Schools Rugby 2019-2020

[Pilotman123]

I love this competition. Best competition in the world

[Twist]

An all Kildare final! Poor Ewan.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I have no connection to Newbridge and actually have a few friends who went to Michael's...but I think I speak for 99% of the board when I say that this is the greatest thing to ever happen.

[wixfjord]

I don't watch the schools cup, but now might be a good time to raise the question that others have asked here, are we too reliant on St. Michaels? Is it a ' systemic risk for Leinster to be sourcing so many from one school'?




I mean it must be a bad thing for Leinster Rugby to have so many graduates from this seeming academy of constant bottle jobs going on to play for our senior side?

[Pilotman123]

I don't watch the schools cup, but now might be a good time to raise the question that others have asked here, are we too reliant on St. Michaels? Is it a ' systemic risk for Leinster to be sourcing so many from one school'?




I mean it must be a bad thing for Leinster Rugby to have so many graduates from this seeming academy of constant bottle jobs going on to play for our senior side?

They couldn’t even win a Senior Cup with the that team just shows what a joke they are, They might as well shut down the school now. A lot of finger pointing has to go to the coaches. Something is going seriously wrong in that school the amount of years where they should of won cup but bottled it is actually ridiculous.

[Pilotman123]

The Leinster Rugby Instagram page doesn’t help with them putting up 10 posts about how great Ryan Baird is ever since his previous game for Leinster. Must be a Michael’s man running that account it’s hard to watch. It’s like they’re training to get to Ryan Baird’s head. I’d hate that if I was a player being hyped up so much especially by the Leinster Instagram page. Not saying he isn’t a fantastic player but no need to put up 10 posts about him he’s only 20 years old

[Dwarf]

I don't watch the schools cup, but now might be a good time to raise the question that others have asked here, are we too reliant on St. Michaels? Is it a ' systemic risk for Leinster to be sourcing so many from one school'?




I mean it must be a bad thing for Leinster Rugby to have so many graduates from this seeming academy of constant bottle jobs going on to play for our senior side?

It’s either that or Michaels aren’t as head and shoulders above other schools some on here would have you believe. It’s a drastic reality check for those hyping up their players at the expense of similar, just as good if not better players from other schools who don’t have online campaigns.

You can’t have 3 or 4 players on an Irish under 20 team that only got to the semis. Winning the thing only guarantees you getting your best player on the 20’s.

I would like to see some of that Newbridge team, the 4 and 5 get academy contracts or a chance on the U20’s. Their whole pack are hardened big units who chipped away at Michaels until their power game drew a blank against a similar power game and eventually they cracked and coughed up 18 unanswered points.

Chris Cosgrave is a fantastic kicker but is he big enough for the pro game? He was switched off today and I think once Newbridge asked questions of Michaels they didn’t answer with character. A lot of what is required at the very top of the game is character and being able to go toe to toe with bigger more physical teams like England and France. I’m not sure any of the Michaels players had that today.

I think the final will be close but it’s Clongowes to lose simply because they have the pedigree there and the occasion might be too big for Newbridge.

[Blue not red blood]

Michaels loss today can be explained due a severe dose of smugness hitting the school in recent weeks.
It has even spread worryingly to past pupils .
The HSE have advised to all non Michaels people to stay in close contact and slag the hole off them

[Laighin Break]

The Leinster Rugby Instagram page doesn’t help with them putting up 10 posts about how great Ryan Baird is ever since his previous game for Leinster. Must be a Michael’s man running that account it’s hard to watch. It’s like they’re training to get to Ryan Baird’s head. I’d hate that if I was a player being hyped up so much especially by the Leinster Instagram page. Not saying he isn’t a fantastic player but no need to put up 10 posts about him he’s only 20 years old

Are you running the Leinster Instagram page?

[Pilotman123]

The Leinster Rugby Instagram page doesn’t help with them putting up 10 posts about how great Ryan Baird is ever since his previous game for Leinster. Must be a Michael’s man running that account it’s hard to watch. It’s like they’re training to get to Ryan Baird’s head. I’d hate that if I was a player being hyped up so much especially by the Leinster Instagram page. Not saying he isn’t a fantastic player but no need to put up 10 posts about him he’s only 20 years old

Are you running the Leinster Instagram page?

Caught me out

[Pilotman123]

I don't watch the schools cup, but now might be a good time to raise the question that others have asked here, are we too reliant on St. Michaels? Is it a ' systemic risk for Leinster to be sourcing so many from one school'?




I mean it must be a bad thing for Leinster Rugby to have so many graduates from this seeming academy of constant bottle jobs going on to play for our senior side?

