Leinster vs Munster
Leinster | Official Matchday Programme of Leinster Rugby | Issue 13 Leinster vs Munster | United Rugby Championship Saturday 21st May, 2022 | KO 7.15pm | Aviva Stadium
Leinster | Official Matchday Programme of Leinster Rugby | Issue 13
Leinster vs Munster | United Rugby Championship
Saturday 21st May, 2022 | KO 7.15pm | Aviva Stadium
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
ISSUE 13 | LEINSTER RUGBY OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME<br />
LEINSTER<br />
VS<br />
munster<br />
SAT 21 st MAY<br />
AVIVA STADIUM<br />
KO 7.15PM
Newstead Building A,<br />
UCD,<br />
Belfield,<br />
Dublin 4<br />
#LEIVMUN<br />
The Line up<br />
Telephone:<br />
012693224<br />
Fax:<br />
012693142<br />
E-mail:<br />
information@leinsterrugby.ie<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie<br />
6<br />
24<br />
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT<br />
President: John Walsh<br />
Chief Executive: Michael Dawson<br />
Honorary Secretary: Stuart Bayley<br />
Honorary Treasurer: Michael McGrail<br />
RUGBY MANAGEMENT<br />
Head Coach: Leo Cullen<br />
Senior Coach: Stuart Lancaster<br />
Head of Rugby Operations:<br />
Guy Easterby<br />
Assistant Coach: Robin McBryde<br />
Backs Coach: Felipe Contepomi<br />
Kicking Coach: Emmet Farrell<br />
Contact Skills Coach: Denis Leamy<br />
14<br />
PROGRAMME CREDITS<br />
Editorial Team: Marcus Ó Buachalla,<br />
Ryan Corry & Paul Cahill<br />
Advertising: Gary Nolan<br />
Design: Julian Tredinnick,<br />
Ignition Sports Media<br />
Photography: Sportsfile<br />
Chief Steward: Sword Security<br />
Ambulance: St. John’s Ambulance<br />
Medilink<br />
Event Control & Safety Services:<br />
Eamonn O’Boyle & Associates<br />
57<br />
86<br />
STAY<br />
CONNECTED<br />
& KEEP<br />
UP-TO-DATE<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 3
john walsh welcome<br />
PRESIDENT, LEINSTER RUGBY 2020/22<br />
A week after <strong>Leinster</strong>’s Heineken<br />
Champions Cup semi-final win over<br />
Toulouse, we extend a warm welcome<br />
to rugby fans to the Aviva Stadium<br />
for this evening’s rescheduled<br />
Round 15 fixture in the United Rugby<br />
Championship.<br />
It features the defending<br />
champions and current league<br />
leaders <strong>Leinster</strong> on 62 points and<br />
the second-highest ranked team<br />
in rivals <strong>Munster</strong> on 56 points<br />
(incidentally the same number<br />
of points as South African teams<br />
the Cell C Sharks and the DHL<br />
Stormers).<br />
This game also marks our final game<br />
in this phase of this new and exciting<br />
international competition and it will have<br />
a bearing as to which clubs will have<br />
home or away fixtures in the final stages<br />
of the competition.<br />
The strength and quality of Irish rugby<br />
is reflected in the fact that three of the<br />
top eight clubs in the 16 United Rugby<br />
Championship clubs are Ulster (11 wins),<br />
<strong>Munster</strong> (11 wins) and <strong>Leinster</strong> (12 wins).<br />
In relation to our win over Toulouse we<br />
want to acknowledge the tremendous<br />
and spectacular support that the team<br />
was given by the ‘sea of blue’ at the<br />
Aviva.<br />
We thank all the 42,000 fans who<br />
created a magnificent atmosphere. The<br />
Official <strong>Leinster</strong> Supporters Club have for<br />
many seasons played an important role<br />
in the success story of <strong>Leinster</strong> at home<br />
and abroad and we thank all the OLSC<br />
Committee members and volunteers for<br />
their commitment to the team. We hope<br />
to see and hear that ‘sea of blue’ on<br />
Saturday, 28 May, at the iconic Stade<br />
Velodrome in Marseille when we play<br />
La Rochelle in the final of the Heineken<br />
Champions Cup.<br />
In what was a short turnaround from our<br />
win in Leicester, the <strong>Leinster</strong> marketing<br />
and ticketing team’s effort was truly a<br />
magnificent one to sell 42,000 tickets in<br />
five days so we thank all involved.<br />
The local derbies between our provincial<br />
sides no matter at what level are eagerly<br />
awaited by all rugby fans and indeed<br />
all players look forward to that extra<br />
spice that these events generate. No<br />
doubt the impending Ireland tour to New<br />
Zealand will be a factor as players seek<br />
performances that will guarantee a seat<br />
on the plane.<br />
A special welcome to our visitors <strong>Munster</strong><br />
and their supporters, <strong>Munster</strong> President<br />
Sean McCullough, the officers of the<br />
<strong>Munster</strong> Branch, head coach Johann Van<br />
Graan, players and management team.<br />
While we may be rivals on the pitch,<br />
we at <strong>Leinster</strong>, continue to work with our<br />
colleagues in <strong>Munster</strong>, Connacht, and<br />
Ulster for the sustained development<br />
of the game at all levels on this island<br />
and share many common goals and<br />
objectives and long may that be so.<br />
As we approach the final months of the<br />
season, <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby wishes to thank<br />
and acknowledge the contributions that<br />
departing players have made to our club.<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby will bid farewell to Devin<br />
Toner (a record 279 <strong>Leinster</strong> caps), Seán<br />
Cronin (204 <strong>Leinster</strong> caps), Dan Leavy<br />
(79 <strong>Leinster</strong> caps) who are all retiring.<br />
Joining the Connacht squad are Peter<br />
Dooley (103 <strong>Leinster</strong> caps), Adam<br />
