader
Eoin Griffin
Cian Kelleher
Conor Hayes

McNamara wrote: Does anyone know when does Horwitz arrive? AFAIK he hasnt played any super rugby this season, will he have to play NRC?

Follow him on instagram. He’s in Canada at the moment waiting for his visa to come through . Seemed last week it was expected but didn’t come through

Does anyone know when does Horwitz arrive? AFAIK he hasnt played any super rugby this season, will he have to play NRC?

www.ballinarfc.com/news/come-and-see-connacht-2322672.html

Well main point is we have the prop still to come
Boyle senior 7 mean McKeon mainly 8 which is his best position IMO. Competing with Copeland

Bazzo wrote: That would be a huge academy. Suppose it could be bigger due to the new 1 year contract system but I don't think it's ever been more than 18/19 players before and usually more around 15-17

Would mean an intake of roughly 11 players assuming all year 2 lads stay on for another year.

That would be a huge academy. Suppose it could be bigger due to the new 1 year contract system but I don't think it's ever been more than 18/19 players before and usually more around 15-17

Accidentally Onside wrote: Just listening to Andy Friend on the Fox Rugby podcast and he said "we'll have a squad of 44 senior players and 22 players in the academy" so I'd guess we're a bit short of that now.

42 listed in the senior squad on the Connacht website so one prop and one other still to come it looks like.

Edit: 42 also listed on Clan stats, but Boyle is missing from Clan & Claffey from Connacht. So looks like we have only one place left to fill, presumably a prop.

Just listening to Andy Friend on the Fox Rugby podcast and he said "we'll have a squad of 44 senior players and 22 players in the academy" so I'd guess we're a bit short of that now.

phatguerilla wrote:

Bazzo wrote: Masterson, McKeon, O'Brien, Butler, Connolly, Copeland, Boyle all senior now I believe and Gallagher more than able to cover 6 if necessary. Masterson II I'd imagine will be seeing some senior rugby this year too. I'd say they're slimming the squad down this year and hoping to use the academy a bit more, it was probably slightly oversized last year and with the failure to make Heineken cup again I'd say the IRFU are less willing to stretch the budget for a couple extra squad players.

Was it not smaller last year than the last couple of years? You might be onto something all the same, maybe need to qualify for Heineken again to earn further signings.

Also, is there nothing to be said for Leader at 13? There are a few other fb options and he has the strength and distributing skills to be an option if developed imo.

It was huge the year before last so yes it was smaller than that but previously the normal squad size has been 40-43(41 or 42 at the moment I think) including in our league winning 15/16 season.