It’s either that or Michaels aren’t as head and shoulders above other schools some on here would have you believe. It’s a drastic reality check for those hyping up their players at the expense of similar, just as good if not better players from other schools who don’t have online campaigns.

You can’t have 3 or 4 players on an Irish under 20 team that only got to the semis. Winning the thing only guarantees you getting your best player on the 20’s.

I would like to see some of that Newbridge team, the 4 and 5 get academy contracts or a chance on the U20’s. Their whole pack are hardened big units who chipped away at Michaels until their power game drew a blank against a similar power game and eventually they cracked and coughed up 18 unanswered points.

Chris Cosgrave is a fantastic kicker but is he big enough for the pro game? He was switched off today and I think once Newbridge asked questions of Michaels they didn’t answer with character. A lot of what is required at the very top of the game is character and being able to go toe to toe with bigger more physical teams like England and France. I’m not sure any of the Michaels players had that today.

I think the final will be close but it’s Clongowes to lose simply because they have the pedigree there and the occasion might be too big for Newbridge.

Remember in 2018 they bottled it against Belvo for the third year in a row and Scott Penny got an academy contract when Max Kearney was by far the better player. It’s a shame but Leinster rugby always favor Michael’s players

[Pilotman123]

If you look in the Leinster u18s team it’s an absolute joke the amount of Michael’s players on it picked ahead of players who are better than them. Quite unfair that Andy Skehan favourites his Michael’s players and puts them on the Leinster u18 starting team no matter how good or bad they are he’ll put them on the team anyway.

[blockhead]

Very few Michaels boyz on the U20s squad.
What that about?

[Pilotman123]

Very few Michaels boyz on the U20s squad.
What that about?

There’s gonna be loads next year like Cosgrave, Boyle, Barron, Hickey etc

[backrower8]

Silly Wixfjord…whatever. I get that I am most likely being baited here but for the gullible on here - You are letting your animosity cloud your contribution.

14 contracted players from one small school in a squad of about 55 remains a systemic risk for Leinster.

I am not sure how many more times Michael’s can choke or too many boys experience injury and interrupted study time before they decide to dial down their pursuit of the Holy Grail. Good luck finding replacements for Kellehers, Ryan, Molony, Baird, Leavy, Deegan, Murphy, Penney. McGrath, Byrnes, ROL etc

Silly

[mildlyinterested]

Great result for rugby in the province.
Haven't seen the game so can't comment on any performances yet. Pretty shocking and very much michaels being michaels.

Winning the cup has very little to do with how well players will do at pro level. And of course all of the big time michaels prospects won the cup last year.

How bridge go on to win it now.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Hugely enjoyable game, especially for this Newbridge (very) past pupil. Some excellent talent on view from both sides.

[Pilotman123]

Anyone know if they’ll show the game on tv again? (Michael’s game)

[backrower8]

It turns out Bernard Jackman, ex-Newbridge pupil and assistant coach of Michael’s SCT winning side in 2012 & parent of a kid in Michael’s has been coaching Newbridge for the last 4 weeks.

He secured a new fixture against Michael’s in Donnybrook in December. A good contest with Michael’s pulling away decisively in the last 20.

This week his main plan was to present a different attack shape to how all the other schools currently play - the pro rugby attack shape. He decided to go narrow and sap the energy of Michael’s, mentally and physically, by keeping it very very tight with repeated murderous, up the guts, runners off 9 forcing a huge number of tackles by the Michael’s forwards. This also denied the Michael’s rush defence the mètres and psychological energy gains they got in the Gonzaga game from smashing players as the ball was played behind the gain line. It worked superbly. The 12 minutes before half time saw an incredible no faults passage from Newbridge that almost yielded a try but damage was done and the die was cast for more of the same in the second half.

When they did put it through the hands it was at the right times with some real steppers and speedsters in the backs and they used the wind really well too and Michael’s back three including one of their best players made several very costly errors in trying to make big plays on the return.

At the final whistle Johne Murphy said on TV that it wasn’t his victory and that the coaches had adopted a plan. The Newbridge Captain références their “plan”.

Whatever about Jackman’s excellent plan, his greatest achievement was in getting a bunch of kids to back it and themselves no matter what, against the Champions, who had recently beaten them by 20+, despite going down early doors by 14 points and despite twice losing players to yellow cards. Great credit to all of them for that.

It was also part of their plan to be literally in the face of Michael’s players right through the match. They brought lots of niggle, shoulders, pinning on the deck. It said something to themselves to be able to do it with a free pass from the coaching ticket as much as it said something to Michael’s.

Can they scale another emotional and physical peak in the final so soon? They have shown their hand now. I would still have Clongowes as 10 point favourites.

[Hippo]

Terrific result for Newbridge, but I've never seen such a level of organised shithousery from a schools team. It certainly worked!