Byrne (65 caps), Josh Murphy (60 caps)<br />
and David Hawkshaw (11 caps). Also<br />
departing are Rory O’Loughlin (96 caps)<br />
and Jack Dunne (20 caps) who are<br />
joining Exeter Chiefs. We wish all the<br />
very best in their future endeavours.<br />
I would also like to take this opportunity<br />
to wish Felipe Contepomi well on his<br />
return back home at the end of the<br />
season. The opportunity to coach your<br />
country is one too good to turn down but<br />
what a legacy he will leave on this club<br />
as a player and now as a coach. You<br />
will always have a warm welcome here<br />
Felipe, safe home and thank you.<br />
The Energia All-Ireland League has<br />
this season resulted in three individual<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Clubs (Clontarf, Blackrock and<br />
Enniscorthy) winning three of the five<br />
titles that were up for decision in what<br />
has been a most competitive and exciting<br />
league programme.<br />
A total of 18 out of the 50 AIL clubs are<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong>-based while there are five <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
women’s teams playing in the Energia<br />
Women’s All-Ireland League which<br />
currently consists of 10 clubs. The AIL<br />
fixtures received excellent coverage from<br />
4 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
all the participating clubs who promoted<br />
the games on their multiple media<br />
platforms which continue to develop and<br />
produce quality content.<br />
I also wish to remind you that the <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
Rugby charity partner for the month of<br />
May is CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young)<br />
and I would like to thank the team in<br />
BearingPoint for bringing them back to<br />
the table having previously been partners<br />
of ours back in 2015 and last year.<br />
I would strongly recommend to all that<br />
you log on to their website and make<br />
yourself fully aware as to the impact<br />
that this disease and condition can<br />
have on your life and on the lives of<br />
your treasured loved ones. CRY was<br />
established in 2002 and continues to<br />
do amazing work in the diagnosis and<br />
management of the cardiac condition.<br />
Make yourself aware and log on to<br />
www.cry.ie for further information. The<br />
CRY HELPLINE is Freephone Republic of<br />
Ireland 1800 714 080, Northern Ireland<br />
00 44 8006 40 62 80, and you can<br />
email info@cry.ie.<br />
On a related topic <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby’s<br />
‘Operation Life Saver’ has highlighted<br />
to all the <strong>Leinster</strong>-based clubs the<br />
importance of having a defibrillator<br />
(AED) in their grounds in order to deal<br />
with emergencies. Furthermore, we have<br />
highlighted the need for clubs to have in<br />
place effective emergency protocols, as<br />
well as full awareness of Eircode location.<br />
On completion of this <strong>Leinster</strong> project<br />
our clubs will be linked to the National<br />
Emergency Operations Centre and<br />
National Ambulance Service in order<br />
that we can provide the best possible<br />
outcome in these emergency situations.<br />
Two hugely worthwhile and visible<br />
campaigns that I would urge you all to<br />
support.<br />
Enjoy the game and the next few weeks.<br />
These are the games and the occasions<br />
that we have missed so much over the last<br />
two years!<br />
John Walsh<br />
President <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby 2020-2022<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 5
Leo Cullen<br />
head Coach Welcome<br />
Good evening<br />
to you all<br />
and a warm<br />
welcome to<br />
Johann van<br />
Graan and his<br />
<strong>Munster</strong> team<br />
to the Aviva<br />
Stadium for<br />
tonight’s<br />
game.<br />
The action is coming thick and<br />
fast, and it has been amazing to<br />
witness the display of red and<br />
blue at this ground over the past<br />
couple of weeks. These games<br />
are always a reflection of the<br />
passionate support behind both<br />
of our teams and that’s something<br />
we never take for granted. Long<br />
may it continue.<br />
Thankfully, we have managed to<br />
secure top spot in the United Rugby<br />
Championship. However, we know it is<br />
very tight with a lot of teams still in with a<br />
shout of securing a home play-off spot, so<br />
tonight promises to be a keenly contested<br />
game. The addition of the South African<br />
teams has added a whole new dynamic,<br />
not just on the pitch but in terms of travel,<br />
logistics and squad management.<br />
Meanwhile, even though we are involved<br />
in a European final next week, we also<br />
have a quarter-final to play the week<br />
after (we hope to see you all there!).<br />
That’s a challenge that will require focus<br />
and renewed energy. The last round of<br />
the regular season will no doubt throw up<br />
a few surprises as everyone battles it out<br />
for the top seedings.<br />
Many thanks to the 42,000-plus<br />
supporters who turned out last week to<br />
create another <strong>Leinster</strong> ‘Sea of Blue’ at<br />
the Aviva. It was truly remarkable to get<br />
such a big crowd in just five days of ticket<br />
sales (well done Claire, Niamh and all<br />
the team in what was a massive effort<br />
behind the scenes).<br />
I know it’s a big ask and a significant<br />
expense, but we hope to see as<br />
many familiar faces as possible in<br />
Marseille next Saturday.<br />
