Leinster Rugby v Cardiff Blues

ISSUE 04 | LEINSTER RUGBY OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME 

DAN 

LEAVY 

JOSH 

MURPHY 

DAVE 

KEARNEY 

O’Brien 

Jimmy 

NOV 

22 

20 

20 

KICK OFF 17:15

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Chief Executive: Michael Dawson 

Honorary Secretary: Stuart Bayley 

Honorary Treasurer: Michael McGrail 

7 22 

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www.leinsterrugby.ie | 3 | From The Ground Up

JOHN WALSH 

WEL COME 

We extend a warm festive welcome 

(croeso) to our guests from Cardiff 

Blues for this evening’s fixture in 

Round 7 of the Guinness PRO14 

in what is our final home PRO14 

fixture of 2020. 

We welcome ‘home’ head coach John 

Mulvihill who has swapped the navy and 

sky blue jersey of Navan RFC for the similar 

colours of Cardiff Blues. We also welcome 

team captain Ellis Jenkins, club President 

Peter Thomas, Chairperson Alun Jones and 

Chief Executive Officer Richard Holland. 

Cardiff are one of the great clubs in 

world rugby and Cardiff Blues European 

successes include a thrilling final victory 

over Gloucester in the European Challenge 

Cup in 2018 to add to their previous victory 

in the Challenge Cup over Toulon in 2010. 

Since 2005, the club has contributed eight 

players to the British & Irish Lions tours 

including Sam Warburton, Jamie Roberts, 

Leigh Halfpenny, Martyn Williams, Gethin 

Jenkins and Tom Shanklin all of whom were 

multiple tourists while their total number of 

Lions players amounts to a staggering 41 

and include legendary names Barry John, 

Gareth Edwards and Gerald Davies. 

This evening Leinster take the pitch with an 

undefeated Guinness PRO14 record of six 

consecutive victories this season that have 

yielded a maximum 30 league points. 

Indeed Leinster’s Guinness PRO14 winning 

run is now a remarkable 26 consecutive 

victories and our last defeat at ‘fortress’ 

RDS was in April 2019. 

Congratulations and well done to all 

involved in this success story which 

has brought joy and happiness to our 

supporters who have endured so much as 

a result of the Covid-19 pandemic that has 

blighted our love and passion for sport for 

these past two seasons. 

Rugby-wise, 2020 has been a year which 

we will not forget for some time. With 

the exception of Leinster winning a third 

consecutive Guinness PRO14 title and 

a record seven titles in total the playing 

season has been decimated for players 

and supporters across the province and the 

country due to the pandemic. 

In Leinster we have lost close to 1,000 

fixtures that span every section of our 

competitions from mini rugby to adult level. 

We express our thanks to all volunteers, 

sponsors and members of our clubs for their 

tireless efforts in supporting their sport in 

what has been a most challenging period 

both on and off the pitch. 

Many of our Leinster clubs and schools 

have over many seasons established strong 

links with our neighbouring clubs in Wales 

with exchange fixtures. For example my 

own club Naas are twinned with St David’s 

RFC in Pembrokeshire and for the past 26 

years we have had a bi-annual exchange 

of fixtures. However this has not been 

possible this season and such is the case 

with so many other planned tours between 

our Celtic cousins this past season. These 

tours are part of our rugby heritage and I 

earnestly hope that these relationships will 

continue to grow, flourish and strengthen as 

soon as we can safely return to play. 

A big thank you to all the Club Community 

Rugby Officers (CCRO) in Leinster who, 

in tandem with the many club Covid-19 

officers, have succeeded in providing 

the opportunities for our mini players to 

continue to train and develop their skills. 

Many of these programmes have been 

developed so that the sessions are fun and 

conducted in safe environments. 

Initiatives such as the ‘Games on the Green’ 

programme staged jointly in conjunction with 

Kildare County Council and Kildare Sports 

Partnership have proved very successful in 

attracting new players to the game. It is a 

joy to hear the sound of children engaged in 

playing sport on our pitches. 

All Leinster fans will celebrate James Lowe’s 

achievement on receiving his first Irish 

International cap, scoring on debut and 

becoming the 29th current Leinster squad 

player to achieve this and the fifth new cap 

so far this season. Having represented New 

Zealand Schools and the Maori All Blacks 

his career with Leinster since signing in 

March 2017 has resulted in winning three 

PRO14 titles as well as a Champions Cup 

in 2018. 

A most popular member of Clondalkin 

RFC whose previous Irish international 

was winger John Sexton. Remarkably the 

total number of Irish caps in the Leinster 

squad this season extends to over 700 

and this experience and craft gained at 

this level has contributed significantly in 

the development and advancement of our 

Leinster Academy players. 

Our enjoyment of our sport for the past 

nine months has been confined to the 

role of TV spectators and we have to 

extend our thanks and congratulations to 

all those involved in the presentation and 

coverage of the Guinness PRO14 against 

a background that is challenging to say 

the least. The professional coverage of the 

tournament from eir Sport, TG4, Premier 

Sports and of course print, radio and 

online media has been excellent and most 

enjoyable and we applaud all the team 

involved. 

Finally I would appeal to all players, 

members and supporters of our clubs and 

schools to strictly comply with the advice 

given to us by our Government health 

officials. 

On behalf of Leinster Rugby I wish all 

involved in the game this evening a good 

and injury-free game and to you, our loyal 

supporters, until we meet again, keep the 

faith. 

JOHN WALSH 

PRESIDENT, LEINSTER RUGBY 2020/21 


Leo Cullen 

HEAD COACH WELCOME 

THE GAMES 

ARE COMING 

THICK AND 

FAST AT THE 

MOMENT, SO I 

HOPE YOU ARE 

ENJOYING THE 

ACTION AND 

GETTING A 

BIT OF ‘RUGBY 

RELEASE’ 

DURING LEVEL 

5 LOCKDOWN! 

A warm welcome to John Mulvihill 

and his Cardiff Blues team for this 

evening’s Guinness PRO14 game. John 

is no stranger to Leinster Rugby as he 

has experience of coaching Navan 

back in the early ‘noughties’. It’s been 

a while since we’ve come up against 

one another and, off the back of their 

big win on Monday against Benetton, 

we know we’re in for a tough 

challenge this evening. 

This block of games has been really positive 

as not only have we seen a number of players 

getting their first Leinster caps, but we’ve also 

had a number of Leinster players making 

their international debuts with Ireland. A big 

congratulations to James Lowe, who is the 

latest Leinster player to become a fully-fledged 

Irish international. James has made a huge 

impression on the pitch and in the dressing 

room since his arrival from Tasman and the 

Chiefs in New Zealand just over three years 

ago. 

Congratulations also to James Ryan who 

was named Ireland captain for the Autumn 

Nations Cup international against England at 

Twickenham this weekend. It’s a great honour 

for James, and his family, but thoroughly welldeserved 

for one of the most influential players 

in Ireland at the moment. 

Today will be our last home game until we 

take on Northampton in Round 2 of this 

season’s Champions Cup. We will have played 

Montpellier the week before that and, with only 

four pool games, it’s clear that every point will 

be vital if we want to qualify for the quarterfinals. 

The new competition format means there 

are a number of elements outside your control 

and nobody can afford any slip-ups. 

The months of December and January always 

go a long way to defining our season, as 

sandwiched in between four Champions Cup 

games, we play three interpro derbies over 

consecutive weekends. Welcome to rugby’s 

‘festive’ season! 

Normally, we would be playing these games 

in front of packed houses and we all look 

forward to the day that we can have our 

supporters back to create the special moments. 

It is encouraging to hear some positives noises 

about that prospect. 

A huge thanks to all of you who have signed 

up to become Official Members. Every bit of 

help is welcome at the moment! 

For November, we are also delighted to have 

Women’s Aid as the team’s charity partner. An 

important reminder that we must all dig deep to 

help and support the many great causes there 

are out there. 

Thanks again to all the team’s sponsors, in 

particular Bank of Ireland, for their continued 

support and loyalty. Everyone has been 

working hard to ensure these partnerships 

continue to deliver value on both sides. 

There’s lots to look forward to, and we are 

working hard to get ourselves into the best 

possible position to hit the ‘business’ end of the 

season in good shape. Hopefully, by the time 

the big knock-out games come along, we will 

be back playing in front of packed stadiums. 

Back to this evening and I hope you enjoy the 

game. Thanks as always for your support and 

stay safe. 

Leo 


JOANN 

HOSEY 

PROVINCIAL DIRECTOR 

BANK OF IRELAND DUBLIN 

WELCOME TO 

THE ROUND 

7 GUINNESS 

PRO14 CLASH 

AGAINST THE 

CARDIFF BLUES. 

It was hugely entertaining watching 

Rhys Ruddock and his team defeating 

Edinburgh Rugby in Round 6, a team 

that has caused Leinster plenty of 

difficulty in the past. To record a sixth 

consecutive victory and earn another 

bonus-point win was hugely satisfying 

for all supporters. 

As cold and as windswept as the RDS Arena 

was for that clash, I’m sure every fan would 

still love to have been there, whether it was 

saluting the hat-trick hero Cian Kelleher or 

Dan Leavy’s triumphant return to action. There 

have been numerous positives to take from the 

PRO14 season to date, but for now we must all 

continue to keep supporting from the comfort of 

our own homes. 

It is great to also see so much great work still 

going on in the domestic game across the 12 

counties, with the ‘Give It a Try’ scheme proving 

to be a brilliant initiative at MU Barnhall, 

Coolmine RFC, Clontarf FC and Blackrock 

College RFC over the last few weeks. And that’s 

before we even mention the recent launch of 

Inclusive Tag Rugby in Clondalkin RFC. I want 

to thank all the domestic coaches and officers 

out there in our communities at present, working 

so hard to help our young boys and girls enjoy 

all that local rugby clubs have to offer. 

And we all know now that James Lowe is a 

proud adopted son of Clondalkin, and we 

shared their pride as he made his Ireland debut 

against Wales. James has been a brilliant role 

model since coming to Leinster Rugby, working 

tirelessly off the field for a number of charities 

but also bringing his own sense of fun and 

enthusiasm to Clondalkin RFC. Well done again 

James and hopefully you’ll go on to win many 

more Ireland caps. 

The European games and the local derbies are 

not too far away but we all know that Leo and 

his squad will have their sights firmly fixed on 

tonight’s fixture against Cardiff. I want to wish 

everyone involved the best of luck. 

Enjoy the game, 

JH 


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LATEST NEWS, LIVE MATCH 

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WHY IT 

MATTERS 

LLOYD ASHLEY | OSPREYS 

“The most important action we can take when we recognise that 

someone is feeling down or struggling is to create a safe space to talk.” 

Think about this. One in four people 

suffer from mental illness. That’s not a 

bad day or a rough patch, that’s a real 

condition that needs to be treated and 

requires backing from friends, family and 

specialist support. 

Although many of them will not 

suffer from an illness, almost everyone 

experiences challenges with their mental 

health at some point. So what if you knew 

not only how to look after yourself, but 

how to recognise the signs when someone 

you care about is struggling or having a 

hard time? Those are some pretty good 

life skills that can make a difference and 

prevent someone from having some 

serious struggles. 

Promoting good mental health is 

important to me. I’m the Mental Health 

and Wellbeing Lead for the Welsh Rugby 

Players Association where we’ve started 

a Resilience for Rugby programme. I’ve 

also started my own business Living Well 

with Lloyd Ashley that you can find on 

Instagram at @LivingWellwithLloydAshley. 

It launched in March and, well, with the 

pandemic its purpose became even more 

meaningful. 

Uncertainty has the potential to 

be a killer when it comes to individuals 

mental health and eight months ago none 

of us knew what was coming or what to 

expect. The unknown creates anxiety for 

everyone. As rugby players, we suddenly 

had our routines taken away. Our safe 

space of the training ground that we rely 

on for social interaction and friendship 

also removed from our day-to-day lives. 

Clearly, everyone else was dealing with 

their own situations – people were worried 

about getting sick, their jobs and possibly 

losing loved ones. 

Speaking from a rugby perspective, 

early new year up to March can bring quite 

a lot of anxiety when guys are looking 

to renew contracts, especially when you 

hear about other players being signed up 

to the club. Often, stories appear in the 

media about players’ futures that are not 

true or are based on rumours. It’s safe to 

say that Covid-19 made that even worse, 

and players were left to worry what they 

would do when their contracts expired in 

just three months’ time. 

These are some very obvious serious 

concerns around the pandemic, but you 

can’t dismiss the small things either. As 

rugby players we are used to having 

breakfast with 50 or 60 people each day 

and overnight it changed into just myself 

and my wife or I could be on my own. 

That’s a small part of the day, but a major 

change in daily interactions and support 

networks for any individual. 

One of the keys to coping from a 

mental health perspective was keeping 

everyone in contact and getting the right 

information out. I have to give so much 

credit to the WRPA, the Ospreys and the 

Welsh Rugby Union for looking after us. 

My wife was pregnant with twins and there 

were many others with partners who were 

expecting. They gave us great information 

throughout lockdown and when we 

returned to training so we could make the 

right decisions for our families. 

Technology helped us a lot, too. I 

don’t think there is anyone who didn’t 

do a Zoom quiz at some point! Fair play 

to Tim Jones at the WRPA for creating a 

sense of community among the players. 

At Ospreys, our S&C coach Simon Church 

would put on extra sessions via Zoom, 

which also created another sense of 

togetherness. But when you’re not around 

each other it’s hard to know how people 

are feeling away from the screens. 

When you see someone in the flesh 

you can read body language, mood and 

humour – that’s difficult to do over a video 

call or in a WhatsApp message. 

I was inspired to get my introduction 

to counselling qualifications from the 

experiences I had with former team-mates. 

Guys would be retiring and they’d say how 

much they were looking forward to it - 

when you knew they weren’t. Or injuries 

would be occurring that could affect 

players careers but instead of speaking 

they’d brush it off. As a friend you knew 

that these guys weren’t expressing how 

they really felt. You could tell it was a 

mask, but at the time I didn’t understand 

how to support breaking this barrier down. 

We all know the clichés around rugby 

and the macho image that is portrayed. 

We are trained to be impervious on the 

pitch and that expectation subconsciously 

transfers off the pitch, too. ‘Be bulletproof, 

don’t show weakness’. Thankfully, that 

image is changing and now the most 

important action we can take when we 

recognise that someone is feeling down or 

struggling is to create a safe space to talk. 

We need to move on from the ‘It’s 

okay to not be okay’ conversation to proactively 

creating environments and spaces 

where we can express ourselves or share 

the weight of anything that’s troubling us. 

In rugby, we’re learning to put the person 

before the player and I believe that should 

be a learning for any profession. 

Our sport exposes us to the learning 

of so many core values around team 

work and supporting each other, it’s vital 

that we ensure players leave rugby with 

skillsets not only to look after themselves, 

but to help support and educate others 

about addressing mental health as a 

positive action. 

Each player leaves the professional 

arena at a different stage. You might 

not get out of an academy, you may 

retire early, you may not become an 

international player or the next superstar, 

but we need to send these guys back to 

their communities with the information to 

ensure they can support themselves and 

those around them, not just to play rugby 

but to cope with the strains sport and life 

can place on our mental health. 

I was really impressed with Ashton 

Hewitt’s message about everyone 

educating themselves on how to combat 

racism so they can share their learnings 

with less understanding people. I read how 

Kelly Brown overcame his stammering 

problem to be captain of his country. Their 

messages show how just learning about 

an issue can make a difference. Their 

experiences also show how rugby is not 

just a game for all shapes and sizes, but for 

all walks of life no matter what challenges 

you face. 

With the right knowledge we can 

make life easier for ourselves and those we 

care about. Don’t be afraid to talk about 

your mental health and don’t be afraid to 

help someone who is struggling either. 

Sometimes, all it takes is a safe space, a 

cup of coffee and a chat. 

If we carry on this conversation, the 

stigma can’t last much longer. 

Be part of the solution and feel better, 

follow: @LivingWellwithLloydAshley 

- Lloyd Ashley

Did you know? 

• Leinster have a maximum 

30 league points after six 

rounds of the Guinness 

PRO14 and another bonus 

point victory would equal 

the Championship record of 

seven five-point victories in 

succession. 

• Leinster have not been 

beaten by a Welsh region 

since they visited Scarlets in 

September 2018. 

• Cardiff Blues 22-5 victory 

at home to Benetton on 

Monday ended a run of three 

successive defeats. 

• The Blues have won just 

once away from home in 

2020, 16-6 at Zebre on 2 

October, whilst their most 

recent victory at an Irish 

province was at Connacht in 

Galway in September 2017. 