Our supporters definitely<br />
made a difference<br />
last weekend. The noise and colour<br />
throughout the match gave us all a big lift<br />
and I want to say a special thanks to the<br />
OLSC for their efforts over the last few<br />
weeks, both here and on the road.<br />
On this, the last game in our regular<br />
season, I also want to thank the team’s<br />
sponsors, especially Bank of Ireland. We<br />
know it has been a challenging couple of<br />
years for all organisations but your faith<br />
and backing makes a huge difference<br />
to the running of this team. We certainly<br />
couldn’t do what we do without you.<br />
Felipe’s announcement this week that<br />
he will be returning to Argentina really<br />
drove home the point that every season<br />
is unique; there is always some personnel<br />
movement and no two groups are ever<br />
exactly the same. That’s just the nature of<br />
our game.<br />
It’s not just Felipe who will be moving<br />
on at the end of this season; we’ll be<br />
saying goodbye to a number of players<br />
and staff members, and I’d like to take<br />
this opportunity to wish them all the very<br />
best. We are lucky to have had so many<br />
outstanding individuals feeding into the<br />
group dynamic over many years, and we<br />
thank them all for their efforts.<br />
The last few weeks have required huge<br />
commitment from absolutely everybody<br />
in the group, and we are still standing<br />
and fighting on all fronts. That in itself is<br />
a tribute to the hard work that goes on,<br />
both on the pitch and behind the scenes.<br />
We’re in for another battle this<br />
evening. I hope you enjoy the<br />
game, and the exciting few<br />
weeks that lie ahead – the<br />
games can’t come quick<br />
enough!<br />
Leo<br />
6 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Many thanks to the 42,000-plus<br />
supporters who turned out last<br />
week to create another <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
‘sea of blue’ at the Aviva.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 7
carla<br />
delaney<br />
DIRECTOR, BANK OF IRELAND AREA EAST<br />
A very warm welcome back to Aviva Stadium for the<br />
last time this season! And what a season it has been<br />
at this home, away from home, of <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby.<br />
We have seen some breath-taking<br />
displays in European competition<br />
in the Aviva Stadium this season,<br />
not to mention in the URC at the<br />
start of the season against the<br />
Bulls, and now we welcome the<br />
Red Army from <strong>Munster</strong> for one<br />
last battle at Lansdowne Road this<br />
season.<br />
The performance last weekend against<br />
Toulouse certainly whets the appetite<br />
for the game this evening and with<br />
a European final only around the<br />
corner, in addition to the United Rugby<br />
Championship play-offs, the <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
players will look at this as an opportunity<br />
for some of them to lay down a marker<br />
ahead of the knock-out games to come.<br />
As we all know, after this weekend, its<br />
knock-out rugby all the way until June 18.<br />
A condensed run of high-stakes matches<br />
that certainly narrows the focus!<br />
Well done to both Jimmy O’Brien,<br />
who won his 50th <strong>Leinster</strong> cap against<br />
Toulouse in the European semi-final,<br />
and also well done to Leo Cullen on the<br />
occasion of his 200th game as <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
Rugby head coach today.<br />
A coaching career that commenced<br />
against Edinburgh Rugby, and has<br />
taken in the highways and the byways<br />
of European rugby ever since, has led<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby to unprecedented success<br />
since Leo took over in 2015. Thank<br />
you Leo for all that you have done and<br />
achieved so far and here’s to many more<br />
big days ahead.<br />
Thank you also to Felipe Contepomi<br />
who announced this week that he will be<br />
leaving the club at the end of the season.<br />
As a player and as a coach over many<br />
years, he brought great joy to all of us<br />
supporters. Safe home Felipe and best of<br />
luck with Argentina.<br />
Players too will exit stage left over the<br />
coming weeks and we, in Bank of Ireland,<br />
would like to thank all the players that<br />
pulled on a <strong>Leinster</strong> jersey for the men’s<br />
team and the women’s team this season.<br />
You may never fully understand the great<br />
joy that you give to supporters but you<br />
genuinely do, and we very much thank<br />
you for it. We wish you all the very best<br />
of luck as you embark on your next rugby<br />
adventures.<br />
As proud sponsors of rugby in all four<br />
provinces, Bank of Ireland will always<br />
remain on the fence for days like today!<br />
But I would like to wish all the players<br />
a safe and sporting game, and the<br />
supporters a great day out.<br />
May the best team win and good luck<br />
to both in the coming weeks in the URC<br />
play-offs.<br />
CD<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 9
THE ULTIMATE<br />
URC EXPERIENCE<br />
JOIN FOR FREE<br />
Personalised team<br />
experience<br />
Exclusive offers<br />
& competitions<br />
Premium opinion<br />
articles & analysis<br />
Match highlights &<br />
exclusive video content<br />
WWW.UNITEDRUGBY.COM/MYURC
16 TEAMS,<br />
2 HEMISPHERES,<br />
1 LEAGUE
Available Now<br />
gilbertrugby.com<br />
The oval trim design is a registered trademark of Gilbert Rugby.
Did you<br />
know?<br />
• <strong>Leinster</strong> have lost their<br />
last two United Rugby<br />
Championship matches, both<br />
in South Africa, at the Cell C<br />
Sharks and the DHL Stormers<br />
and have not lost three in<br />
a row in the United Rugby<br />
Championship since 2008.<br />
• <strong>Leinster</strong>’s only defeat in<br />
their last twenty-three<br />
visits to Aviva Stadium in<br />
all tournaments was 17-25 to<br />
Saracens in the Quarter Final<br />
of the European Champions Cup<br />
in September 2020.<br />
• <strong>Munster</strong> have lost just one<br />
of their last four United<br />
Rugby Championship matches:<br />
19-34 to today’s opponents,<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong>, in Limerick on 2<br />
April.<br />
• The <strong>Munster</strong>men have already<br />
visited Aviva Stadium this<br />
season drawing there 24-all<br />
with Toulouse three weeks ago<br />
in the European Champions Cup<br />
Quarter Final but going out of<br />
the competition on a penalty<br />
shoot-out.<br />
• <strong>Leinster</strong> have lost just<br />
one of their last eight<br />
encounters with their<br />
fiercest rivals: 3-27 at the<br />
RDS Arena in the Rainbow Cup<br />
last April.<br />
• <strong>Munster</strong>’s only victory in<br />
their last twelve visits<br />
to Aviva Stadium to face<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> was 34-23 in October<br />
2014.<br />
COMPARISON<br />
Overall URC head-to-head record:<br />
Played 44, <strong>Leinster</strong> won 29, <strong>Munster</strong> won 15.<br />
Last 3 URC results<br />
2 Apr - <strong>Munster</strong> (A) W 34-19 2 Apr - <strong>Leinster</strong> (H) L 19-34<br />
23 Apr - Sharks (A) L 23-28 22 Apr - Ulster (A) W 24-17<br />
30 Apr - Stormers (A) L 13-20 29 Apr - Cardiff Rugby (H) W 42-21<br />
URC 2021/22<br />
1ST - W12 D0 L5 - 62PTS<br />
2ND - W11 D0 L6 - 56PTS<br />
WLWWLL (18pts)<br />
URC form<br />
LLWLWW (16pts)<br />
Top try scorer<br />
6 - Scott Penny, Max Deegan 7 - Simon Zebo, Craig Casey<br />
Top points scorer<br />
109 - Ross Byrne 95 - Ben Healy<br />
Date Venue L M <strong>Leinster</strong> scorers <strong>Munster</strong> scorers<br />
Sat 28 Dec 19 Thomond Park 13 6 Ross Byrne(C/2P) Ed Byrne(T) JJ Hanrahan(2P)<br />
Sat 22 Aug<br />
20<br />
Aviva Stadium 27 25 James Lowe(T) Ross Byrne(P) Cian Healy(T)<br />
Garry Ringrose(T) Johnny Sexton(3C/P)<br />
Andrew Conway(2T) Keith Earls(T) JJ<br />
Hanrahan(2C/2P)<br />
Fri 4 Sep 20 Aviva Stadium (SF) 13 3 Ronan Kelleher(T) Johnny Sexton(C/2P) JJ Hanrahan(P)<br />
Sat 23 Jan 21 Thomond Park 13 10 Ross Byrne(C) Jordan Larmour(T) Johnny<br />
Sexton(2P)<br />
Tadhg Beirne(T) JJ Hanrahan(C/P)<br />
Sat 27 Mar<br />
21<br />
RDS Arena (TF) 16 6 Jack Conan(T) Ross Byrne(C/3P) Joey Carbery(2P)<br />
Sat 2 Apr 22 Thomond Park 34 19 James Lowe(2T) Ross Byrne(C/4P) Garry<br />
Ringrose(T) Jimmy O’Brien(T)<br />
Damian de Allende(T) Joey Carbery(C/4P)<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 13
14 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
scott<br />
penny<br />
Scott Penny<br />
is still just<br />
22 years of<br />
age.<br />
It seems like<br />
he’s been<br />
around a lot<br />
longer given<br />
he already<br />
has 40<br />
appearances<br />
for the<br />
province<br />
under his<br />
belt, not to<br />
mention his<br />
22 tries in<br />
those games.<br />
the big interview<br />
BY RYAN CORRY<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 15
However, it’ll come as a surprise<br />
to many to learn he has yet to<br />
make an appearance in the<br />
Heineken Champions Cup despite<br />
being named to start against<br />
Montpellier in December as the<br />
contest was later cancelled and<br />
the home side were awarded a<br />
five-point win.<br />
So, last week, as <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby took on<br />
Toulouse at Aviva Stadium, he held a<br />
watching brief within the ground after a<br />
week where he will have done his best<br />
impressions of Rynhardt Elstadt, Francois<br />
Cros or Anthony Jelonch.<br />
But the day itself is one of those, in<br />
Penny’s opinion, that sees all of the hard<br />
work pay off.<br />
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen that kind<br />
of atmosphere in the Aviva and that much<br />
energy,” he says.<br />
“Hopefully we’ll see that again tonight.<br />
We were just preparing the lads to the<br />
best of our ability. We always talk about<br />
being brothers here and how, if you’re<br />
not involved, you’re preparing the team in<br />
the best way you can.<br />
“Basically, it was about learning off the<br />
Toulouse plays and trying to play their<br />
way during the week to get the lads used<br />
to it, just in the general loose off-loading<br />
style.”<br />
This time around, Penny will get the<br />
chance to lead the line, slotting into<br />
the number seven shirt for just his third<br />
appearance against provincial rivals<br />
<strong>Munster</strong>.<br />
He started in the 27-3 reverse at the<br />
RDS Arena in last season’s Rainbow Cup<br />
competition and had a four-minute cameo<br />
in December 2019’s 13-6 win for <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
at Thomond Park.<br />
“I’ve only played against them twice. The<br />
Rainbow Cup over a year ago was the<br />
last time. It was a tough fixture,” he adds.<br />
“We had a similar enough team to what<br />
we have out tonight, and they were pretty<br />
much full strength. They got the upper<br />
hand with the physicality with a few of<br />
us coming back having not played for a<br />
few weeks which is a similar scenario to<br />
this game.<br />
“They’re big rivals for us. Anytime we<br />
play them, no matter what it is, we’re very<br />
motivated. You want to put your hand<br />
up for selection for next week and then<br />
the quarters, semis and hopefully a final<br />