• Leinster have won their last 

14 encounters against Blues 

in the Guinness PRO14 since 

the Welshmen’s 11-3 victory 

at the Cardiff City Stadium in 

February 2011, although four 

of the last five clashes have 

been very close with three 

of those being decided by a 

solitary point. 

• Cardiff Blues only previous 

victory on Leinster soil came at 

Donnybrook in March 2004. 

#LEIVcBL 

Overall Guinness 

PRO14 head to head 

record: 

33 21 12 0 

PLAYED Leinster won Leinster lost DRAWs 

COMPARISON 

Last 3 PRO14 results: 

LEINSTER 

2 Nov - Glasgow (A) 

W 32-19 

8 Nov - Ospreys (A) 

W 26-7 

16 Nov - Edinburgh (H) 

W 50-10 

Conf A: 

1st - W6 D0 L0 - 30pts 

WWWWWW 

(30pts) 

James Lowe, Luke McGrath, Scott 

Penny, Dave Kearney, Cian Kelleher 3 

Harry Byrne 36 

PRO14 

2019/20 

PRO14 

form 

Top try 

scorer 

Top points 

scorer 

CARDIFF BLUES 

2 Nov - Ulster (H) 

L 7-11 

9 Nov - Edinburgh (A) 

L 0-18 

16 Nov - Benetton (H) 

W 22-5 

Conf B: 

2nd - W3 D0 L3 - 14pts 

WWLLLW 

(14pts) 

2 Rey Lee-Lo, Hallam Amos 

34 Jarrod Evans 

Date Venue L C Leinster scorers Cardiff Blues scorers 

Sat 12 Sep 15 RDS Arena 23 15 Jack Conan(T) Penalty Try(T) Isa 

Nacewa(2C/3P) 

Sat 1 Oct 16 

Cardiff Arms 

Park 

Rhys Patchell(5P) Sat 20 Feb 16 Cardiff Arms 

Park 14 13 Ian Madigan(3P) Isa Nacewa(T) 

Gareth Anscombe(2P) Rhys Patchell(C) Josh 

Navidi(T) 

16 13 Rhys Ruddock(T) Johnny Sexton(C/3P) Gareth Anscombe(T/C/2P) 

Sat 25 Mar 17 RDS Arena 22 21 Ross Byrne(2C/P) Dan Leavy(T) Luke 

McGrath(T) Ross Molony(T) 

Fri 8 Sep 17 RDS Arena 37 9 Ross Byrne(4C/3P) Barry Daly(T) James 

Tracy(T) Sean Cronin(T) Nick McCarthy(T) 

31 Aug 18 Cardiff Arms 

Park 

33 32 Ross Byrne(2C/2P) James Tracy(T) Bryan 

Byrne(2T) Jamison Gibson-Park(T) Fergus 

McFadden(P) 

Sion Bennett(T) Tomos Williams(2T) Steve 

Shingler(3C) 

Steve Shingler(3P) Fri 

Rey Lee-Lo(2T) Jason Harries(2T) Jarrod 

Evans(3C/2P) 


O'Brien 

Jimmy 

From The Ground Up | 14 | www.leinsterrugby.ie

AS ONE LEFT- 

FOOTED FULL- 

BACK HEADS 

OFF INTO THE 

AUSTRALIAN 

DISTANCE, SO 

ANOTHER LEFT- 

FOOTED FULL- 

BACK STEPS INTO 

THE BREACH. 

THE KING IS 

DEAD, LONG 

LIVE THE… 


Jimmy O’Brien would be the first 

man to stop you there. 

He is very anxious that no comparisons 

are drawn between him, a 23-year-old 

Leinster Rugby back starting out his 

career in blue and one of the all-time 

greats of Irish and European rugby in 

Rob Kearney. 

But that’s not to say that some of that 

Cooley Mountain magic wasn’t thrown 

young O’Brien’s way before Kearney 

headed south. 

“I was playing a lot of my rugby in the 

centre last season but then there were 

chats about playing full back and doing 

that role so I started looking at full back 

last season and as a result would have 

trained a fair bit with Rob and looking at 

how he did his thing. 

“I mean he is one of the great full backs 

so to be able to even spend a few months 

watching him up close and learning from 

him, kicking tips as well, it was brilliant 

because he was very generous with his 

time. 

“He might be gone but he has definitely 

left a legacy here and hopefully we 

can live up to that as a group and as 

individuals.” 

But what of that cultured left peg? It’s 

an added bonus to have in any team’s 

armoury. 

“Yeah it is and I think having played at 

full back now the last few weeks you are 

definitely thinking more if you are playing 

against a team with a right footer and a 

left footer in their fifteen. 

“So knowing that you have that option is 

brilliant for your team. It helps the nines 

and tens as well and gives them another 

option for the kicking game and the exits 

and then the flip of it as I said is that it 

gives the opposition much more to think 

about when they are setting up for a 

game. 

“The range of kicking options open to 

a team with both increases and it keeps 

opposition defences on their toes for 

sure.” 

Anyone who has been watching O’Brien 

play over the last few rounds of the 

Guinness PRO14 will have seen a nice 

variety to his game too. 

Touch finders when looking to clear his 

lines, or kicks into acres of room in the 

back field, but also subtle little grubber 

kicks in behind for Messrs. Kearney and 

Kelleher to chase. 

And of course, he has a nice step and a 

turn of pace himself if needs be. 

Striking the ball sweetly off the left peg 

isn’t as obvious to explain as the turn of 

pace. 

“My parents are from Clonmel and it 

just wasn’t a rugby stronghold at all. My 

Dad (John) was more into athletics. Long 

jump and sprinting at 400m and the like. 

He won quite a bit at school and was an 

All-Ireland winner as well I think so that 

would be where his leanings were. He 

actually never played rugby at all. 

“We then moved to Kildare though. Only 

for my uncle Toby (Sheridan) introducing 

him and us all as kids to Naas RFC I’m 

not sure where I’d be. He played rugby 

all the way up with the club so that was 

the introduction. He was onto my parents 

and saying ‘you should bring the lads 

down, it’s good craic’ and it went from 

there. 

“My parents love rugby now but not sure 

they knew much about it way back then.” 

O’Brien is from a family of five. There’s 

Mum and Dad, Caroline and John, with 

younger brother Patrick and older sister 

Megan keeping Jimmy company growing 

up. 

Those bonds are still there, strong as 

ever, and while the middle sibling is 

creating headlines on the pitch, there is 

no less pride in their achievements as he 

explains. 

“My brother and sister have been brilliant 

supporters of mine over the years. It’s 

difficult not having them around now as 

much. The same as all players really. We 

all miss family and mates at the games. 

“Patrick played senior cup in Newbridge 

and loved his rugby but maybe didn’t 

love the gym side as much, which isn’t 

ideal for a flanker! Very different to me. 

Very physical, aggressive, loved to smash 

lads! 

“He played a bit with the Naas 20s and 

hopefully will play there again soon. I’m 

keen that he goes back and gets involved 

as it would be great for more of those 

Newbridge College lads to go on and 

then join Naas. 

“It’s a brilliant club so it would be great 

for them to have that almost formal 


“IT’S WHERE IT 

ALL BEGAN ISN’T IT 

AND WITHOUT THAT 

FOUNDATION THAT THEY 

GIVE YOU IT’S HARD 

TO FOLLOW THIS PATH 

AND TO BECOME A 

PROFESSIONAL RUGBY 

PLAYER.” 

link. He’s doing a Masters in Digital 

Marketing at the moment so he’s busy 

enough with that. 

“My sister did a Masters as well in 

Biomedical Engineering so she is working 

in that field now in a healthcare company 

in Dublin and doing well.” 

The affection for family is clear to see 

and their role in his development but 

also his affection for Newbridge College 

and for Naas RFC and he’d love nothing 

more than to see them develop the bond 

further so that players could stay involved 

and keep playing beyond school. 

“It’s where it all began isn’t it and without 

that foundation that they give you it’s 

hard to follow this path and to become 

a professional rugby player. 

“Obviously for those that make it onto 

the junior and the senior cup teams in 

school it gets more serious but they 

also really encourage the enjoyment 

and a lot of my mates loved their 

rugby in Newbridge College and then 

stayed involved with Naas after it and the 

social element to it. 

“That’s hugely important because not 

everyone becomes professional players 

and if that love of the game isn’t a key 

element to it as you are growing up, a 

lot of players would just drift. So I think 

massive credit to the school and the 

atmosphere that they build around rugby 

and all sports.” 

It also explains his own willingness – and 

that of James Tracy – to go back and to 

give back. 

“Myself and James gave a dig out last 

year. Just a few sessions here and there. It 

was great to help out and to see the lads 

deliver in the games that they played in.” 

Is it weird to be there with the coach’s 

jacket and the whistle standing alongside 

former teachers? 

“Yes!” he says matter-of-factly. 

“There are a few teachers there that I 

would have had when I was at school 

and also coaches. Dave Brew is still there 

and I would have played under him. 

“Aaron Dundon, who would have 

played with Leinster, when I was in fifth 

year he would have coached my senior 

cup team. Then Massey Tuhakaraina 

would have coached me at junior 

and senior cup and then he actually 

coached Hughie (O’Sullivan) and Hawk 

(David Hawkshaw) and the lads in Old 

Belvedere for a bit. So there are plenty of 

familiar faces there alright. 

“But probably even stranger to be 

coaching lads that I would consider to be 

a lot younger than I am. Lads that I was 

on a bus with going to and from school. 

Them in first year and me in fifth or sixth 

year. The years have flown by and it’s 

crazy to see them now. 

“It would have been brilliant to see them 

winning the Senior Cup last year.” 

Ah yes. 


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The cancelled Bank of Ireland Leinster 

Rugby Schools Senior and Junior Cup 

Finals. 

Newbridge College were going for 

a double until Covid-19 interrupted 

everyone’s plans. 

“Reaching finals doesn’t happen easily 

for any school but certainly in Newbridge 

we have had to fight harder to reach that 

point so to do both in the one year was 

a special achievement and I think that is 

important for those players to remember. 

“I AM FOCUSED ON THE TWO POSITIONS 

THAT I PROBABLY ENJOY THE MOST 

BUT LOOK, LIKE ALL THE LADS, WHEN 

LEO OFFERS YOU A ROLE YOU TAKE IT 

WITH BOTH HANDS BUT I’M DEFINITELY 

ENJOYING IT AT THE MOMENT.” 

“It was an achievement to get to the final 

and they should be very proud of that. 

“I suppose it will go down as a double, 

of sorts, in that both titles are shared but I 

know they would have loved the chance 

to have won it outright.” 

So when he was in their shoes and 

tearing it up in Newbridge colours who 

was he looking up to? 

“I played in a few different positions in 

Newbridge and particularly at outhalf I 

suppose but also nine and in the centre. 

“But that’s what I liked. You weren’t 

pigeon-holed into one and then left to 

it. They wanted to try lads in different 

positions on the pitch. Develop them and 

their skills. Challenge them in different 

ways. Try to make you into a complete 

footballer that can play in any number of 

positions. It was great. 

“So because of that I would have 

enjoyed watching a load of different 

players growing up. Felipe (Contepomi) I 

remember watching him and enjoying him 

and his style of play. Gordon D’Arcy as 

well. Rob obviously in terms of full back 

play. I remember seeing him on that Lions 

series in South Africa in 2009. He was 

just class. 

“And even players like Geordan Murphy 

who built his career in Leicester Tigers but 

he was obviously a Kildare man, a Naas 

man as well. So I’d have an eye on him 

and what he was doing. Such a quality 

player. He was always talked about when 

I was growing up. 

“You would be keeping an eye on them 

all and how they played and how they 

ran. Little things.” 


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There are some decent centres in that list. 

And not a bad full back or two either. 

In his 23 caps to date there have been 

15 starts. Seven starts in the number 13 

jersey and eight in the number 15. 

Any preference? 

Again his experience throughout school 

comes to the fore and his comfort in a 

number of positions. 

“It’s hard to say really. I like 13 and 

15 to be honest. Obviously, they’re the 

positions that I am playing in the most so 

I have had time to get used to both and I 

really enjoy them. 

“I played both wings for Leinster as well 

off the bench and have even covered 

10 as well in pre-season games and 

stuff so I’m lucky in that, at the moment, 

I am focused on the two positions that I 

probably enjoy the most but look, like all 

the lads, when Leo offers you a role you 

take it with both hands but I’m definitely 

enjoying it at the moment.” 

For this weekend he has again been 

entrusted with the full back role. His fifth 

game in a row in that position. 

He is building momentum and form at 

just the right time. Europe and the festive 

interpro derbies lie just around the corner. 

“I know it’s a cliché but you can’t get 

too ahead of yourself. Cardiff first this 

weekend and then we have Scarlets 

away which will be tough so we’ll look to 

get through those challenges first. 

“But it is definitely a target of mine to pull 

on a jersey for Leinster in a European 

game. A few of the lads had that honour 

last year and it was great to see them 

go well. Josh Murphy, Will Connors, 

Hugo Keenan. They all experienced it 

and it’s that next step in your progress 

so hopefully if I get a chance this year I 

can take it. 

“It is definitely the next level.” 

The next step of course from European 

debuts and games is the national radar 

and the progress of his mates is not lost 

on him either. 

“Delighted for Hugo. I’ve known him 

years and have played a lot of rugby 

with him at Leinster and with Ireland 

age grade teams. He is a brilliant fella 

and just delighted for him and yeah, 

you’re right, if you can be staking a 

claim for a Leinster jersey regularly in the 

PRO14 and then in Europe, you are in the 

spotlight. 

“It’s brilliant to see the lads taking their 

chances. Ed, Jamo and Lowie as well. 

They have all gone well and taken their 

chance and it is encouraging for us here 

to see them take those chances with 

Leinster and then to kick on.” 

For now, O’Brien will just narrow his focus 

on Cardiff and maintaining the record 

that sees them in control of Conference A 

but mindful too of a resurgent Ulster. 

“We just need to focus on our own 

performance. It’s a short turnaround this 

week from Monday to Sunday so we 

have to just focus on Cardiff who had a 

good win themselves. 

“If we do that, the result and the table will 

look after itself.” 

And then there is the small matter of his 

final year in UCD. 

“Final year exams at the moment, 

hopefully I will be done in May. I’m a 

bit behind my mates who started out 

with me but given Covid restrictions and 

everything now being online I have done 

well the last while to catch up on a lot of 

things so it’s been good.” 

So what does the future hold for a 

graduate of Financial Mathematics in 

UCD? 

“It’s finance mainly or banking. That’s 

where the opportunities would be and 

that is where most of my classmates 

would be headed. So hopefully I’ll have 

my qualifications all sorted by May.” 

And with that off he goes. Another 

weekend of defusing situations and 

coming up with the answers. 

Study and exams to be done but also 

full in the knowledge that if the career 

in banking and finance doesn’t go 

so well, he is carving out an exciting 

career for himself in the blue of Leinster 

and who knows beyond that, maybe too, 

in the green of Ireland. 


GUINNESS PRO14 

16 NOVEMBER 2020 

RDS ARENA 

REFEREE: CRAIG EVANS 

50 

10 

Jimmy O’Brien; Cian Kelleher, 

Liam Turner, Ciarán Frawley, 

Dave Kearney; Harry Byrne 

(David Hawkshaw 54), Luke 

McGrath (Hugh O’Sullivan 

57); Peter Dooley (Michael 

Milne 50), James Tracy (Dan 

Sheehan 50), Michael Bent 

(Ciaran Parker 50); Devin 

Toner (Ross Molony 68), 

Scott Fardy; Dan Leavy (Ryan 

Baird 57), Scott Penny, Rhys 

Ruddock (Josh Murphy 50). 

SCORERS: Tries: Cian 

Kelleher (3), Luke McGrath 

(2), Peter Dooley, Dave 

Kearney, Dan Leavy. Cons: 

Ciarán Frawley (5). 

Jack Blain; Eroni Sau, Mark 

Bennett (James Johnstone 22), 

Chris Dean, Jamie Farndale 

(Charlie Shiel 69); Nathan 

Chamberlain, Henry Pyrgos 

(Nic Groom 47); Pierre 

Schoeman (Sam Grahamslaw 

68), Dave Cherry (Mike 

Willemse 56), Lee Roy Atalifo 

(Dan Gamble 52); Andries 

Ferreira (Jamie Hodgson 

56), Andrew Davidson 

(Rory Darge 62); Magnus 

Bradbury, Luke Crosbie, Ally 

Miller. 

SCORERS: Try: Nic Groom. 

Con: Nathan Chamberlain. 

Pen: Nathan Chamberlain. 

“I FELT 

GOOD. I FELT 

LIKE MY OLD 

SELF. LEO 

HAS REALLY 

LOOKED 

AFTER ME. 

I’LL TAKE ALL 

THE MINUTES 

I GET.” 