coming up then as well.<br />
“Everyone’s motivated and we’ve seen<br />
during the week, we’re very up for it. A<br />
lot of people haven’t played in a while,<br />
maybe since South Africa, so we’re all<br />
fired up and ready to go.”<br />
Not playing since the tour to South Africa<br />
is something he has to contend with<br />
himself, starting both of those games and<br />
even being on-field captain for a spell<br />
after Rhys Ruddock was replaced.<br />
16 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
It was a really good<br />
opportunity for them<br />
to get comfortable in<br />
the environment and<br />
you saw it in their<br />
performances.<br />
And despite losing by a converted try<br />
or less in both of those games, Penny<br />
outlines the level of belief that it has<br />
instilled in the wider squad and some<br />
of the fresher faces from the Academy<br />
who were experiencing their first taste<br />
of the Senior game in such a difficult<br />
environment.<br />
From training in the sweltering sun<br />
to playing games in the midst of<br />
never-ending rain against seasoned<br />
Springbok internationals, it threw<br />
everything at <strong>Leinster</strong>’s young touring<br />
squad.<br />
And, despite the losses, it was<br />
job done. The losing bonus points<br />
clinching top spot in the Conference<br />
and a home route to the final should<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> get there.<br />
“It was a great experience. We were so<br />
disappointed not to get a win over there<br />
but when we went over, the job was to<br />
secure first place before the end of the<br />
season which we did by getting two<br />
losing bonus points,” Penny explains.<br />
“Especially in the Sharks game, we felt<br />
we had an opportunity to win towards<br />
the end of the game and we didn’t. But, I<br />
think it’s great learning that, in those big<br />
games, that we are still in it. It’s just those<br />
small errors – a knock-on on the line,<br />
getting held up or whatever, they’re the<br />
winning and losing of it.<br />
“And, you’re spending a lot more time<br />
with people that you wouldn’t normally<br />
have spent too much time with before<br />
then. You’re with each other all day,<br />
every day for the guts of two weeks so<br />
you build these connections.<br />
“We visited Robben Island, Table<br />
Mountain, a few of the lads went fishing.<br />
It was a great trip. It was pretty flat out,<br />
it was a normal work week while we<br />
were there too though, training and gym<br />
sessions. And with the heat, you would<br />
be fairly tired in the evenings after 20<br />
degrees all day.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 17
MORE<br />
innovation<br />
As Official Innovation Partner to <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby,<br />
BearingPoint is embarking on a journey with<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby into the metaverse.<br />
Contact us to learn more<br />
01 418 1111<br />
www.bearingpoint.com<br />
ireland@bearingpoint.com<br />
@bearingpoint_ie
“There were lads who were getting<br />
their first chance to play for <strong>Leinster</strong>,<br />
like John (McKee), (Brian) Deeny,<br />
getting their first cap and being<br />
surrounded by the environment for the<br />
whole week with small breaks in the<br />
evening.<br />
“It was a really good opportunity<br />
for them to get comfortable in the<br />
environment and you saw it in their<br />
performances.”<br />
Another of those young players given<br />
the chance to showcase his ability was<br />
Alex Soroka, Player of the Match in the<br />
defeat to DHL Stormers.<br />
In his post-match interview, the Clontarf<br />
man spoke about the criticism of the<br />
chosen squad and widely-held opinion<br />
that they would simply be fodder for<br />
the southern hemisphere sides when<br />
they arrived in Durban and Cape<br />
Town.<br />
And Penny elaborates on Soroka’s<br />
points. Despite defeat, it was the<br />
unspoken motivation to hold their<br />
own, show exactly why they are in the<br />
position they are in by going toe-to-toe<br />
with fancied home teams.<br />
“We didn’t talk about it as a group but<br />
we knew that most people probably<br />
didn’t have faith in us down there.<br />
We’re all good athletes, we’ve all<br />
trained together week in, week out for<br />
the last year.<br />
“We knew we had the capability<br />
to go down there and put on a<br />
performance. And you’ll always see<br />
that with <strong>Leinster</strong> teams, even when the<br />
internationals are away, we’ll still have<br />
good performances in us. We had<br />
confidence that we could go down to<br />
South Africa and get two wins.”<br />
While it wouldn’t work out like that, it<br />
was still job done. And done well.<br />
So, once again, as the flanker said,<br />
motivation will be high this weekend as<br />
the southern neighbours sit in the red<br />
corner at Aviva Stadium.<br />
Tensions are always high between the<br />
provinces and with a home quarterfinal<br />
within <strong>Munster</strong>’s grasp, Penny and<br />
Co will be hoping to put that out of<br />
arm’s reach.<br />
While <strong>Munster</strong> have suffered some<br />
injuries in the pack, Penny states that<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 19
preparation and application will remain<br />
the same for him regardless of who<br />
stands opposite him.<br />
“There are some injury concerns for the<br />
<strong>Munster</strong> back row but they’re all pretty<br />
much the same type of player, they go<br />
very hard at the ball, they’re very direct<br />
ball carriers,” he says.<br />
“No matter who it is, you have to treat it<br />
like it’s an international forward in front<br />
of you whether that’s Peter O’Mahony or<br />
Alex Kendellen.<br />
“You have to try and use the footwork<br />
around them and get over the gainline.<br />