Player of the Match 

Dan Leavy on his first 

start after 20 months 


“THERE WAS 

LOTS OF GOOD 

THINGS. THE 

PLAYERS 

ARE ALWAYS 

CONSCIOUS 

OF PEOPLE 

AT HOME 

WATCHING AND 

WANT TO PUT 

ON A SHOW. 

OVERALL, 

WE’RE VERY 

PLEASED.” 

Leo Cullen 


Music Overload: 

YOU CAN LISTEN TO LEINSTER RUGBY’S HOME WORKOUT MIX 

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST HERE, WITH TRACKS SELECTED BY PLAYERS 

FROM LEINSTER RUGBY’S MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TEAMS. 

GIRL 

ON 

FIRE: 

TAKING ON 

OUR MUSIC 

Q&A THIS TIME 

IT’S LEINSTER 

AND IRELAND 

PROP LINDA 

DJOUGANG 

TELLING ALL 

ABOUT WHAT 

MUSIC IS ON 

HER PLAYLIST 

RIGHT NOW. 

1. What was the last song you listened to? 

Alicia Keys – “Girl on Fire” 

2. Tell us a song you’re currently obsessed with. 

Any of the ones from TikTok or Sam Fischer’s one 

“This City”. 

3. You’re booking your dream festival line-up: 

who are the main stage headliners for the 

Friday, Saturday and Sunday? 

Friday night – Jay Z, Saturday – Beyonce and 

do a 180 then on Sunday and finish with Neil 

Diamond. 

4. Earliest music memory? 

My early memories of music are dominated by 

African songs, Sarkodie ft. Castro – “Adonai” is a 

good example. 

5. Your guilty pleasure? 

Definitely K-Pop! 

6. You can only listen to one album for the rest 

of your life, what is it? 

Alicia Keys – “The Element of Freedom” 

7. What was the first concert you ever went to? 

Little Mix were my first concert. 

8. Favourite Irish band/artist? 

I really like Gavin James. 

9. What two songs do you want to add to the 

Leinster Rugby Workout Mix on Spotify? 

Shakira – “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” 

P-Square Ft. Akon, May D – “Chop My Money” 

10. And what one song do you want to remove? 

Get rid of Fall Out Boy. 



IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE YOUR STORY, PLEASE CONTACT 

WOMENSPRO@LEINSTERRUGBY.IE OR CHECK OUR SOCIAL 

MEDIA CHANNELS... 

Leinster Women’s Rugby 

LeinsterWomensRugby 

@LeinsterWomen 

womenspro@leinsterrugby.ie 

BY: MARTA GINER 

WICKLOW WOMEN RFC: 

A Fit, Active snd Solidary Team! 

It’s mid-November and 

despite restrictions preventing 

players from resuming their 

competitions, the teams around 

the province are training very 

hard and can't wait to get back 

to playing rugby as soon as it is 

allowed. 

The creativity and effort in keeping 

the teams active and engaged is 

phenomenal. An example is the brilliant 

work done by Wicklow Women’s team 

and girls U-18 team with their numerous 

initiatives. 

One of these collaborations was with 

Wicklow Tidy Towns. Wearing the 

club gear, women and girls spent an 

hour-and-a-half cleaning up rubbish left 

behind along the community walkways 

around the riverwalk, the Murrough, the 

Harbour pier and the recycling centre. 

Both squads have well represented their 

club and their values to their community, 

who appreciated the teams’ effort in 

keeping the town clean. 

There were another eight players and 

five management missing from the 

picture below. Well done and thank you 

to everyone who took part. 


Wicklow Women RFC keeps their 

social media channels very active by 

introducing some of the members of 

the Wicklow Women's squad over the 

weeks. 

One of the highlights of the Women’s 

Team Facebook page every Tuesday 

and Thursday night is their Lockdown 

Weekly Challenge. This is a strength 

and conditioning program presented 

in a more fun format in anticipation of 

returning to the pitch. 

Last week’s challenge was won by 

Saoirse O’Reilly who managed over 30 

kicks with a rugby ball. Certainly, a very 

entertaining and creative way to stay fit 

from home! 

As part of these preparations for the 

resumption of league games and the 

anticipated start to the AIL in January, 

the two Women’s teams are taking a 

pilates session run by Marian Earls 

every Wednesday, as well as a HIIT 

session with Colin Younger, Strength 

and Conditioning classes with Marian, 

and a board session with Jason 

Moreton. 

The team opened this program to all 

players and are still welcoming anyone 

who might feel they would like to give 

rugby a try when the club resumes the 

pitch training in the coming weeks. 

Also in their spare time, some members 

of the Women's team are supporting 

the coaches in training the U-14 and 

U-16 girls. 

There is no doubt the Wicklow 

Women’s team are ready to go back 

to competition after their hard work in 

keeping their players active, connected, 

supporting each other, and always 

having fun! Staying in touch and 

having regular calls has a very positive 

impact on the team’s dynamic and 

members’ wellbeing. 

If you would like to share your news 

and stories and how your team stays 

connected during these challenging 

times, please reach out to womenspro@ 

leinsterrugby.ie or find us on social 

media. 


Leo 

Kids 

the Lion's 

Corner 

spot the 

differences 

ANAGRAMS 

Can you un-jumble the 

names of these players? 

FAN LYRIC 

WEAR 

DRAFT HOG 

LUNG 

GUESS 

WHO? 

Can you name these 

three players? 

ANSWERS 

ANAGRAMS 

Ciarán Frawley 

Tadhg Furlong 

GUESS WHO? 

Jack Conan 

Vakh Abdaladze 

Andrew Porter 


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QUEST10NS 

with... 

Milne 

Michael 

1. What's the one thing that you check is 

always in the gear bag on match day? 

Boots 

2. Who sits beside you in the Leinster 

dressing-room? 

Dave Hawkshaw. He wouldn't be shy 

about giving out. 

3. What is currently on your playlist? 

Run This Town – Jay-Z ft. Rihanna and 

Kanye West. 

4. What did you want to be growing up? 

A Farmer 

5. Best advice you ever got? 

Never p*ss into the wind. 

6. Worst advice you ever got? 

P*ss into the wind. 

7. What is your phone screensaver at the 

moment? 

Picture of Bruno Fernandes. 

8. You can be another sportsperson for one 

event...who and what is the event? 

Shane Lowry winning The Open. 

Hon Offaly! 

9. Money is no object - who do you sign for 

Leinster Rugby and why? 

The Beast (South Africa’s Tendai 

Mtawarira). He’s so powerful. I’d 

love to watch him scrum in a training 

session. 

10. What is one staple item all men should 

own and why? 

Deodorant. You know why! 



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New pop-up club 

in North-West Dublin 

Leinster Rugby and Dublin City 

Council are running a four-week 

afterschool pop-up club in North- 

West Dublin, for first and second 

year students from the local 

secondary schools in the area. 

The afterschool pop-up club aims to 

keep students active through fun noncontact 

rugby games at DCU’s Astro 

Pitches. 

The first week of the afterschool pop-up 

club proved a success with two pods 

of St Mary’s, Glasnevin first year 

students attending. What was even more 

special, many of these students have 

experienced the grassroots Tag Rugby 

programmes in their primary schools. 

The afterschool pop-up club will 

continue for another three weeks, with 

the hope that more students will come 

down and join in, just remember to 

register your free place on here: 

Juliet Short, Leinster Rugby Community 

Rugby Officer said, “A huge thank 

you has to go to Dublin City Council 

staff, Nuala O’Donovan for her work 

in making it extremely easy to register 

to attend, to all the secondary school 

staff, especially Heather Bunnett, Eimear 

Considine and Sinead Collins, without 

their help it would not have been such 

a successful first week and finally, 

thanks to DCU and the Leinster Rugby 

Community Rugby Staff for supporting 

the afterschool club with their facilities 

and knowledge.” 

If you would like to hear more about the 

pop up club, please contact your Head 

of P.E in your school or email 

Leinster Rugby Community 

Rugby Officer Juliet Short. 


2020/21 squad 

VAKH ABDALADZE - #1263 

DOB 6 FEBRUARY 1996 

From KUTAISI, GEORGIA 

Height 1.85M (6’ 1”) 

Weight 117KG (18st 6lbs) 

Position PROP 

Club CLONTARF FC 

Leinster Debut 2 DECEMBER 2017 

Honours IRELAND U20S (2 caps) 

MICHAEL BENT - #1212 

DOB 25 APRIL 1986 

From HAWERA, NEW ZEALAND 

Height 1.85M (6’ 1”) 


Position PROP 

Club DUBLIN UNIVERSITY FC 


Honours IRELAND (4 caps) 

ED BYRNE - #1222 

DOB 9 SEPTEMBER 1993 

From CARLOW 

Height 1.80M (5’ 11”) 


Position PROP 

Club UCD RFC 

Leinster Debut 9 FEBRUARY 2014 


ROSS BYRNE - #1236 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.88M (6’ 3”) 


Position OUTHALF 

Club UCD RFC 

Leinster Debut 4 SEPTEMBER 2015 


WILL CONNORS - #1264 


From DONADEA, KILDARE 

Height 1.94 (6’ 4”) 


Position BACK ROW 

Club UCD RFC 



RYAN BAIRD - #1278 

DOB 26 JULY 1999 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.98M (6’ 6”) 


Position SECOND ROW 


Leinster Debut 27 APRIL 2019 


ADAM BYRNE - #1213 


From KILDARE 

Height 1.93M (6’ 4”) 


Position WING / FULL BACK 

Club UCD RFC 


Honours IRELAND (1 cap) 

HARRY BYRNE - #1280 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.88M (6’ 2”) 



Club LANSDOWNE 



JACK CONAN - #1223 


From BRAY, WICKLOW 

Height 1.93M (6’ 4”) 


Position NO. 8 

Club OLD BELVEDERE RFC 



SEÁN CRONIN - #1202 

DOB 6 MAY 1986 

From LIMERICK 

Height 1.80M (5’ 11”) 


Position HOOKER 

Club ST. MARY’S COLLEGE RFC 

Leinster Debut 28 OCTOBER 2011 



MAX DEEGAN - #1256 

DOB 1 OCTOBER 1996 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.93M (6’ 3”) 


Position NO. 8 

Club LANSDOWNE FC 



CAELAN DORIS - #1268 


From MAYO 

Height 1.94M (6’ 4”) 




Leinster Debut 28 APRIL 2018 


SCOTT FARDY - #1257 


From SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 

Height 1.98 M (6’ 6”) 

Weight 111 KG (17st 7lbs) 


Club UNASSIGNED 


Honours AUSTRALIA (39 caps) 

TADHG FURLONG - #1220 

DOB 14 NOVEMBER 1992 

From WEXFORD 

Height 1.85M (6’ 1”) 


Position PROP 

Club NEW ROSS RFC / CLONTARF FC 

Leinster Debut 1 NOVEMBER 2013 

Honours IRELAND (44 caps) AND 

BRITISH & IRISH LIONS (6 caps) 

CIAN HEALY - #1142 

DOB 7 OCTOBER 1987 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.85M (6’ 1”) 


Position PROP 


Leinster Debut 5 MAY 2007 



DAVE KEARNEY - #1158 

DOB 19 JUNE 1989 

From LOUTH 

Height 1.81M (5’ 11”) 






CIAN KELLEHER - #1234 

DOB 7 AUGUST 1994 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.85M (6’ 0”) 


Position WINGER/FULL BACK 




PETER DOOLEY - #1230 

DOB 4 AUGUST 1994 

Birthplace OFFALY 

Height 1.85M (6’ 1”) 


Position PROP 




JACK DUNNE - #1276 


From DUBLIN 

Height 2.02M (6’ 7”) 



School ST. MICHAEL’S COLLEGE 




CIARÁN FRAWLEY - #1265 

DOB 4 DECEMBER 1997 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.92M (6’ 3”) 

Weight 95.6KG (15st 1lbs) 


Club UCD RFC 



JAMISON GIBSON-PARK - #1247 


From GREAT BARRIER ISLAND, NEW 

ZEALAND 

Height 1.76M (5’ 9”) 


Position SCRUM HALF 

Club UNASSIGNED 



ROBBIE HENSHAW - #1251 


From ATHLONE 

Height 1.91M (6’ 3”) 


Position CENTRE / FULL BACK 

Club BUCCANEERS RFC 




HUGO KEENAN - #1253 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.85M (6’ 1”) 


Position FULL BACK 

Club UCD RFC 



RÓNAN KELLEHER - #1277 

DOB 24 JANUARY 1998 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.85M (6’ 0”) 







JORDAN LARMOUR - #1258 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.78M (5’ 10”) 


Position WING 




JAMES LOWE - #1262 


From NELSON, NEW ZEALAND 

Height 1.88M (6’ 2”) 



Club CLONDALKIN RFC 



ROSS MOLONY - #1233 

DOB 11 MAY 1994 

From DUBLIN 

Height 2.00M (6’ 6”) 



Club UCD RFC 



ROWAN OSBORNE - #1281 


From EADESTOWN, KILDARE 

Height 1.71M (5’ 7”) 





Honours IRELAND SCHOOLS 

JIMMY O'BRIEN - #1272 


From KILDARE 

Height 1.84M (6’ 0”) 


Position CENTRE 

Club NAAS RFC 



RORY O'LOUGHLIN - #1248 

DOB 21 JANUARY1994 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.88M (6’ 2”) 



Club OLD BELVEDERE RFC 



CIARAN PARKER - #1288 

DOB: 5 OCTOBER 1995 

From: STOCKPORT, ENGLAND 

Height: 1.88M (6’ 2”) 

Weight: 120KG (18st 10lbs) 

Position: PROP 

Club: UNASSIGNED 

Leinster Debut: 23 OCTOBER 2020 

Honours: ENGLAND U20S 

DAN LEAVY - #1231 

DOB 23 MAY 1994 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.91M (6’ 3”) 


Position FLANKER 

Club UCD RFC 



LUKE McGRATH - #1206 


From ONTARIO, CANADA 

Height 1.75M (5’ 9”) 



Club UCD RFC 



JOSH MURPHY - #1261 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.96M (6’ 5”) 



Club UCD RFC 



CONOR O'BRIEN - #1260 


From WESTMEATH 

Height 1.90M (6’ 3”) 






TOMMY O'BRIEN - #1283 

DOB 28 MAY 1998 

From DUBLIN 

Height 1.83M (6’ 0”) 



Club UCD RFC 



HUGH O'SULLIVAN - #1270 


From MEATH 

Height 1.79M (5’ 9”) 






SCOTT PENNY - #1271 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.85M (6’ 0”) 



Club UCD RFC 




ANDREW PORTER - #1246 


Birthplace DUBLIN 

Height 1.84M (6’ 1”) 


Position PROP 

Club UCD RFC 



RHYS RUDDOCK - #1167 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.91M (6’ 3”) 






JOHNNY SEXTON - #1127 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.88M (6’ 2”) 




Leinster Debut 27 JANUARY 2006 

Honours IRELAND (94 caps) AND BRITISH & 

IRISH LIONS (14 caps) 

DEVIN TONER - #1128 


From MEATH 

Height 2.08M (6’ 10”) 




Leinster Debut 27 JANUARY 2006 


GARRY RINGROSE - #1237 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.87M (6’ 2”) 



Club UCD RFC 



JAMES RYAN - #1259 


From DUBLIN 

Height 2.04M (6’ 7”) 



Club UCD RFC 



DAN SHEEHAN - #1286 


From DUBLIN 

Height 1.91 M (6’ 3”) 






JAMES TRACY - #1211 


From KILDARE 

Height 1.85M (6’ 1”) 



Club UCD RFC 



JOSH VAN DER FLIER - #1228 


From WICKLOW 

Height 1.87M (6’ 2”) 



Club UCD RFC 



Coaching Staff 

LEO CULLEN 

HEAD COACH 

STUART LANCASTER 

SENIOR COACH 

ROBIN MCBRYDE 

ASSISTANT COACH 

FELIPE CONTEPOMI 

BACKS COACH 

EMMET FARRELL 

KICKING COACH AND 

LEAD PERFORMANCE ANALYST 

GUY EASTERBY 

HEAD OF RUGBY OPERATIONS 

HUGH HOGAN 

CONTACT SKILLS COACH 


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Girls Youth Rugby 

in the North-East 

OVER THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS, THE NUMBER 

OF GIRLS PLAYING RUGBY HAS INCREASED 

EXPONENTIALLY ACROSS LEINSTER AND NOWHERE 

MORE SO THAN THE NORTH-EAST. 

Navan, North Meath, Ardee, 

Dundalk, Skerries, Ashbourne and 

Balbriggan have been fielding 

minis and youth teams over the 

last number of seasons. 

This season, Boyne have revived their 

girls section and Leinster’s newest club, 

Carlingford have just started recruiting 

girls. 

Navan RFC has a vibrant girls section, 

starting at U-10s all the way up to U-18s. 

This season, there are over 100 girls 

making their presence felt on the pitches 

of Balreask Old. 

The girls compete at a good level and 

are respected throughout Leinster as a 

force to be reckoned with! 

Each season Navan is well represented 

on regional development teams. This 

season there are three players, Aine 

Nangle, Molly O’Brien and Jade 

Gaffney, on the Leinster U-18 squad. 

They are following in the footsteps of 

Molly Fitzgerald and Leah Reilly who 

have played underage for both Leinster 

and Ireland. 

Before them came Meaghan Kenny and 

Maedbh Smyth, both playing for Leinster 

U-18s. Navan has a long tradition of 

developing top class female athletes. 

North Meath RFC put the success of their 

women’s section down to the hard work 

of one person, Ben Traynor. 

When Ben arrived as CCRO in the club 

they had no girls section, it was through 

his perseverance and dedication that they 

have developed a thriving and vibrant 

female presence in North Meath. 

In the last few seasons, this success has 

been most evident in the number of 

players that have represented the club as 

part of the North East U-18 Girls squad, 

Leinster and, most recently, for Ireland. 

This year they also introduced the first 

training session exclusively for girls 

(aged from six up to 14) from 12-1pm 

on Sundays which has proven a great 

success and hopefully will boost female 

participation in the sport as well as the 

club. 

The ethos for girls rugby at Dundalk RFC 

has been ‘Why Fit In When You Were 

Born To Stand Out?’. 

It is something that continues to be 

promoted by the Dundalk RFC girls 

coaching teams who encourage the 

Dundalk girls to be the best they can be. 

They have been superb role models 

and ambassadors for the girls game as 

a result of the belief instilled in them at 

grass roots level. 

Dundalk is another club with over 100 

girls playing rugby thanks to the hard 

work of Suzanne Flynn, Linda Valentine, 

Dermot Lennon and countless others. 

In 2019, Dundalk RFC U-18 Player 

Ellie Meade was given the honour of 

leading out the Leinster U-18 Girls at 

interprovincial level. 

She was joined by her Dundalk 

teammates Caoimhe O’Callaghan 

and Nina Hjalmers. Another Dundalk 

teammate Sophie Kinghan lined out on 

the Ulster wing. 

O’Callaghan and Hjalmers were selected 

for the Ireland U-18 Sevens Squad. Last 

season they were also joined by another 

Maria Smith who was selected for both 

the interprovincial and international 

squads. 

The club’s commitment to the 

development and promotion of the girls 

game was such that an event to celebrate 

the growth of girls rugby and their 


success on the pitch had been planned 

for March 2020 however has yet to take 

place due to Covid-19. 

This was the first time a rugby club had 

planned an event in celebration of the 

contribution of their ladies while also 

honouring the memory of those Dundalk 

RFC ladies who had lost the fight against 

breast cancer and to support those who 

continued the battle by hosting ‘No High 

Tackles Just High Heels’ to raise much 

needed funds for the National Breast 

Cancer Research Institute and the rugby 

club while celebrating the girls. 

It received the backing of both Leinster 

Rugby and the IRFU. 

Ashbourne RFC and Balbriggan RFC 

joined forces two seasons ago to form 

ABS. They are now fielding teams from 

U-18 right down to U-8. 

It’s always difficult combining two 

clubs but hard work from coaches and 

the management work from Emma 

O’Kennedy made it a success. 

The hard work did not go unnoticed 

by the North-East Leinster and Metro 

selectors. Several of the girls were 

selected to represent the North-East panel 

with Orla Hayes representing Metro. 

Hannah Barton was selected for the 

Leinster U-18 panel. 

Orla‘s level of performance has been 

recognised at the very highest level, 

culminating in Orla signing a professional 

contract with the IRFU. Orla will now 

go on to represent Railway Union and 

Ireland Ladies Sevens. An amazing 

achievement!! 

Aislinn Duffy and Tom Coleman are 

doing sterling work at Skerries RFC. 

Having started a few seasons ago with 

minis, they have made full use of the 

‘Give It A Try’ program and are now 

fielding teams at U-16, U-14 and minis. 

Ardee RFC is another up and coming 

girls club with a strong U-16 team. 

With Carlingford RFC and Boyne RFC 

starting to develop teams, the future of 

girls’ rugby in the North-East looks very 

promising. Nothing like competition to 

hone skills and I am sure we will have 

more of the region’s girls representing 

Leinster and Ireland in the near future. 


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Rugby session with 

Gaelscoil Moshíológ, Gorey 


Leinster Player Statistics 

SQUAD 

CAP 

NO 

DEBUT 

2020/21 SEASON FOR LEINSTER LEINSTER CAREER 

ALL GAMES PRO14 EPCR ALL GAMES PRO14 EPCR 

App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts 

SINCE LAST TRY 

CAPS 

VAKH ABDALADZE 1263 2 DEC 17 - - - - - - - - - 0+11 1 5 0+11 1 5 - - - 10 - 

RYAN BAIRD 1278 27 APR 19 1+2 1 5 1+2 1 5 - - - 4+9 4 20 4+8 4 20 0+1 - - 3 - 

MICHAEL BENT 1212 1 DEC 12 6 2 10 6 2 10 - - - 85+61 6 30 81+39 6 30 4+22 - - 3 IR 4 

ADAM BYRNE 1213 29 DEC 12 - - - - - - - - - 49+8 20 100 39+8 14 70 10 6 30 5 IR 1 

ED BYRNE 1222 9 FEB 14 2 - - 2 - - - - - 16+43 8 40 16+34 7 35 0+9 1 5 6 IR 3 

HARRY BYRNE 1280 28 SEP 19 4+1 - 36 4+1 - 36 - - - 7+8 3 94 7+8 3 94 - - - 6 - 

ROSS BYRNE 1236 4 SEP 15 1+1 - 21 1+1 - 21 - - - 59+32 5 539 50+17 2 415 9+15 3 124 12 IR 8 

TOM CLARKSON 1285 29 AUG 20 0+2 - - 0+2 - - - - - 0+3 - - 0+3 - - - - - - - 

JACK CONAN 1223 20 FEB 14 2 - - 2 - - - - - 74+21 21 105 55+11 14 70 19+10 7 35 12 IR 17 

WILL CONNORS 1264 9 FEB 18 1 - - 1 - - - - - 16+5 2 10 15+5 2 10 1 - - 8 IR 3 

SEAN CRONIN 1202 28 OCT 11 0+2 - - 0+2 - - - - - 115+72 41 205 71+51 24 120 43+19 16 80 11 IR 72 

MAX DEEGAN 1256 3 DEC 16 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - 35+30 18 90 32+22 16 80 3+8 2 10 7 IR 1 

PETER DOOLEY 1230 31 OCT 14 3+1 2 10 3+1 2 10 - - - 31+49 4 20 30+44 4 20 1+5 - - 1 - 

CAELAN DORIS 1268 28 APR 18 1 - - 1 - - - - - 26+8 5 25 21+6 3 15 5+2 2 10 3 IR 5 

JACK DUNNE 1276 16 FEB 19 0+2 - - 0+2 - - - - - 1+8 - - 1+8 - - - - - - - 

SCOTT FARDY 1257 2 SEP 17 3+2 - - 3+2 - - - - - 53+13 10 50 39+8 6 30 14+5 4 20 9 AU 39 

CIARAN FRAWLEY 1265 17 FEB 18 3 - 10 3 - 10 - - - 12+17 3 134 12+14 3 128 0+3 - 6 10 - 

TADHG FURLONG 1220 1 NOV 13 - - - - - - - - - 69+39 7 35 40+31 3 15 29+8 4 20 4 IR 44 

JAMISON GIBSON-PARK 1247 2 SEP 16 2 - - 2 - - - - - 46+49 16 80 42+26 14 70 4+23 2 10 23 IR 3 

DAVID HAWKSHAW 1290 2 NOV 20 0+3 - - 0+3 - - - - - 0+3 - - 0+3 - - - - - - - 

CIAN HEALY 1142 5 MAY 07 0+2 - - 0+2 - - - - - 148+74 25 125 85+48 12 60 61+25 12 60 6 IR 101 

ROBBIE HENSHAW 1251 8 OCT 16 1 - - 1 - - - - - 48+1 9 45 21 3 15 27+1 6 30 3 IR 46 

DAVE KEARNEY 1158 16 MAY 09 4 3 15 4 3 15 - - - 132+21 44 220 108+15 39 195 23+5 5 25 1 IR 19 

HUGO KEENAN 1253 5 NOV 16 2 - - 2 - - - - - 17+3 1 5 16+3 1 5 1 - - 17 IR 3 

CIAN KELLEHER 1234 16 MAY 15 3 3 15 3 3 15 - - - 9+9 8 40 9+9 8 40 - - - 1 - 

RONAN KELLEHER 1277 22 FEB 19 1 - - 1 - - - - - 14+2 9 45 11+1 8 40 3+1 1 5 4 IR 4 

JORDAN LARMOUR 1258 2 SEP 17 2 1 5 2 1 5 - - - 44+8 14 70 25+5 11 55 19+3 3 15 2 IR 24 

DAN LEAVY 1231 31 OCT 14 1+3 1 5 1+3 1 5 - - - 40+27 15 75 32+19 12 60 8+8 3 15 1 IR 11 

JAMES LOWE 1262 2 DEC 17 2 3 15 2 3 15 - - - 49 33 165 33 25 125 16 8 40 1 IR 1 

LUKE MCGRATH 1206 5 MAY 12 4+2 3 15 4+2 3 15 - - - 87+46 34 170 57+41 26 130 30+5 8 40 1 IR 19 

MICHAEL MILNE 1279 28 SEP 19 1+3 - - 1+3 - - - - - 1+12 2 10 1+12 2 10 - - - 11 - 

ROSS MOLONY 1233 20 FEB 15 3+2 - - 3+2 - - - - - 55+46 3 15 53+33 3 15 2+13 - - 63 - 

JOSH MURPHY 1261 3 NOV 17 3+1 1 5 3+1 1 5 - - - 31+6 3 15 31+5 3 15 0+1 - - 4 - 

ROWAN OSBORNE 1281 4 OCT 19 - - - - - - - - - 1+4 1 5 1+4 1 5 - - - 4 - 


SQUAD 

CAP 

NO 

DEBUT 


ALL GAMES PRO14 EPCR ALL GAMES PRO14 EPCR 

App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts 

SINCE LAST TRY 

CAPS 

CONOR O'BRIEN 1260 3 NOV 17 - - - - - - - - - 16+7 6 30 16+6 6 30 0+1 - - 9 - 

JIMMY O'BRIEN 1272 23 NOV 18 4+1 1 5 4+1 1 5 - - - 15+8 4 20 15+8 4 20 - - - 3 - 

TOMMY O'BRIEN 1283 20 DEC 19 3+1 2 10 3+1 2 10 - - - 4+3 3 15 4+3 3 15 - - - 3 - 

RORY O'LOUGHLIN 1248 2 SEP 16 2 - - 2 - - - - - 53+20 21 105 47+13 18 90 6+7 3 15 16 IR 1 

HUGH O'SULLIVAN 1270 15 SEP 18 0+4 - - 0+4 - - - - - 2+22 1 5 2+20 1 5 0+2 - - 8 - 

CIARAN PARKER 1289 23 OCT 20 0+3 1 5 0+3 1 5 - - - 0+3 1 5 0+3 1 5 - - - 3 - 

SCOTT PENNY 1271 23 NOV 18 4 3 15 4 3 15 - - - 14+4 9 45 14+4 9 45 - - - 2 - 

ANDREW PORTER 1246 2 SEP 16 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - 22+45 10 50 18+29 7 35 4+16 3 15 2 IR 29 

GARRY RINGROSE 1237 12 SEP 15 2 1 7 2 1 7 - - - 76+2 26 132 46+1 15 77 30+1 11 55 2 IR 30 

RHYS RUDDOCK 1167 6 DEC 09 5+1 - - 5+1 - - - - - 134+45 10 50 101+31 8 40 32+12 2 10 10 IR 26 

JAMES RYAN 1259 2 SEP 17 2 1 5 2 1 5 - - - 36+5 3 15 16+1 1 5 20+4 2 10 1 IR 29 

JOHNNY SEXTON 1127 27 JAN 06 1 - 2 1 - 2 - - - 144+24 26 1497 84+18 13 825 58+6 12 641 8 IR 94 

DAN SHEEHAN 1286 23 OCT 20 1+3 2 10 1+3 2 10 - - - 1+3 2 10 1+3 2 10 - - - 4 - 

MICHAEL SILVESTER 1288 23 OCT 20 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - - - 

DEVIN TONER 1128 27 JAN 06 3+1 - - 3+1 - - - - - 198+55 4 20 135+37 4 20 60+18 - - 36 IR 70 

JAMES TRACY 1211 4 NOV 12 4+1 2 10 4+1 2 10 - - - 50+65 10 50 44+40 9 45 6+25 1 5 2 IR 6 

LIAM TURNER 1287 23 OCT 20 2+1 - - 2+1 - - - - - 2+1 - - 2+1 - - - - - - - 

JOSH VAN DER FLIER 1228 11 OCT 14 1 - - 1 - - - - - 65+20 9 45 39+14 6 30 26+6 3 15 7 IR 27 


ALL GAMES PRO14 EPCR ALL GAMES PRO14 EPCR OVERALL 

KICKING 

SUCCESS 

RATE 

C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG ATT Career 

% 

- - - - - - - - - - HARRY BYRNE 85.00% 15 2 15 2 35 3 35 3 49 77.55% 

ROSS BYRNE 100.00% 6 3 - 6 3 - - - - 167 59 1 132 46 1 35 13 - 299 75.59% 

CIARAN FRAWLEY 62.50% 5 - - 5 - - - - - 49 7 - 46 7 - 3 - - 69 81.16% 

GARRY RINGROSE 100.00% 1 - - 1 - - - - - 1 - - 1 - - - - - 1 100.00% 

JOHNNY SEXTON 100.00% 1 - - 1 - - - - - 232 290 11 119 167 7 106 119 4 653 79.94% 


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Monday evening just gone saw us welcome Edinburgh to 

the RDS Arena and this time we extend a warm welcome 

to the management, staff and players of Cardiff Blues. 

The season is well and truly underway 

now and although supporters are still 

distant from being able to be there in 

person and support, there was some 

positive news on Monday afternoon with 

the confirmation of dates and kick-off 

times for Rounds 9-11 of the Guinness 

PRO14, and once again there are some 

mouth-watering fixtures taking place over 

the festive period. 

Last season, we were scheduled to 

welcome Cardiff to the RDS Arena on 

May 15, however, due to Covid-19, this 

game was postponed and so we must 

travel back to the 2018/19 season for 

the last time we faced off against the 

Blues. 

That season saw us record victory on a 

score-line of 33-32 in front of a crowd of 

9,284 in Cardiff Arms Park. That meeting 

was a clash between ourselves as the 

reigning Champions Cup champions 

and the Blues who were the reigning 

Challenge Cup champions and things 

certainly didn’t disappoint on the day as 

they played out an eight-try cracker. 

Cardiff were on the verge of an opening 

round victory before a late surge from 

replacements Jamison Gibson-Park and a 

double from Bryan Byrne were enough to 

take the spoils. 

Byrne’s final try came at the end of 24 

phases of play and was quickly followed 

up with the conversion from Player of the 

Match Ross Byrne seeing us take the lead 

for only the second time in the game. 

That victory against the Welsh ensured 

our unbeaten run against them has 

remained in place since 2011 and no 

doubt Leo Cullen and Co will be looking 

for more of the same this evening. 

Cardiff currently sit second in Conference 

B (at the time of writing) and their current 

form for this campaign reads WWLLLW. 

So, after a somewhat up and down start 

to the season, they’re coming here on the 

back of a 22-5 win over Benetton. 

Cardiff’s other two victories at the start 

of the season saw them record victories 

away to Zebre and at home to Connacht 

so they know the requirements to go to 

tough away grounds and secure victory. 

There will be no doubt in their minds 

however of the mammoth task being 

asked with this fixture given our recent run 

of form in the RDS and Monday night’s 

demolition of Edinburgh where we scored 

eight tries including a hat-trick from Cian 

Kelleher, two from Luke McGrath and 

one from POTM Dan Leavy, who was 

unfortunate to have been held up in his 

first attempt earlier in the evening so this 

was a lovely reward for all of his efforts 

in getting back into the squad and the 

match-day 23 after a very long lay-off. 