In defence then, you have to smash them.<br />
They’re going to run directly at us so<br />
you have to be prepared to stand up for<br />
yourself.”<br />
That ball-carrying aspect is something<br />
that the former St Michael’s College<br />
student has earmarked as an area for<br />
improvement in his own game.<br />
There’s no doubting his work-rate, ability<br />
to tackle or knack for scoring tries, but<br />
making the next step in his career will<br />
come from building on those strengths.<br />
It helps that he has someone like Denis<br />
Leamy, one of Ireland’s greatest backrowers,<br />
offering him guidance along the<br />
way.<br />
“I need to offer myself more in carrying.<br />
It’s something Josh (van der Flier) did last<br />
season. He really upped his ball-carrying<br />
game and there’s a reason now that<br />
he’s been selected as Players’ Player of<br />
the Season at the Rugby Players Ireland<br />
awards this week.<br />
“Coaches always like to have a good<br />
ball-carrying seven as well as the other<br />
natural attributes of a seven – chop<br />
tackle and poach specialists.<br />
“It’s such tough competition here in the<br />
back row, the starting back row here is<br />
the starting back row for Ireland.<br />
I always do<br />
some extras<br />
with him,<br />
he’s always<br />
giving us cues<br />
and tips that<br />
he learned<br />
from his own<br />
incredible<br />
career in the<br />
game.<br />
20 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
“You want to get into those big games<br />
and that comes from making a name for<br />
yourself in training, show the coaches that<br />
you’re training consistently well.<br />
“I work pretty closely with Leams. I always<br />
do some extras with him, he’s always<br />
giving us cues and tips that he learned<br />
from his own incredible career in the<br />
game.<br />
“Especially the young lads, he’s always<br />
looking to give them a hand when<br />
anything’s asked of him or going through<br />
training with them.”<br />
“And then when you’re given those<br />
opportunities, you’re not slipping up on<br />
that chance.”<br />
The next one of those opportunities is<br />
tonight – an interprovincial in front of<br />
35,000 people at Aviva Stadium.<br />
While the minds of some supporters may<br />
have been on the planes, trains and<br />
automobiles-type journey that they may<br />
need to figure out to find their way to<br />
Marseille next weekend, in and around<br />
the team HQ in UCD, all focus was purely<br />
on <strong>Munster</strong> and a strong finish to the URC<br />
Conference.<br />
“Since we got the win against Toulouse<br />
last weekend, people have been<br />
really excited but our focus has been<br />
solely <strong>Munster</strong> this week,” Penny says<br />
assertively.<br />
“I think, now that we’re here at this part of<br />
the season, everyone is dialled in.<br />
“Everyone knows what is at stake and you<br />
could see last week how clear the detail<br />
is. Those extra meetings on the small<br />
detail can lead to a big performance.”<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 21
Action<br />
replay 40 17<br />
LEINSTER RUGBY<br />
Hugo Keenan; Jimmy O’Brien, Garry<br />
Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw (Ciarán<br />
Frawley 65), James Lowe; Johnny Sexton<br />
(68), Jamison Gibson-Park (68); Andrew<br />
Porter (Cian Healy 68), Rónan Kelleher<br />
(Dan Sheehan 47), Tadhg Furlong<br />
(Michael Ala’alatoa 17); Ross Molony,<br />
James Ryan (Joe McCarthy 76); Caelan<br />
Doris, Josh van der Flier (Rhys Ruddock<br />
72), Jack Conan.<br />
SCORERS<br />
Tries: James Lowe (2), Josh van der Flier,<br />
Hugo Keenan.<br />
Cons: Johnny Sexton (3), Ross Byrne.<br />
Pens: Johnny Sexton (3), Ross Byrne.<br />
SATURDAY, 14 MAY<br />
AVIVA STADIUM<br />
ATTENDANCE: 42,076<br />
HEINEKEN CHAMPIONS CUP<br />
TOULOUSE<br />
Thomas Ramos; Juan Cruz Mallía, Pierre<br />
Fouyssac (Zack Holmes 62), Pita Ahki<br />
(Martin Page-Relo 67), Matthis Lebel;<br />
Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont;<br />
Cyril Baille (Rodrigue Neti 52-70),<br />
Julien Marchand (Selevasio Tolofua<br />
52), Dorian Aldegheri (David Ainu’u<br />
56); Rory Arnold (Thibaud Flament 56),<br />
Emmanuel Meafou (Joe Tekori 62);<br />
Rynhardt Elstadt, Francois Cros, Anthony<br />
Jelonch (Peato Mauvaka 52).<br />
SCORERS<br />
Tries: Antoine Dupont.<br />
Cons: Thomas Ramos (2).<br />
Pen: Thomas Ramos.<br />
22 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
They’re the<br />
special moments<br />
that you get,<br />
the honour of<br />
representing<br />
this team. We’ll<br />
have a group of<br />
players that<br />
will get to<br />
run out here<br />
against <strong>Munster</strong><br />
and hopefully<br />
we’ll have a big<br />
turnout again<br />
and then we<br />
turn the page to<br />
Marseille.<br />
Leo Cullen<br />
With the form<br />
he’s been in, and<br />
when I saw the<br />
red scrum hat, I<br />
just thought: ‘Get<br />
the ball to the<br />
red scrum hat’.<br />
Johnny Sexton on his set-up for Josh van<br />
der Flier’s try<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 23
From the sidelines<br />
to the engine room<br />
Women volunteering<br />
in rugby<br />
BY BARRY LAMBKIN<br />
Across the season, we have been<br />
highlighting the commitment and<br />
contribution made by women to<br />
the effective running of our clubs.<br />
Now, as we look back on another<br />
wonderful season we would<br />
like to take this opportunity to<br />
highlight four more women who<br />
have stepped up and made a<br />
significant difference in their clubs<br />
by volunteering with energy and<br />
purpose.<br />
Like all of our contributors, Enniscorthy<br />
RFC’s Samantha Wafer had her first<br />
experience of club life as a parent on the<br />
side line. Her sons were playing minis<br />
rugby at the club and a request came<br />