Leinster 

QUICK STATS 

Cardiff 

243 POINTS SCORED 101 

34 TRIES SCORED 12 

2,975 METRES GAINED 1,618 

74 POINTS CONCEDED 85 

10 TRIES CONCEDED 10 

888 TACKLES MADE 990 

90% TACKLE SUCCESS 92% 

All of the OLSC committee are mindful 

of the fact that we are all still unable 

to attend games for the most part and 

therefore by putting together some 

material for you to peruse over, we hope 

it keeps you in the rugby frame of mind as 

the season slowly but surely rolls along. 

As always we’re thankful for the support 

we get from Leinster Rugby as a whole 

as well as yourselves and we encourage 

you to continue to show your support for 

the team through social media and the 

posts on our pages. 

For now though as always, stay safe! 

Yours in Rugby, 

OLSC Committee 


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ONE FROM 

The Vaults 

Leinster Rugby 37 Cardiff Blues 9 

8 September 2017 | RDS Arena | Ref: Andy Brace | Attendance: 13,535 

Cardiff Blues were well in this contest 

for over an hour, trailing 16-9 before 

Leinster replacements Sean Cronin, 

Barry Daly and Nick McCarthy scored 

three tries in the final 13 minutes 

to give a lopsided look to the final 

scoreline. 

Lynchpin lock Devin Toner made his 200th 

appearance for his native province, but a Steve 

Shingler penalty brace – coupled with the sinbinning 

of captain Isa Nacewa – raised hopes 

of an upset. 

However, a strong finish to a slow-burning first 

half saw Leinster nudge their way into a 10-6 

lead, the influential Ross Byrne converting 

hooker James Tracy’s 32nd-minute try and 

landing a late penalty. 

Although out-halves Shingler and Byrne 

swapped further penalties on the resumption, 

Cardiff were held scoreless for the remainder 

as Leinster’s greater firepower wore the Blues 

into submission. 

Picking up 10 championship points in an early 

season Welsh double – they also put 37 points 

on the Dragons in the first round – will boost 

confidence levels in Leo Cullen’s squad ahead 

of their two-match tour of South Africa which 

begins next week. 

They had nothing to show for a dominant start 

against Cardiff, who were looking to bounce 

back from a 20-10 home loss to Edinburgh. 

Winger Adam Byrne was crowded out in the 

right corner early on. 

Ross Byrne, who ended the night with 17 

points, pushed a penalty wide after Cardiff 

tighthead Keiron Assiratti infringed at scrum 

time, but good pressure in defence saw the 

Blues frustrate the hosts. 

A well-timed run from Alex Cuthbert set up 

Shingler’s lead score on the quarter hour 

mark, and as Leinster launched a kick chase, 

the sidestepping Cuthbert was caught high by 

Nacewa for a 21st-minute yellow card. 

LEINSTER: Rob Kearney 

(Barry Daly h-t); Adam 

Byrne, Rory O’Loughlin, Isa 

Nacewa, Jordan Larmour; 

Ross Byrne, Luke McGrath 

(Nick McCarthy 68); Cian 

Healy (Ed Byrne 51), James 

Tracy (Seán Cronin 51), 

Michael Bent (Andrew Porter 

51); Devin Toner, Scott Fardy 

(Mick Kearney 72); Rhys 

Ruddock (Dan Leavy 57 

(Cathal Marsh 77)), Josh van 

der Flier, Jack Conan. 

CARDIFF BLUES: Rhun 

Williams (Matthew Morgan 

68); Alex Cuthbert, Rey Lee- 

Lo, Garyn Smith, Tom James; 

Steve Shingler (Jarrod Evans 

69), Lloyd Williams (Tomos 

Williams 69); Rhys Gill 

(Corey Domachowski 56), 

Matthew Rees (Kirby Myhill 

60), Keiron Assiratti (Dillon 

Lewis 56); Seb Davies, 

Damian Welch (James Down 

63); Macauley Cook (Sian 

Bennett 74), Josh Navidi, 

Josh Turnbull. 

Cardiff doubled their lead through Shingler 

after Rhys Gill forced a 27th-minute scrum 

penalty. Crucially, error-prone Leinster found 

their rhythm as half-time approached. A Rory 

O’Loughlin line-break lifted them, Ross Byrne 

fired a penalty into the corner and a wellexecuted 

maul saw Tracy crash over for Byrne 

to convert. 

With man-of-the-match Jack Conan and Cian 

Healy growing in influence as ball carriers, 

skipper Nacewa was tackled off the ball by 

Josh Navidi and the three points were added 

by Byrne for a 10-6 advantage. 

Navidi’s breakdown skills enabled Shingler 

to respond within a minute of the restart, but 

Byrne rewarded the Leinster scrum with a 

three-pointer soon after – his 44th-minute kick 

incredibly striking both posts before going over. 

The newly-introduced Daly then threatened 

from a Jordan Larmour kick through and as 

Cardiff gave away ground in defence, Byrne 

was successful with the second of two penalty 

attempts, splitting the posts from just inside the 

visitors’ half. 

Leinster had been on the cusp of a try but Josh 

Turnbull repelled them with some excellent 

work at the breakdown. Unfortunately for 

Danny Wilson’s men, the home side saved the 


est for last as a seven-point gap was ruthlessly 

turned into 28. 

Scott Fardy’s impact at a ruck forced Cardiff to 

spill possession and Cronin reacted quickest, 

scooting clear from 40 metres out for an 

opportunist 67th-minute try. Byrne converted 

and it was his cross-field kick that the leaping 

Daly athletically reached above Matthew 

Morgan, juggling it before dotting down with 

seven minutes remaining. 

With the bonus point in sight, lovely hands from 

Toner, Andrew Porter and Nacewa put Conan 

into space. His intended pass was flicked 

back by Josh van der Flier for the supporting 

McCarthy to scramble over in impressive 

fashion for his first Leinster try. Byrne tagged on 

his fourth successful conversion before resilient 

Cardiff were even denied a late consolation try 

by the tireless van der Flier. 


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“WE HAD SOME REALLY 

GREAT DAYS BACK 

THEN. WE PROBABLY 

CELEBRATED THE BIG 

WINS MORE THAN WE 

SHOULD HAVE…” 


Where are 

they now? 

By Des Berry 

John 

McWeeney 

THEN: JOHN MADE HIS DEBUT AGAINST CONNACHT 

IN AUGUST 1997, EVENTUALLY WINNING 66 CAPS FOR 

LEINSTER OVER EIGHT SEASONS, AND PLAYING ONCE FOR 

IRELAND, FROM 1997 TO 2005. 

NOW: NOW 44, JOHN LIVES IN TERENURE WITH HIS 

WIFE AVRIL AND THEIR TWO CHILDREN, OLIVIA (8) AND 

ALEXANDER (5) AND WORKS AS HEAD OF THE PRIVATE 

CLIENT LENDING TEAM AT INVESTEC. 

It was the summer of 1997. 

Old school buddies escaped the city 

for Brittas Bay where all subjects were 

up for discussion. Daragh Coleman, 

Stephen Molloy, Karl Jennings and John 

McWeeney taking it in turn to slag off 

Denis Hickie about the possibility of 

facing Jonah Lomu in the Autumn. 

By the time November 15 came around, 

Hickie would have to deal with Glen 

Osborne and McWeeney was on the 

other flank coping with Jeff Wilson in 

what turned into a 63-15 smashing at 

Lansdowne Road. 

It was a whirlwind time in the life of 

21-year-old McWeeney for he had made 

the outrageous climb from debuting in the 

All-Ireland League in March to facing the 

world’s best in eight months. 

“What happened was I played my 

first senior AIL game for St Mary’s in 

1997, scoring six tries in six matches. 

This prompted a call from Leinster 

Manager Jim Glennon and the offer of a 

development contract. 

“At that time, Mike Ruddock had just 

come in and there was the semblance of 

a professional set-up. I spent that summer 

as a professional for the first time. I had 

never lifted a weight, never been to a 

gym to workout properly. 

“I was enthusiastic and kept my head 

down and I think Mike liked my rawness 

as a big wing. This led to my debut 

against Connacht in Donnybrook. I went 

straight from there into Europe where I 

played against Toulouse for my Heineken 

Cup debut and then we beat Leicester in 

Donnybrook which was a phenomenal 

achievement at the time. 

“I will never forget that match against 

Leicester. No one gave us a chance. They 

were a force at the time and they had all 

those big English names. That win stands 

out from my time at Leinster. 

“I had a really good game on the 

wing and, somehow, found myself in 

the Ireland squad a few weeks later. 

From March to September, everything 

happened so fast.” 


Ireland coach Brian Ashton, eager to 

stamp his authority, handed out five new 

caps and the reward may have come too 

soon against the ruthless All Blacks. 

“There was a series of events that led 

to my call up to be considered. It was 

all surreal, even at training camp. Sure, 

Denis Hickie was a school friend. But, 

you were also standing beside Nick 

Popplewell and Keith Wood, two players 

you watched as a kid in short pants. It 

was the strange mix of people you knew 

well with legends of the game. 

“As a 21-year-old, you were just taking it 

all in, not realising it wouldn’t last forever. 

I would never change anything about it 

now. I’m glad it happened. I look back 

on it with great memories, even though it 

was a difficult day at Lansdowne Road.” 

It would be the first and last time 

McWeeney would play for his country. 

Ultimately, he returned to Leinster where 

he won 66 caps, playing for eight 

seasons. 

“I was there or thereabouts. I was 

consistently playing for Leinster and for 

Ireland ‘A’. I felt there was a possibility 

for more international caps until around 

2000 when I got a bad shoulder injury to 

miss a large portion of my third season.” 

At that stage, Gordon D’Arcy and Shane 

Horgan came on the scene and began 

to establish themselves. Matt Williams 

came in and made positive changes. 

But, from that point on, there were two 

tiers at Leinster. He had a set of players 

delivering for him and he stayed with 

them. 

The breakthrough just wouldn’t come for 

Leinster. 

“We had some really great days back 

then. We probably celebrated the big 

wins more than we should have,” said 

McWeeney. 

“From 2001, I wasn’t always involved 

in the big games. The memories came 

down to great personal performances. I 

remember one in particular against the 

Scarlets in Donnybrook when everything 

went just right for me.” 

To this day, Dave Quinlan, Peter Coyle, 

Aidan McCullen, D’Arcy, Malcolm 

O’Kelly and Liam Toland are the men 


McWeeney remains closest to after his 

playing days. 

“When you are in that rugby 

environment, the true test of friendship is 

when you are still making an effort to stay 

in touch 15 years later. 

Unlike so many others, McWeeney 

stepped away from the game at a 

relatively young age (29) to begin his 

second career. 

“I had considered moving abroad and 

there were a few opportunities that, in the 

end, I didn’t really explore. In my head, I 

just needed a new challenge. 

“So I requested not to be considered 

for a contract renewal. I almost needed 

to go and do something else and that 

something else turned out to be financial 

services. 

“I felt the drive to get involved in that then 

rather than chase a lifestyle and a dream 

for another few years. I would be a better 

proposition as a hire and it would stand 

to me career-wise to get out there and 

then.” 

John has lived in Terenure for 20 years 

and is married to Avril with their two 

children, Olivia (8) and Alexander (5). 

He has no regrets about the decision to 

leave professional rugby. 

“I feel I would have side-stepped into 

rugby at the start. It was never my plan to 

play professional rugby,” he shared. 

“I was in college when this came upon 

me and when the chance came around, 

it was a case of ‘why wouldn’t you take 

it on?’ I had always anticipated moving 

into financial services and that is where 

I am. 

He is Head of the Private Client Lending 

team at Investec and has been able 

to take much of what he learned and 

observed in rugby into the mainstream 

workplace. 

“I retired 15 years ago. It seems like a 

lifetime away. I am still proud to have 

been involved in the organisation. It 

is nice, even now, that people will still 

remember that. 

“The key for me, in terms of what I 

learned is that you should always 

communicate well with the people you 

work with. Be honest with them. In rugby 

sometimes, coaches weren’t as honest as 

they could be. They were trying to keep 

everyone happy rather than give them 

the truth. 

“If I look back at my time in rugby, and 

what Leinster transformed into, the core of 

the team I left turned into the best team in 

Europe by the end of the decade. When 

I was there, we didn’t have that belief or 

that winning mindset that was needed. 

“It was great for me to see Leinster 

evolve, knowing that I had been part of it 

at a time when it wasn’t working as well 

as it should. There wasn’t a huge amount 

needed to move something from being 

average to exceptional. 

“That is why in my working environment 

I try to ensure the mindset is right. If you 

are not striving to be better, you will never 

achieve what you should. If you take that 

lesson into anything you do, you realise 

the only difference is yourself and what 

you bring to it.” 


I STARTED OUT MY REFEREEING CAREER IN 2001 AND AS I MOVED THROUGH THE 

RANKS AT A STEADY PACE, A YOUNG SEAN GALLAGHER JOINED A FEW YEARS LATER 

AND SHOT BY ME. ONE OF IRELAND AND LEINSTER’S FINEST REFEREES, I CAUGHT 

UP WITH HIM LAST WEEK, IN BETWEEN GUINNESS PRO14 GAMES, TO TRY AND 

UNDERSTAND WHERE MY CAREER TOOK A WRONG TURN AND TO SEE HOW HE IS 

GETTING ON IN HIS ROLE AS A FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL REFEREE IN THE IRFU… 

Sean Gallagher Q&A 

Sean, how long are you refereeing now 

and what made you decide to take up 

the whistle all those years ago? 

I started refereeing in October 2005. 

I returned to Navan Rugby Club one 

afternoon, having played a match 

against Bective Rangers in Donnybrook. 

The Thirds were due to play a match 

against County Carlow but received a 

call to say the referee’s car had broken 

down and he couldn’t make it. 

BY DAN WALLACE 

The coaches were trying to find a 

replacement referee and I reluctantly 

agreed to take up the whistle. I really 

enjoyed the experience and some of the 

senior referees in the club persuaded me 

to give it a go that season. I’m still at it 

almost 16 years on! 

What is your day to day role in the IRFU 

as a full-time professional referee? 

I work as a High Performance Referee in 

the IRFU. There are four others in Ireland 

– Andy Brace, George Clancy, Joy 

Neville and Frank Murphy. We represent 

the IRFU in professional game matches 

across the world – including World 

Rugby, EPCR and PRO14 competitions. 

I’m also the Referee Development 

Manager in Leinster Rugby and work to 

educate and develop the 200 domestic 

game referees in the province. 

What does your average day look like? 

I get up early and train in the IRFU High 

Performance Centre in Abbotstown. 

After that it depends on the day of the 

week. Monday and Tuesday involves 

reviewing the matches from the previous 

weekend. Wednesday is our rest day. 

Thursday is spent preparing for the 

upcoming matches that weekend. Friday, 

Saturday and Sunday includes travel and 

matchday. I spend three or four hours 

each day working with the Leinster Rugby 

Referees in my Referee Development 

Manager role. 

What is your training regime like and 

how does this fit around your working 

day? 

We’re fortunate that training is built into 

our working day – and it’s one of the 

most important parts of our role. The 

game is faster now than ever. There’s 

more to it than looking physically 

fit – referees need to make accurate 

decisions, in high pressure situations, 

under fatigue. The IRFU provides us 

with access to strength and conditioning 

coaches who monitor our fitness. I do two 

strength sessions in the gym, one speed 

session on the pitch and a high intensity 

running session each week. 

How has turning to a full-time role 

changed your refereeing? 

I was a secondary school teacher prior 

to becoming a professional referee. I 

wouldn’t say my approach to refereeing 

has changed but being able to focus 

solely on refereeing makes a huge 

difference. I’m now able to spend more 

time preparing and reviewing matches 


it is the teamwork involved. During the 

week, the professional referees work with 

Dudley Phillips (IRFU Head of Referees) 

and Johnny Lacey (IRFU Referee Coach) 

to review our performances to ensure 

we’re always improving. Then at the 

weekend we work together as a team of 

four to referee the match – if we’re not 

in the middle ourselves we’re supporting 

each other as assistant referees and 

television match officials. There’s a huge 

element of teamwork involved. 

What is the most memorable game you 

have refereed so far? 

Finally, what will make one improve as 

a referee? 

There are two simple ways to improve as 

a referee. Firstly, watch our top referees 

in the professional game and see what 

they are doing. Look at their positioning, 

movement and communication, as well 

as their technical decision making. 

Secondly, get out on the pitch and 

referee as many games as possible. The 

best way to learn is through experience. 

Sean’s advice to anyone thinking about 

taking up the whistle – Give it a go. 

which results in stronger performances on 

the pitch. 

What kind of analysis do you do after 

games? 

We can download the game immediately 

after the final whistle. I would normally 

leave it until Monday and go through 

the match with a fresh set of eyes. My 

coach is Johnny Lacey and we complete 

a detailed review in the afternoon to get 

his perspective. 

Tuesday is usually group review day 

where all of the professional referees 

get together to do a wider analysis 

of all the games that took place the 

previous weekend. I’m a firm believer that 

preparation is key – and always ensure 

that I’m fully prepared for matches which 

should mean you’ll have less to review 

the following week. 

What is your favourite thing about 

refereeing? 

This might seem like a strange answer 

because refereeing is probably seen as 

a solitary job – but my favourite part of 

It’s difficult to pick one because a lot of 

games stand out. I refereed the Leinster 

Senior Schools Cup Final in 2013 

between Blackrock and St Michael’s. I’m 

often reminded of that game because a 

lot of the players from that match play 

for professional teams now – the likes 

of Garry Ringrose, Jeremy Loughman, 

Nick Timoney, Oliver Jager, Cian 

Kelleher, Ross Byrne, Nick Mc Carthy, 

Ross Molony, James Ryan and Josh 

Murphy. It’s great to say you refereed 

those talented players when they were 

younger. 

What is your pre – match routine like 

and should all referees have a defined 

routine ? 

You need to do whatever prepares you 

mentally and physically for the game and 

that differs for each referee. I like to be 

in the stadium 90 minutes before kick-off. 

I meet the teams and get any formalities 

out of the way early. I then go back to 

the changing room, put on some music, 

and stretch for a while. It’s important 

to do some movement and speed work 

on the pitch too. Then it’s back to the 

changing room for the broadcaster to put 

the communications equipment on and 

you’re ready to go. 

Want to get involved? 

Feel free to make contact with the Leinster Rugby 

Referees at hayley.whyte@leinsterrugby.ie. 

If you are interested in becoming a referee get in 

contact with us through our Facebook and Google + 

pages, our website www.arlb.ie or through twitter 

@leinsterreferee. 


Back to where it all began 

Craig Ronaldson 

HAVING STARTED HIS PATH THROUGH RUGBY AT NAAS RFC, 

CRAIG RONALDSON LEFT AS A 12-YEAR-OLD TO ATTEND 

KILKENNY COLLEGE, THEN TRAVELLED TO LANSDOWNE RFC 

AND CONNACHT RUGBY BEFORE RETURNING TO NAAS 

THIS SEASON AS PLAYER-COACH. 

It was always an ambition to 

return and give back to the club 

that gave me so much starting off 

my rugby career. This season was 

when the timing felt right to come 

full circle and re-join Naas as a 

player-coach. 

There have been great foundations built 

in the club over the last few years and, 

with some new structures being put in 

place with the likes of Johne Murphy 

returning as Head Coach and local 

legend Andy Kearney stepping up as 

well, it felt like the right time to be able to 

help out on and off the pitch to push the 

club further along with an enthusiastic 

and motivated bunch of players both 

young and old! 

Earliest memories: It all began running 

and kicking a ball around on the pitch 

with the likes of Peter Osborne, who 

is the current club captain, and Cillian 

Dempsey, another senior squad member, 

after having watched the seniors play. 

One of the early memories was being a 

mascot for the Senior team at the Towns 

Cup Final in 1995. My dad played on 

that team who became the first side from 

Naas to win the Provincial Towns Cup. 

where we met many new sides around 

Leinster. 

I recall the "Joe Moran Festival" at Naas, 

where U-11s from all four provinces came 

to have a great day’s rugby. In my final 

year of mini rugby, I joined my team for 

the club's annual four-day Easter trip to 

our twin club, St David's, near Fishguard 

in Wales. 

This was to be our final outing together 

as a team before almost half of the squad 

went on to "rugby schools" and would 

therefore no longer be available to the 

club. 

Family History: The Ronaldson family has 

been immersed in the activity of the club 

for many years. My Grandad, Eric, was 

Chairman from 1984 to 1989 and later a 

Trustee of the club. 

My Dad, Tim, had a long playing 

career with the club, captaining them on 

numerous occasions. Tim played for the 

Leinster Juniors from 1989-1991 winning 

Many a weekend growing up revolved 

around our Saturday morning trainings 

or travelling to and from games at Naas 

and in the North Midlands Area. 

Travelling with my brothers, Mark (who 

later played senior rugby with Naas) 

and Hugh became a ritual in our house. 

In addition, I enjoyed the days out at the 

Kettle (U-10) and O'Daly Cups (U-12) 

Images: © YazzCoylePhotography 


12 caps, captaining the team to a triple 

crown of victories. 

Tim is now a Trustee of the club and while 

he and my mum, Jackie, made an effort 

to be at most of my games all around the 

country, Dad would also be checking 

in on how Naas were doing. While not 

able to get to all the senior games as he 

was supporting me, he could be found 

supporting youths, U-20s and other 

teams at Forenaughts. 

From the time when I went to Kilkenny 

College and then on to Lansdowne and 

into the professional game, Naas were 

always very supportive. 

Messages of encouragement would 

always come through from the club and 

the people involved even acknowledging 

the achievement of representing the Irish 

Clubs while I was playing for Lansdowne. 

Seeing the Naas scarf/beanie at 

the Sportsground always offered 

encouragement and showed the 

continued support from the club. It has 

been great to see a few other guys 

in the current Naas senior squad 

represent the Ireland Clubs team over 

the last few years highlighting the 

local talent. Naas has also been very 

proud of all the local guys and girls 

who have gone onto represent the 

underage Area Squads, the provinces 

and onto higher honours with the likes of 

Adam Byrne, Jimmy O’Brien and James 

Tracy in the current Leinster set up with 

many others involved in other provinces 

and the professional game. 

It is also great to see two more local 

lads, Marcus Kiely and Jamie 

Osborne involved with the 

Leinster sub-Academy and 

playing for Naas. 

As a member of the coaching team 

at Naas, we look to help them 

improve their games and remain 

involved with the club going forward 

where guys and girls feel that by playing 

for Naas they will be in a good position 

to take their game to the next level. 

The professional game has given me 

great insight and many learnings that I 

look forward to sharing back at the club 

where it all started. 

During the current Covid-19 restrictions, 

the senior coaches have been assisting 

in player development with youth and 

mini squads. We look forward to the 

continued development of these players, 

ultimately feeding into the U-20 and adult 

game. The commitment is there among 

the coaches and the players, all of which 

should result in positive developments for 

the club in years to come. 


TO MAXIMISE YOUR SPORTS AND EXERCISE 

PERFORMANCE THROUGH NUTRITION 

Optimum Nutrition and Leinster Rugby have partnered to help share good nutrition tips throughout 

the season to help you achieve your performance goals. Here are some simple tips and things to 

remember to help maximise your performance and help you recover quickly to come back stronger. 

Protein Rich. 

Protein provides your muscles with 

the building blocks to repair & grow. 

Carb-Up. 

Carbohydrate foods are king as they 

power high intensity play. 

Fuel-Up. 

Consume the majority of your 

carbohydrates around training to 

support fuelling and recovery. 

Recover. 

Quality rest & nutrition between 

training sessions is the key to 

recovery. Remember to: 

Repair with protein, 

Refuel with carbohydrate, 

Rehydrate with fluid. 

Hydrate. 

Dehydration can lead to a drop in 

exercise intensity & can impact your 

decision making. Drink 2-3 litres of 

fluid each day to ensure hydration. 

Game Day. 

To fuel performance on the field, 

consume a large carbohydrate rich 

meal 2-3 hours before kick-off, i.e. 

chicken & pasta, turkey bolognaise 

wraps. 

Get 20% off all Optimum Nutrition products 

using code Leinster20 on optimumnutrition.ie

Knowing what advice to take 

is essential in this game. 

beauchamps.ie 

OFFICIAL LEGAL ADVISOR 

Contact: John White, Managing Partner +353 (0)1 4186000 | j.white@beauchamps.ie

LEINSTER RUGBY CHARITY AFFILIATE 

Women's Aid 

For victims of domestic abuse, the 

Covid-19 emergency brought new 

risks but also opened our eyes to 

the dangers faced by thousands 

of women and families across 

Ireland. As we began the 16 Days 

of Action campaign for 2020, we 

highlight how we are responding 

to victims during the lockdown and 

hope to reduce levels of violence 

and abuse by engaging with 

young people. Sarah Benson, CEO 

of Women’s Aid writes: 

Within a few short months Covid-19 has 

had a huge impact on Irish society. We 

are rallying together to minimise risk 

and harm to the most vulnerable in our 

societies. But what about those for whom 

Covid-19 is not the primary risk they face; 

for whom the home they have been asked 

to retreat to is not a safe one? As society 

tries to adjust to a ‘new normal’, somehow 

living with Covid-19, we must not forget 

those subjected to domestic abuse, 

including in younger relationships. Fear, 

coercion and violence are used daily as 

weapons against thousands of women in 

intimate relationships to hurt and control 

them. 

The Tip of the Iceberg 

In 2019, there were 20,763 contacts 

made with our services during which 

19,258 disclosures of domestic violence 

against women were made and 4,791 

disclosures of abuse against children. 

Women disclosed being beaten, 

strangled, burned, raped. They and their 

children’s lives were threatened. They told 

us about being denied access to the family 

income to feed and clothe themselves 

and their children and being stalked and 

humiliated online. 

When the pandemic hit, we worriedly 

watched as the rates of domestic violence 

soared across the globe. In Ireland, we 

saw a 43% increase in calls between the 

Sarah Benson 

end of March and the end of June to the 

24hr National Freephone Helpline. 

Trapped with abusers and denied outlets 

that may have brought them support 

and solace in the face of abuse before, 

women were coming up with ingenious 

ways to get in touch with us. Women 

called from their car, from the garden 

shed, from the bathroom with the shower 

running. We also saw a 71% increase in 

visits to the Women’s Aid website for this 

period where information and resources 

are available to victims, survivors and 

their allies. It is also where our Instant 

Messaging Support Service can be 

accessed. We know our figures are just 

the tip of the iceberg with many victims 

unable to reach out for help. 

Working on the frontline 

during Covid-19 

In the midst of this challenge, where the 

cracks of Ireland’s response to domestic 

abuse were starkly revealed, there was 

also hope and positivity. 

Our own staff and volunteer team 

adapted quickly and flexibly, and came 

together to rally for Women’s Aid, for 

which I am incredibly thankful. This has 

also been a period of partnership and 

innovation particularly with, and by, our 

colleagues in Safe Ireland, our fellow 

specialist domestic and sexual violence 

services, and others who have come 

together to amplify the voices of victims 

and survivors; to propose solutions to ease 

their situation and to engage with statutory 

services, agencies and government to 

progress more effective responses. 

We have been part of Government 

campaigns delivered in partnership with 

specialist services including the Men’s 

Development Network who provide 

Freephone support to male victims. We’ve 

seen proactive Garda operations to 

prioritise the domestic abuse response. 

There have been initiatives in social 

protection and with private businesses to 

make access to resources, and protection 


more accessible. There has been an 

outpouring of community concern, 

generosity and creativity to assist services 

and to raise public awareness of these 

heinous, and preventable, crimes. 

16 Days of Action and 

Intimate Relationship 

Abuse against Young 

People 

Next week, Women’s Aid begins our 16 

Days of Action Opposing Violence against 

Women campaign. It is an important 

opportunity to raise awareness and 

call for a whole-of-community, whole-ofgovernment 

response which is required 

in order to prevent domestic abuse, to 

protect women and children and to hold 

perpetrators to account. The campaign 

runs from November 25 (UN Day For the 

Elimination of Violence against Women) 

Women’s Aid 24hr National Freephone 

Helpline 1800 341 900 

www.womensaid.ie 

to December 20 (International Human 

Rights Day). 

The focus of this year’s Women’s Aid 

campaign is intimate relationship abuse, 

including online abuse, against young 

people (18-25 years). On Wednesday, 

the President of Ireland, Michael D. 

Higgins, the Minister of Justice Helen 

McEntee, TD, and a range of expert 

speakers will launch a new Women’s 

Aid report on the prevalence, nature and 

impact of abuse against young people. 

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW NEEDS HELP CALL: 

Male AdviceLine 

(Freephone) 1800 816 588 

https://mensnetwork.ie/ 

We believe we can significantly reduce 

levels of domestic violence, if we start now 

and if we start young. We know that over 

60 per cent of victims of domestic violence 

experienced abuse for the first time under 

the age of 25. 

That statistic always shocks people. 

Most of us have this picture of the typical 

woman being abused – older, married, 

children, mortgage – but the reality is 

that abuse can happen in any intimate 

relationship and at any age. 

Our Too Into You campaign over the next 

two weeks will highlight the signs of abuse 

and will encourage anyone affected to 

reach out for support. 

For more information on the Women’s Aid 

16 Days Campaign and how you can 

support it visit the Women’s Aid website. 

Details of all services available on 

www.stillhere.ie 


IN OPPOSITION 

Cardiff Blues 

Last Time Out 

COUNTRY 

WALES 

HOME GROUND 

CARDIFF ARMS 

PARK 

FOUNDED 

2003 

Cardiff Blues 22 Benetton Rugby 5 

A SCINTILLATING TRY FROM OWEN LANE HELPED 

CARDIFF BLUES DEFEAT BENETTON 22-5 LAST MONDAY 

NIGHT, AS THE ITALIAN SIDE’S LOSING RUN WAS 

EXTENDED TO FOUR GAMES AT RODNEY PARADE. 

Jarrod Evans got the first points of 

the game with a well struck penalty 

midway through the first half, as the 

hosts put an end to their three-game 

losing run on their own patch. 

Rory Thornton then touched down in the corner 

to extend the lead, before Lane added a 

fantastic second midway through the second 

half with the try of the match. 

Tomas Baravalle scored a late consolation for 

Benetton, before Ben Thomas touched down 

under the sticks to seal the deal in the dying 

seconds. 

Neither side could stamp their authority onto 

the game in the early stages in the Welsh 

capital, with the blustery conditions proving 

difficult for both teams. 

Ian Keatley and Evans both missed penalty 

attempts in the opening minutes, before the 

latter converted his second go at a three-pointer 

to give the hosts the advantage. 

And that’s the way it stayed until seven minutes 

before the break, as Thornton was the man 

to capitalise after a surging Blues maul left 

the lock with the chance to touch down in the 

corner. 

It turned into a gruelling battle of the forwards 

for much of the game, with both sides giving 

their all in the scrum, but neither could further 

trouble the scoreboard before the interval as 

the hosts went in 8-0 to the good. 

Benetton came out with a vengeance in the 

second half, and piled the pressure onto John 

CARDIFF BLUES: 

Matthew Morgan; Owen 

Lane, Garyn Smith, Willis 

Halaholo (Ben Thomas 

55), Hallam Amos; 

Jarrod Evans, Jamie Hill 

(Lewis Jones 70); Corey 

Domachowski (Brad 

Thyer 51), Kristian Dacey 

(Ethan Lewis 68), Scott 

Andrews (Kieron Assiratti 

63); Ben Murphy, Rory 

Thornton (Teddy Williams 

74); James Ratti, Olly 

Robinson (Alun Lawrence 

45), Josh Turnbull. 

BENETTON: Jayden 

Hayward; Ratuva 

Tavuyara, Joaquin Riera, 

Ignacio Brex (Angelo 

Esposito 40), Monty 

Ioane; Ian Keatley, 

Callum Braley (Luca 

Petrozzi 68); Nicola 

Quaglio (Thomas 

Gallo 43), Hame Faiva 

(Tomas Baravalle 48), 

Filippo Alongi (Tiziano 

Pasquali 40); Federico 

Ruzza (Irné Herbst 48), 

Eli Snyman; Giovanni 

Pettinelli (Marco Barbini 

50), Manuel Zuliani 

(Michele Lamaro 40), 

Toa Halafihi. 

Words: pro14.rugby 

Imagery: Inpho 

Mulvihill’s side from the off, but couldn’t find a 

way past the Welsh side’s rearguard. 

And after soaking up the Italian’s pressure the 

Blues hit them with the sucker-punch just after 

the hour mark, as Lane dazzled his way to the 

try line. 

The winger picked up the ball just outside 

the Benetton 22, before wrong-footing the 

entire visiting defence with his fleet-footedness, 

before using his pace to surge over to score. 

Benetton’s efforts were eventually rewarded 

with 10 minutes remaining, as Baravalle 

latched onto the back of a maul to finally get 

the Italians on the scoreboard, before Thomas 

added a third for the Blues seconds before the 

final whistle. 



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Squad | Positions 2020/21 

Head Coach | John Mulvihill 

Australian born John Mulvihill has 

strong Irish connections having 

started his coaching career with 

Meath club Navan RFC in the late 

1990s. 

During that spell, Navan won the 

Provincial Towns Cup and Leinster League 

Division 1 honours. 

He took the reins at Cardiff in 2018. 

In the interim, he held roles at Western 

Force in Super Rugby and several 

Japanese clubs, most recently Honda 

Heat. 