from the house committee for parents to<br />
help out with the organisation of blitzes.<br />
Samantha put her hand up to help one<br />
week and she has been involved in<br />
various roles ever since then.<br />
Samantha says that she has always been<br />
encouraged and supported by other<br />
club members and that this has made<br />
it easy to stay involved. She points out<br />
that like with all aspects of life there are<br />
challenges around working with other<br />
strong-minded people and long-serving<br />
Kathy Cranny<br />
Samantha Wafer<br />
volunteers who aren’t as open to new<br />
ideas as they might be but that at the end<br />
of the day everyone always puts the club<br />
first and they find a way to enjoy working<br />
together to achieve their common goals.<br />
When we asked her about her proudest<br />
moment as a volunteer Samantha said:<br />
“I managed the U-18 girls’ team. At the<br />
end of the season, we had a bit of a get<br />
together where the girls and parents were<br />
invited for a cup of tea and treats.<br />
“The coaches thanked me for the work<br />
I had done behind the scenes and the<br />
parents are still texting to see if I am<br />
going to be involved this year. Just<br />
hearing the words and praise spoken by<br />
the coaches, parents and girls touched<br />
me deeply.”<br />
Dundalk RFC is another club that has<br />
always encouraged women to get<br />
involved and supported them when they<br />
have brought new ideas to the table. Two<br />
such women are Kathy Cranny and Mary<br />
Murdock whose stories merge when they<br />
came together to run an incredible event<br />
at their club.<br />
Mary first became involved in 2005<br />
when her eldest son took up rugby. Like<br />
Samantha, she found herself on the<br />
side line but wanted to contribute to the<br />
team. She began taking photographs at<br />
games, helping with the half-time water<br />
breaks and organising parties for the<br />
kids. Committee members at the club<br />
noticed her enthusiasm and approached<br />
her to become more involved as they<br />
recognised her talents and since then she<br />
has served as an Executive Committee<br />
member as well taking on roles in<br />
fundraising, PR, events and youths rugby.<br />
Kathy’s pathway was similar to Mary’s.<br />
She always got involved with any<br />
activities that her kids took part in and she<br />
wasn’t long on the sidelines at Dundalk<br />
RFC when former Chairman Larry Steen<br />
recognised her potential and asked her to<br />
join the club’s committee.<br />
Kathy recalls how proud she felt at being<br />
24 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Mary Murdock<br />
asked. “He had great belief that I could<br />
fulfill the role of Honorary Secretary at<br />
Dundalk RFC. It was a great honor to<br />
be asked and while I was delighted I<br />
was unaware of the role or workload<br />
involved.<br />
“After a chat with my family and of<br />
course my employees, Denis and Bridget,<br />
I decided I would take on the role for one<br />
year! I’m still here many years later but<br />
am enjoying every moment of it. It’s good<br />
to give something back.”<br />
For both of these Dundalk women<br />
though, their proudest moment came<br />
from being involved in events that both<br />
supported families in the club who had<br />
been bereaved through tragedy and also<br />
raised vital funds for important charities.<br />
Kathy told us, “One of my proudest<br />
moments has been the confidence in me<br />
and trust afforded to me by the Executive<br />
Committee to lead out on Dundalk RFCs<br />
strategy to tackle breast cancer with the<br />
hosting of the “No High Tackles, Just<br />
High Heels” ladies event in February of<br />
this year.<br />
It was a celebration of Dundalk RFC<br />
Ladies and those who have lost their<br />
battle to breast cancer and those still<br />
fighting the disease. This is a first for a<br />
rugby club backed both by <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby<br />
and the IRFU. Its seeds were planted by<br />
our “Think Pink For Caroline” event in<br />
2019 to remember Caroline Gray, the<br />
late wife of our senior player, Jonathon,<br />
and mummy to Alex and Georgia who<br />
sadly lost her battle with breast cancer<br />
at age 27 which started our association<br />
with the National Breast Cancer Research<br />
Institute.”<br />
That sense of family at her club is also<br />
what encouraged Cill Dara RFC’s PRO<br />
Bernadette Prendergast to become<br />
involved. She describes herself as<br />
someone who is naturally shy but she has<br />
pushed herself out of her comfort zone so<br />
that she can be a part of the excitement<br />
of matchdays at the club.<br />
That sense of pushing yourself is<br />
something that means a lot to Bernadette<br />
and a quality that she admires in rugby<br />
players of all ages. She tells us that this is<br />
something that really rubbed off on her<br />
son who has special needs after he had<br />
been made to feel like a valuable part<br />
of a youths team who made him their<br />
mascot. Seeing them working together<br />
to achieve the goals and pushing<br />
themselves as individuals is something<br />
that Bernadette tells us that she believes<br />
played a huge part in her proudest<br />
moment.<br />
“On his first holy communion day, with<br />
the aid of a walker, he stood up from<br />
his wheelchair and walked up to the<br />
altar to receive his communion. It took<br />
every single strand of energy, stamina,<br />
endurance, and determination for him<br />
to do this. The same qualities that apply<br />
to most things in life, especially sporting<br />
activities. Qualities that were without<br />
doubt influenced by the support and<br />
the positive actions of the players and<br />
Berndaette Prendergast<br />
volunteers that he witnessed from the<br />