Captain | Ellis Jenkins 

Ellis Jenkins made his debut for 

Cardiff Blues in the 2011 Anglo 

Welsh Cup defeat to Newcastle 

Falcons, and has gone on to make 

over 100 appearances for his 

home region. 

Jenkins captained the Blues in the 2018 

European Challenge Cup final victory 

over Gloucester in Bilbao. 

FORWARDS 

SCOTT ANDREWS 

PROP 

DIMITRsI ARHIP 

PROP 

KEIRON ASSIRATTI 

PROP 

LIAM BELCHER 

HOOKER 

JAMES BOTHAM 

BACK ROW 

WILL BOYDE 

BACK ROW 

RHYS CARRÉ 

PROP 

KRISTIAN DACEY 

HOOKER 

SEB DAVIES 

LOCK 

WILL DAVIES-KING 

PROP 

COREY 

DOMACHOWSKI 

PROP 

RHYS GILL 

PROP 

IESTYN HARRIS 

HOOKER 

CORY HILL 

LOCK 

ETHAN LEWIS 

HOOKER 

DILLON LEWIS 

PROP 

SHANE LEWIS-HUGHES 

FLANKER 

SAM MOORE 

BACK ROW 

BEN MURPHY 

LOCK 

KIRBY MYHILL 

HOOKER 

JOSH NAVIDI 

BACK ROW 

JAMES RATTI 

LOCK 

OLLY ROBINSON 

FLANKER 

RORY THORNTON 

LOCK 

BRADLEY THYER 

PROP 

JOSH TURNBULL 

BACK ROW 

TEDDY WILLIAMS 

LOCK 

BACKS 

JOSH ADAMS 

WINGER 

MASON GRADY 

WINGER 

WILLIS HALAHOLO 

CENTRE 

JASON HARRIES 

CENTRE 

LEWIS JONES 

SCRUM HALF 

OWEN LANE 

CENTRE 

REY LEE-LO 

CENTRE 

MAX LLEWELLYN 

CENTRE 

HARRI MILLARD 

CENTRE 

MATTHEW MORGAN 

FULL BACK 

LUKE SCULLY 

FLY HALF 

GARYN SMITH 

CENTRE 

ALED SUMMERHILL 

CENTRE 

BEN THOMAS 

CENTRE 

JASON TOVEY 

FLY HALF 

LLOYD WILLIAMS 

SCRUM HALF 

Internationally, he made his senior debut 

for Wales during the 2016 tour to New 

Zealand, Jenkins captained his country 

for the first time two years later, as they 

completed a clean sweep in the summer 

fixtures against Argentina and South 

Africa. 

ELLIS JENKINS 

FLANKER 

ALUN LAWRENCE 

FLANKER 

HALLAM AMOS 

WINGER 

JARROD EVANS 

FLY HALF 

TOMOS WILLIAMS 

SCRUM HALF 


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Greystones 

No matter the resources, every 

club could do with upgrading 

their facilities. 

Many moons ago, Greystones had the 

foresight to acquire farming fields to the 

south of their fine clubhouse at Dr Hickey 

Park. 

A run-off ditch bordered by thick gorse 

separated the field from the main pitch 

and a ball kicked beyond this boundary 

was considered unrecoverable due to the 

thickness of the growth there. 

“I remember those days well. Initially, we 

leased those fields in 1991 before buying 

them outright in December of 1995 from 

the local council,” said club chairman 

Donall Gannon. 

“When we first got them, they would 

have come to us as agricultural or potato 

fields. They were harrowed and cleared 

out, made reasonably level. 

“However, there were stones that 

appeared later on the surface and, 

while we brought it up to a reasonable 

standard, time and usage caught up with 

them.” 

The appropriately named ‘south pitches’ 

have provided a space to handle the 

overflow of teams as the playing numbers 

grew at Greystones. 

It also meant that the primary club pitch 

did not have to handle the burden of 

over-use. The main surface has long 

been recognised as one of the finest in 

the province and was used as a training 

location for the Irish rugby team before 

they decamped for Carton House. 

The ‘south pitches’ have enabled the club 

to grow and expand on several levels. 

One significant aspect has been the 

consolidation of playing areas into one 

club ‘campus.’ Previously, pitches at both 

Mill Road and Farrankelly meant divided 

training schedules. Consolidation brought 

all playing areas to one site where all 

members could avail of the clubhouse 

facilities. 

These pitches are a key feature of 

mid-week training for various teams in 

the club and, on Sunday, they support 

extensive activities from 9am onwards for 

U-7s to U-11s, both of the Seagulls mixedability 

teams and Youths teams, coping 

with around 500 players within a threehour 

window. It doesn’t end there. This 

can be followed by league matches for 

the U-20s and the J1s in the afternoon. 

There have been drawbacks, however. 

The intense usage has taken its toll. The 

pitches had been showing their age and 

were fast-approaching their endpoint due 

to the deterioration of the surface. 

“They have been in play for the guts 

of 30 years. The wear and tear and 

old style drainage meant those pitches 

suffered badly. In the last seven or eight 

years, it was noticeable how the surface 

deteriorated quicker through the seasons. 

The maintenance carried out in the 

summer would only last to January before 

it became bumpy and uneven.” 

All the while, there was an ambition to 

bring the ‘south pitches’ up to standard 

and, four years ago, it became part 

of a plan for an extensive capital 

refurbishment across the club. 

A full grass-based transformation of these 

pitches was made a priority, both to 

safeguard player welfare and to create 

two full-sized pitches, playable in almost 

all conditions. 

The costs of the renovation works 

were estimated to be approximately 

€150,000, or almost €4,000 per year 

over the expected lifetime of 40 years. 

This was partially circumvented in 2018 

when the club applied for a sports grant, 

from the National Lottery monies, and 

received €80,500 towards the project. 

By early 2020, it was full-steam ahead 

for pitch preparation, beginning in 

mid-March, when Covid became the 

heavy cloud that hung over the project. 

The groundsmen, Willie and Sam Byrne, 

listed as essential workers, were limited 

to applying grass and weed treatments, 


while the heavy machinery work was put 

on hold. 

On May 18, the machines were finally 

allowed to get digging and extensive 

subterranean works began, following 

the removal of 250 tonnes of soil, all of 

which was later reused as quality topsoil. 

The groundworks were designed, 

constructed and implemented by pitch 

specialists Flood Landscapes, a family 

firm from Wexford, with Wexford’s 1996 

All-Ireland winner Sean Flood to the fore, 

along with Paddy McCann and Jerome 

O’Brien at Greystones. 

In a meeting of horticultural minds, Garry 

Flood, in consultation with Willie Byrne, 

brought expertise in the form of state-ofthe 

art drainage works. 

These are built in a waffle-grid of multiple 

minor drains, all of which lead to one 

major drainage pipe, collecting water 

drained from the pitches out to the small 

stream on the north side of the club. 

This network is part of what will be 

instrumental in terms of longevity of the 

pitch surfaces. At that stage, Willie and 

his son Sam, with their extensive clubspecific 

knowledge of rain run-off and 

soil behaviours, liaised with the Floods. 

All drains are placed optimally and 

compliment the herring-bone drainage 

structure which has served our main pitch 

so well. 

Once this structure was in place, 

completed in two weeks, a further 500 

tonnes of sand was added to the soil and 

the surface was reconstructed. 

This required laser-guided machinery to 

establish both minute levels of camber to 

assist water run-off and levelling needed 

toward the sea end of Dr. Hickey Park, 

creating 17,000 square metres of prime 

playing surface. 

The Covid-19 restrictions had significantly 

reduced the window of opportunity for 

planting and the dry and sunny weather 

was a concern, compounded by a 

hosepipe ban. However, as the due date 

for the cancelled Leaving Certificate 

rolled round, the warm, mild, wet 

conditions proved ideal for the grass seed 

to take root. 

“We felt like victims of the pandemic 

because it made it difficult for fundraising 

to pay for the project when the club was 

closed down in March,” stated Gannon. 

“But, as it turned out, it became a blessing 

in disguise because the dry weather 

would have been a disaster for growing 

grass for the pitches at that time. 

“In terms of moving forward, it is a matter 

of showing the pitches the loving care 

necessary to bring them fully to life. We 

estimate we are on track to have the 

minis and youths back on the surface for 

January. 

“When the big heavy fellas in their 

boots will be back on it depends on 

the weather being kind to us. When the 

adults do get back out there, they will be 

excited about the standard of the surface 

compared to what it was. 

“Hopefully, it will carry us through for at 

least another 30 years.” 


These clubs have chosen Macron 

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Comerford 

Niall 

WORDS: RYAN CORRY 


Control the controllables. 

IT’S A PHRASE 

THAT HAS 

SNUCK ITS 

WAY INTO THE 

LEXICON OF 

MANY PLAYERS 

AND COACHES 

THE WORLD 

OVER AS THEY 

EMPHASISE THAT 

PLANNING AND 

PREPARATION IS 

ALWAYS THE KEY 

TO THEIR NEXT 

GAME. 

Niall Comerford, a winger in his 

first year with the Leinster Rugby 

Academy, is a glowing example of 

how to keep pushing on when the 

‘uncontrollables’ try and disrupt your 

plans and ambitions. 

At just 20 years of age, the Shankill native has 

already had an impressive sporting career at 

club, school, county and provincial level. 

But, there’s been some disruption along the 

way. Three separate events stick out, a broken 

wrist, being part of the ‘2000-born’ group who 

missed out on an inter-county championship, 

and now, Covid-19. 

Gaelic football was his first love, a member of 

the Kilmacud Crokes club, he would go on to 

represent Dublin at underage level, lining out at 

midfield in the 2017 U-17 Leinster Final defeat 

to Meath. 

It would be a disappointing note to bow out 

of his inter-county football career with but, he 

admits, the call to join Leinster Rugby was too 

good to turn down. 

“I’d been playing since I was five, hurling and 

Gaelic with Kilmacud. I got to play with Dublin 

underage from U-13 to U-17,” Comerford 

explains. 

“Unfortunately, we missed out – my year, the 

2000s – on minor. I really loved it but it was 

difficult playing hurling, Gaelic and rugby at 

the same time. 

“When hurling and Gaelic finish around 

October, I could go back to rugby, it was great 

having sport all year round. It worked well 

during the school years. 

“But then, making the step up to Leinster, I had 

to make a decision whether or not to go with 

Gaelic or rugby. I made the decision to go with 

rugby and I’ve been very happy with it.” 

The dominance of Dublin’s footballers is no 

secret, and comparisons have been made 

between their ability to constantly refresh their 

team with young talent and Leo Cullen’s ability 

to do the same in Leinster. 

As someone who has seen and lived the 

pathway of both, transferring skills where 

possible, Comerford sees a major similarity 

between the two respective set-ups that is 

enabling them to have continued success. 

“The standards that they hold you to,” he says 

is the main likeness. 

“It might be an amateur sport but we were 

based out in Abbotstown, which is also where 


the Ireland camps are based, they’re about 

200m away from each other, so the facilities 

and how they operate are both directly 

comparable. 

“The training was quite professional and quite 

similar to the sub-Academy. 

“I was a midfielder. As a winger, there’s a 

lot of crossover with general hand-eye coordination, 

high balls, kicking and fitness, so it 

was a good transition over to rugby. It seemed 

to click well.” 

He hasn’t always been out on the wing 

though, that change came as he progressed 

through the ranks in Blackrock College. 

Having watched his older brother, Evin, 

playing with the school, Comerford had it in 

his head that he’d follow suit once he entered 

the Williamstown institution. 

And so he did. First, playing as a flanker, he 

later transitioned to the backs where he settled 

on the wing. 

During his time with Blackrock, he scored the 

only try in the 2016 Bank of Ireland Leinster 

Schools Junior Cup final, an 8-3 win over archrivals 

St Michael’s College at Energia Park. 

At the same time he was dotting the ball down, 

an awkward landing and the chasing pack 

combined resulting in that broken wrist but he 

refused to go to the hospital until he knew the 

job was done. 

“That was in the first 15 minutes, we’d a scrum 

in the middle of the field. I managed to break 

through and score a try, but in the process of 

scoring the try, I also managed to give myself 

a fracture in the wrist,” he reflects. 

“I slid in weird and someone came in on my 

back and I kept going over the ball and broke 

my wrist doing it. We won 8-3 in the end so it 

was worth it. 

“I went back to the school and then went to 

the hospital so I missed the team celebration 

afterwards. I got back for the end of it but I 

had to get it manipulated that day.” 

“I was in a cast overnight, then had to get 

surgery and was in the cast for another four 

weeks. It wasn’t great!” 

Rivals on that day and many since, he is 

now working in Leinster alongside former 

adversaries who have become teammates and 

friends. 


“There’s always fierce competition in the schools 

but those games (v St Michael’s) would have a 

bit more niggle than the other ones but when it 

comes to Leinster, that fades away, and you’re 

all playing for the same team. 

“There can’t be any distrust among players.” 

That same policy extends now into joining 

Ireland camp with players from other provinces 

and clubs. 

Comerford was selected as part of Noel 

McNamara’s Ireland U-20 squad for the 2020 

Six Nations tournament with a lot of promise in 

the squad following on from the Grand Slam of 

2019. 

With a trial to join the U-19s on a tour of France 

being the closest Comerford had 

previously gotten to playing for 

Ireland, excitement was high 

at the prospect of getting to 

pull on the green jersey in this 

year’s tournament. 

Ireland quickly racked up three 

wins from three, beating 

Scotland, Wales and England 

before Covid called a 

halt to their year. 


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Comerford, however, didn’t feature after 

picking up an injury early into his time with the 

Ireland team, a cruel blow knocking his dream 

of representing his country on the head. 

“I injured my shoulder in the very first camp so I 

missed out there. 

“I was trying to get back into the squad really, 

to get some game, or any game, and I would 

be happy. But then, obviously, Covid hit just 

before our Italy game.” 

Like the rest of us, they had to accept it for what 

it was. A global pandemic is not something that 

can be wiped away overnight. 

More disappointment arrived in August when 

Six Nations tournament organisers declared 

that the U-20 competition would not be 

completed for 2020. 

While the same frustrations we’ve all faced this 

year will linger, Comerford, still shorn of that 

chance to play for Ireland, doesn’t feel he has 

any special grievance or cause for anger. 

He simply suggests that he would have had an 

uphill task of displacing any of the back three 

who had made the jerseys their own over the 

opening three games. 

“We were all disappointed, we trained really 

hard and I think we were ready to just get the 

games done, we really wanted to play. 

“Playing for your country is such a huge 

source of pride for everyone. There was a 

lot of frustration and disappointment, but we 

understood the circumstances. 

“It’s not normal, it wasn’t just a match being 

called off, it was for our safety and for the 

“PLAYING FOR 

YOUR COUNTRY 

IS SUCH A 

HUGE SOURCE 

OF PRIDE FOR 

EVERYONE. THERE 

WAS A LOT OF 

FRUSTRATION AND 

DISAPPOINTMENT, 

BUT WE 

UNDERSTOOD THE 

CIRCUMSTANCES.” 

benefit of everyone. We knew that they had to 

make that decision. 

“I’ve just been unfortunate, it would have been 

tough anyway to break into the team with 

players like Andrew Smith, Ethan McIlroy and 

Oran McNulty.” 

Despite that setback, he hasn’t had to look too 

far for inspiration. Playing in the Celtic Cup 

last year, Comerford shared a dressing room 

with two players who have since made a huge 

stamp on Leinster and Ireland – Hugo Keenan 

and Rónan Kelleher. 

“I got one or two games alongside guys like 

Hugo and Rónan and now you see Hugo 

starting full back for Ireland at the weekend. 

“The step up he’s made is great to see, and Ró, 

you can see the pathway that they have put in 

place.” 

While still only in Year One of the Academy, 

Comerford has quickly caught sight of what to 

improve and how to do that. 

Taking part in that Celtic Cup campaign and 

now getting the opportunity to train with the 

senior Leinster squad have given him a good 

opportunity to learn and develop. 

“Particularly with not having the end of the 

Six Nations and the Junior World Cup which 

would be a time when a lot of guys would be 

trying to break through, it’s been great being 

up with the seniors. 

“Even just being able to train with them, seeing 

how they work and how they train, it’s been a 

great experience. 

“It’s another step up. It was probably a shock 

to the system I would say, but I think I’m getting 

used to it now.” 

Many would agree. 


Academy squad 

2020|21 

DOB: 15 December 1999 

From: Hampshire, England 

Height: 1.88m (6’ 2”) 

Weight: 92kg (14st 5lbs) 

Position: Back Three 

School: Henley College 

Honours: Ireland U20 (1 cap) 

AARON O’SULLIVAN 

Did You Know: Aaron was signed from Wasps where 

he made two appearances for the Senior team in the 

2017/18 Anglo Welsh Cup. Aaron’s dad, Barry, had trials at 

Newcastle and his grandad, at the age of 80, completed 

five stages of the Tour de France in 2011. 

Instagram: aaron_sullivan11 

DOB: 02 March 2000 

From: Wexford 

Height: 1.99m (6’ 6”) 


Position: Second Row 

School: St Peter’s College 

Club: Clontarf FC 

Honours: Ireland U20 (8 caps) 

BRIAN DEENY 

Did You Know: Brian played youth rugby with Wexford 

Wanderers RFC. He got his first Irish cap playing for 

Ireland Under-18 Sevens. Brian played midfield for his 

school St Peter’s College in Gaelic football and reached the 

All-Ireland Colleges Final in 2017. He is currently studying 

Science in Trinity and lives in Abbey House B&B, Wexford... 

if you are looking for a room?! Instagram: brian_deeny 

DOB: 03 July 1999 

From: Dublin 

Height: 1.77m (5’ 10”) 


Position: Centre/Outhalf 

School: Belvedere College 

Club: Clontarf RFC 


& Leinster Rugby (3 caps) 

DAVID HAWKSHAW #1290 

Did You Know: David started playing rugby at Coolmine RFC before 

joining Belvedere College and won two Schools Senior Cup titles. He has 

represented Ireland U18 Schools and was selected as Ireland U20s captain 

for the 2019 Grand Slam winning campaign only to have his season cut 

short after three games. He played hurling and Gaelic football for St Brigid’s 

GAA club and also represented Dublin minors, winning a Leinster hurling 

title. Currently studying humanities in DCU. Instagram: davidhawkshaw99 

DOB: 30 December 1998 

From: Dublin 

Height: 1.72m (5’ 8”) 


Position: Scrum Half 

School: Blackrock College 

Club: UCD RFC 

Honours: Ireland U20 (1 cap) 


PATRICK PATTERSON #1274 

Did You Know: Paddy made his debut for Leinster during 

the 2018/19 season when only in the first year of the 

Leinster Academy. He also scored his first Senior try for 

Leinster off the bench against Southern Kings during that 

maiden campaign. 

Instagram: paddypatterson 

Academy squad 

2020|21 

DOB: 24 October 1999 

From: Newtownmountkennedy, Wicklow 

Height: 1.81m (5’ 9”) 


Position: Scrum Half 

School: St. Gerard’s School 

Club: Lansdowne FC 


CORMAC FOLEY 

Did You Know: Started playing rugby with Greystones 

RFC when he was nine. Growing up, Cormac did a lot of 

show jumping and he is now studying Economics and 

Finance in UCD. 

Instagram: cormacfoley6 

DOB: 05 February 1999 

From: Birr, Offaly 

Height: 1.82m (6’ 0”) 


Position: Prop 

School: Cistercian College, Roscrea 

Club: Birr RFC/UCD RFC 



MICHAEL MILNE #1279 

Did You Know: Michael has won two All-Ireland hurling 

titles, one with his school in Roscrea and another with 

Offaly Under-17s. 

Instagram: michael_milne 

DOB: 04 June 1998 

From: Dublin 

Height: 1.83m (6’ 0”) 



School: Clongowes Wood College 

Club: Dublin University FC 


& Leinster Rugby (1 cap) 

MICHAEL SILVESTER #1289 

Did You Know: Started playing rugby with Wanderers 

RFC before playing in school with St. Michaels and then 

Clongowes. Played competitive tennis from the age of nine, 

winning a national championship at age 12, before focusing 

on rugby after moving to Clongowes. Graduated from 

Trinity with a BESS degree. 

Instagram: msilvester98 


From: Dublin 

Height: 1.85m (6’ 1”) 


Position: Prop 




& Leinster Rugby (3 cap) 

TOM CLARKSON #1285 

Did You Know: Tom studies Human Health and Disease 

in Trinity College. He played underage rugby for Wicklow 

RFC before moving to Dublin to attend Willow Park 

primary school. 

Instagram: tclarkson37 

DOB: 19 October 1999 

From: Athy, Kildare 

Height: 1.88m (6’ 2”) 


Position: Back Row 

School: Clontarf FC 

Club: Old Belvedere RFC 


MARTIN MOLONEY 

Did You Know: Martin played hurling for Kildare and played 

GAA and basketball for his secondary school, Knockbeg 

College, and local GAA club, St Laurence’s. He played his 

youth rugby with Athy RFC. He is now studying Business 

and Law in UCD, He also enjoys working on the family farm. 

Instagram: martin_moloney 



From: Dublin 

Height: 2.01m (6’ 7”) 

Weight: 108kg (17st) 



Club: UCD RFC 


CHARLIE RYAN 

Did You Know: Charlie played youth rugby at Blackrock 

College RFC while also attending the school since Senior 

Infants. He captained Ireland to the U20 Grand Slam in 

2019 and again for the U20s World Cup. His friends call 

him Chuck! He is currently studying Business and Legal 

Studies in UCD. 

Instagram: chuck_ryan5 

Academy squad 

2020|21 


From: Belfast 

Height: 1.82m (6’ 0”) 


Position: Hooker 

School: Campbell College 

Club: Old Belvedere RFC 


JOHN McKEE 

Did You Know: John grew up in Belfast going to school 

at Campbell College where he won a Senior Cup. He was 

involved with Ulster at age grade level until moving to 

Dublin after school. He also has multiple medals from 

Northern Irish Schools Judo competitions. 

Instagram: johnmckee_ 

DOB: 21 July 2000 

From: Dublin 

Height: 1.83m (6’ 0”) 



School: St Michael’s College 



ANDREW SMITH 

Did You Know: Andrew is currently studying Quantity 

Surveying and Construction Economics in TUD. In 2019, 

he won the Leinster Schools Senior Cup with St Michael’s 

College. Andrew also played Gaelic football with his local 

club - Clanna Gael Fontenoy GAA Club. 

Instagram: andrew.sm1th 

DOB: 14 July 1999 

From: Dublin 

Height: 173cm (5’ 9”) 


Position: Centre 





LIAM TURNER #1287 

Did You Know: Liam started to play rugby at the age 

of six at Blackrock College RFC. He later joined Blackrock 

College and was part of the 2018 Senior Cup winning team. 

He was also part of the Ireland U20 team that went on to 

win the 2019 Grand Slam. Liam currently studys BESS in 

Trinity College. 

Instagram: liamtn123 

DOB: 06 April 2000 

From: Dublin 

Height: 1.83m (6’ 0”) 


Position: Wing 


Club: UCD RFC 

Honours: Ireland U20 

NIALL COMERFORD 

Did You Know: Niall played both hurling and Gaelic 

football with Kilmacud Crokes for 14 years. He also 

represented Dublin in Gaelic football in the U17 Leinster 

Championship. He is currently studying Commerce in UCD. 

Instagram: niall_c123 

DOB: 31 July 2000 

From: Pittsburgh, USA 

Height: 1.90m (6’ 3”) 

Weight: 102kg (16st 1lb) 



Club: UCD RFC 


SEÁN O’BRIEN 

Did You Know: Seán started playing rugby at age six 

with Greystones RFC where he played up until Under-13. 

He then played on the Junior and Senior Cup teams in 

Blackrock College. He is currently studying Economics and 

Finance in UCD 

Instagram: seanobrien456 


From: Pearse St, Dublin 

Height: 1.95m (6’ 5”) 

Weight: 104.5kg (16st 6lbs) 


School: Belvedere College 



ALEX SOROKA 

Did You Know: Alex’s family moved to Ireland from 

Ukraine shortly before his birth. He was born in Cork 

before moving to Dublin. 

Instagram: alex._.soroka 

DOB: 26 March 2001 

From: Manhattan, NY 

Height: 1.95m (6’ 5”) 






JOE McCARTHY 

Did You Know: Joe started playing rugby with Blackrock 

College RFC at the age of six before moving to Willow Park 

and then Blackrock College. He was also on the Blackrock 

swim team for five years. He’s currently studying Global 

Business in Trinity College Dublin. 

Instagram: joetmmcc 


From: Enniskerry, Wicklow 

Height: 1.85m (6’ 1”) 


Position: Full Back 

School: St Gerard’s School 



& Ireland Mens 7s (1 cap) 

MAX O’REILLY 

Did You Know: Max is currently in his third year of Business 

and Management in DIT. His preferred sport was soccer 

until about the age of 15, which he had played at centre 

midfield with Enniskerry FC for over 10 years and also 

for Wicklow. 

Instagram: max_oreilly 


Fixtures & 

results 

2020/21 

virtual match mascot 

Ciaran Kane 

Age: 10 

From: Barraghmore, Drumlish, 

Co Longford. 

School: St Mary’s Mixed NS, 

Drumlish, Co Longford. 

Hobbies & Interests: Watching 

rugby, making lego, art, Leinster 

Favourite Player: Devin Toner 

Fri 2 Oct 20:15 

Guinness PRO14 

W 35-5 

Sat 10 Oct 18:15 


W 37-25 

FRI 23 Oct 19:35 


W 63-8 

MON 2 Nov 20:15 


W 32-19 

KEENAN 

LARMOUR 1T 

RINGROSE 1T 2C 

FRAWLEY (T O'BRIEN 9) 

LOWE 2T 

SEXTON 1C (R BYRNE 23 3C) 

GIBSON-PARK (MCGRATH 67) 

E BYRNE (HEALY 49) 

R KELLEHER (CRONIN 49) 

BENT (PORTER 49) 

FARDY 

RYAN 

RUDDOCK 

VAN DER FLIER 

CONAN (DEEGAN 49 (BAIRD 62 1T)) 

KEENAN 

LARMOUR (J O'BRIEN 48) 

RINGROSE 

HENSHAW 

LOWE 1T 

R BYRNE 3C 3P (H BYRNE 79) 

GIBSON-PARK (MCGRATH 56) 

E BYRNE (HEALY 52) 

TRACY 1T (CRONIN 53) 

BENT (CLARKSON 63) 

BAIRD (MOLONY 64) 

RYAN 1T 

DORIS 

CONNORS 

CONAN 

J O'BRIEN 

T O'BRIEN 2T 

TURNER 

FRAWLEY (SILVESTER 64) 

KEARNEY 1T 

H BYRNE 9C 

MCGRATH (H O'SULLIVAN 56) 

DOOLEY (MILNE 52) 

SHEEHAN 2T (TRACY 51) 

BENT 1T (PARKER 51 1T) 

MOLONY 

TONER (DUNNE 56) 

MURPHY 1T (FARDY 69) 

PENNY 1T 

RUDDOCK (LEAVY 51) 

J O'BRIEN 1T (HAWKSHAW 71) 

C KELLEHER 

O'LOUGHLIN 

T O'BRIEN 

D KEARNEY 

H BYRNE 3C 2P 

MCGRATH 1T (H O'SULLIVAN 76) 

DOOLEY (MILNE 54) 

TRACY (SHEEHAN 54) 

BENT 1T (CLARKSON 60) 

MOLONY (FARDY 60) 

TONER 

MURPHY (DUNNE 71) 

PENNY 1T 

RUDDOCK (LEAVY 60) 

SUN 8 Nov 15:00 


W 26-7 

J O'BRIEN 

C KELLEHER 

O'LOUGHLIN (TURNER 59) 

T O'BRIEN (H O'SULLIVAN 65) 

KEARNEY 1T 

H BYRNE 3C (HAWKSHAW 61) 

MCGRATH 

MILNE (DOOLEY 51 1T) 

TRACY 1T (SHEEHAN 51) 

BENT (PARKER 51) 

MOLONY 

FARDY (TONER 72) 

MURPHY (LEAVY 54) 

PENNY 1T 

RUDDOCK 

MON 16 NOV 20:15 


W 50-10 

J O'BRIEN 

C KELLEHER 3T 

TURNER 

FRAWLEY 5C 

KEARNEY 1T 

H BYRNE (HAWKSHAW 54) 

MCGRATH 2T (H O'SULLIVAN 57) 

RUDDOCK (MURPHY 50) 

PENNY 

LEAVY 1T (BAIRD 58) 

FARDY 

TONER (MOLONY 68) 

BENT (PARKER 50) 

TRACY (SHEEHAN 50) 

DOOLEY 1T (MILNE 50) 

ROUND 

07 


v Cardiff 

Sunday 

November 22 

RDS Arena 

KO 5.15pm 

ROUND 

08 

Scarlets v 


Sunday 

November 29 

Parc y Scarlets 

KO 5.15pm 


Ted Scally 

Age: 9 

School: Carysfort National 

School 

Hobbies & Interests: Rugby, 

Gaelic football, golf & cooking 

Favourite Player Garry Ringrose 

virtual match mascot 

Montepellier v 


Saturday 

December 12 

CGL Stadium 

KO 5.30pm Irish time 


v Northampton 

Saints 

Saturday 

december 19 

RDS Arena 

KO 1pm 

ROUND 

09 

munster rugby v 


saturday 

december 26 

thomond park 

KO 7.35pm 

ROUND 

10 


v connacht rugby 

saturday 

january 2 

RDS Arena 

KO 7.35pm 

ROUND 

11 


v ulster rugby 

friday 

january 8 

RDS Arena 

KO 7.35pm 

Northampton 

Saints v 


Friday 

January 15 

Franklin's Gardens 

KO 5.30pm 


v Montpellier 

Friday 

January22 

RDS Arena 

KO 5.30pm 


At Sword we know how important the Game is. 

We know how important your memories are ....so relax 

and enjoy yourself, you're in safe hands. 

LEINSTER RUGBY FANS .... Secured by the team at Sword 

Dublin: 01-6688220 

info@swordsecurity.com 

www.swordsecurity.com 

Securing Sports Fans around the World.

Coronavirus 

COVID-19 

Coronavirus 

COVID-19 

Public Health 

Advice 

Stay safe. 

Protect each other. 

Continue to: 

Wash 

your hands well 

and often to avoid 

contamination. 

Cover 

your mouth and nose 

with a tissue or sleeve 

when coughing or 

sneezing and discard 

used tissue safely 

Distance 

yourself at least 

2 metres (6 feet) away 

from other people, 

especially those who 

might be unwell 

Avoid 

crowds and 

crowded places 

Know 

the symptoms. If you 

have them self isolate 

and contact your GP 

immediately 

COVID-19 symptoms include 

> high temperature 

> cough 

> breathing difficulty 

> sudden loss of sense of smell or taste 

> flu-like symptoms 

If you have any symptoms, self-isolate to 

protect others and call your GP for a 

COVID-19 test. 

#holdfirm 

For more information 

www.gov.ie/health-covid-19 

www.hse.ie 

Ireland’s public health advice is guided by WHO and ECDC advice

Jimmy O’Brien 

Cian Kelleher 

Liam Turner 

Ciarán Frawley 

Dave Kearney 

Harry Byrne 

Luke McGrath 

15 

14 

13 

12 

11 

10 

9 

FULL BACK 

RIGHT WING 

OUTSIDE CENTRE 

INSIDE CENTRE 

LEFT WING 

FLY HALF 

SCRUM HALF 

Matthew Morgan 

Owen Lane 

Garyn Smith 

Ben Thomas 

Aled Summerhill 

Jarrod Evans [C] 

Tomos Williams 

Peter Dooley 

James Tracy 

Michael Bent 

Ross Molony 

Ryan Baird 

Josh Murphy 

Dan Leavy 

Rhys Ruddock [C] 

Dan Sheehan 

Michael Milne 

Tom Clarkson 

Devin Toner 

Jack Dunne 

Rowan Osborne 

Michael Silvester 

Scott Penny 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

LOOSE HEAD PROP 

HOOKER 

TIGHT HEAD PROP 

SECOND ROW 

SECOND ROW 

BLINDSIDE FLANKER 

OPENSIDE FLANKER 

NUMBER 8 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

REPLACEMENT 

REPLACEMENT 

REPLACEMENT 

REPLACEMENT 

REPLACEMENT 

REPLACEMENT 

REPLACEMENT 

REPLACEMENT 

Corey Domachowski 

Ethan Lewis 

Dmitri Arhip 

Ben Murphy 

Rory Thornton 

James Ratti 

Alun Lawrence 

Josh Turnbull 

Iestyn Harris 

Brad Thyer 

Keiron Assiratti 

Teddy Williams 

Gwilym Bradley 

Jamie Hill 

Max Llewellyn 

Hallam Amos 

Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU, 46th competition game) 

Assistant Referees: George Clancy, Peter Martin (both IRFU) 

TMO: Ollie Hodges (IRFU) 


MAKE IT A GAME 

YOU’LL REMEMBER. 

MODERATE YOUR DRINKING. 

MAKE YOUR NEXT PINT TAP WATER. 

SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE 

#GUINNESSCLEAR

Leinster Rugby v Cardiff Blues

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