underage team in Cill Dara.”<br />
More and more, we are seeing our clubs<br />
encouraging women to take on roles<br />
where they can make a real difference.<br />
The energy that new volunteers bring to<br />
every aspect of club life makes the club a<br />
more enjoyable place for every member<br />
and the new ideas that these skilled<br />
volunteers bring create new possibilities<br />
and encourage even more volunteers to<br />
become involved.<br />
Samantha, Mary, Kathy and Bernadette<br />
would all like to encourage anyone<br />
who would like to be a part of the buzz<br />
at their club to reach out to someone<br />
on the club’s committee and tell them<br />
that you would like to contribute. More<br />
importantly, they would like for more and<br />
more committee members to recognise<br />
the potential of the parents on the<br />
sidelines and offer them an easy way to<br />
become involved.<br />
Everyone here at <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby applaud<br />
these four women and every woman<br />
who has done their bit to make rugby the<br />
most welcoming and inclusive sport in our<br />
wonderful province. Thank you to each<br />
and every one of you.<br />
If you are<br />
interested in<br />
taking up rugby<br />
or you would like<br />
to follow our<br />
updates, check out<br />
our social media<br />
channels:<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Women’s Rugby<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong>WomensRugby<br />
@<strong>Leinster</strong>Women<br />
womenspro@leinsterrugby.ie<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 25
HERE’S TO BEING SHOULDER<br />
TO SHOULDER AGAIN
SHOP THE 2021/22 LEINSTER RUGBY RANGE NOW,<br />
EXCLUSIVELY AT LIFE STYLE SPORTS<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 27
leo<br />
the lion’s<br />
kids<br />
corner<br />
IN A BLUR!<br />
Can you name this<br />
leinster player?<br />
spot the difference!<br />
Can you find all six?<br />
ANAGRAMS<br />
Can you un-jumble the names of these academy players?<br />
FRILLED<br />
MOON CAR<br />
I BEEN SO<br />
MAJOR<br />
how did you do?<br />
IN A BLUR?<br />
HUGO KEENAN<br />
ANAGRAMS<br />
NIALL COMERFORD<br />
JAMIE OSBORNE<br />
ZOOMED IN!<br />
TOMMY O’BRIEN<br />
zoomed in!<br />
WHo is this leinster<br />
player having an<br />
extreme close-up?<br />
28 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
AJ Products provides unique<br />
solutions for office,<br />
warehouse and<br />
environment<br />
www.ajproducts.ie
AZTO<br />
with<br />
MAX DEEGAN<br />
A – Action: If you could be a superhero,<br />
which would you be?<br />
Thor<br />
B – Boyhood: Who was your favourite<br />
sporting idol growing up?<br />
Ronaldo<br />
C – Childhood: What is your favourite<br />
childhood memory?<br />
Going to the 2009 Grand Slam in<br />
Cardiff with my dad<br />
D – Dish: What’s your go-to pre-match<br />
meal?<br />
Carbonara<br />
E – Education: What was your favourite<br />
subject in school?<br />
Maths<br />
F – Film buff: What’s your favourite film?<br />
Harry Potter<br />
G – Groove: Who is the best dancer in<br />
the squad?<br />
Ed Byrne<br />
H – Holiday: What’s your favourite<br />
holiday destination?<br />
Mexico<br />
I – Inside: Who is the worst to sit beside<br />
in the dressing room?<br />
Ed Byrne smells<br />
J – Joker: Who is the funniest in the<br />
squad?<br />
Michael Bent will never be matched.<br />
K – Kick-off: What’s your favourite time<br />
of the day to play a match?<br />
5pm<br />
L – Languages: How many languages<br />
can you speak?<br />
Six<br />
M – Music: Your favourite artist?<br />
Arctic Monkeys<br />
N – Number: Do you have a lucky<br />
number?<br />
Nope<br />
30 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
O – Others: What’s your<br />
favourite sport outside of rugby?<br />
NFL<br />
P – Pal: Who is your best mate in<br />
the squad?<br />
Devin Toner<br />
Q – Quirky: Who has the most<br />
interesting fashion sense?<br />
Adam Byrne<br />
R – Red Carpet: Who is the most<br />
famous contact in your phone?<br />
Michael Bent<br />
S – Superstitions: Do you have<br />
any matchday routines?<br />
Take a nap before the game!<br />
T – Trim: What’s the worst<br />
haircut you’ve ever had?<br />
Shaved head<br />
U: Under pressure: Who in the<br />
squad would be the best in a<br />
bad situation?<br />
Will Connors<br />
V – Verified: How often do you<br />
use social media?<br />
Every few hours!<br />
W – Worst fear: What are you<br />
most scared of?<br />
Illuminati<br />
X – X-ray: Have you ever broken<br />
any bones?<br />
Never<br />
Y – Youth: Where did you grow<br />
up?<br />
Stillorgan<br />
Z – Zoo: What’s your<br />
favourite animal?<br />
Gorilla<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 31
THE SPIRIT OF<br />
UNITED RUGBY<br />
CHAMPIONSHIP.<br />
Enjoy responsibly<br />
DISCOVER THE SPIRIT WITHIN |<br />
#SAVOURTHEMOMENT
Stillorgan-Rathfarnham RFC<br />
growing with<br />
new home<br />
ground<br />
Stillorgan-<br />
Rathfarnham<br />
RFC have<br />
been very<br />
busy in 2022<br />
and the year<br />
will get<br />
busier!<br />
The 22/23 season marks the clubs<br />
50th Anniversary but on the pitch<br />
Stillorgan-Rathfarnham hit new<br />
milestones with growth in girls’<br />
rugby teams and phenomenal<br />
growth of the minis section.<br />
Summer 2022 will now see<br />
eight years of hard work finally<br />
come to fruition when Stillorgan-<br />
Rathfarnham RFC open their new<br />
home ground, Heavy Technology<br />
Park, on Tibradden Road,<br />
Rathfarnham.<br />
The vision dream of Heavy Technology<br />
Park was born after the club were given<br />
short notice that the club pitch had been<br />
sold. Stillorgan-Rathfarnham were at a<br />
crossroads. It was either look for a new<br />
base and see if the club could survive or<br />
attempt to go out on their own with a new<br />
facility. Stillorgan-Rathfarnham formed<br />
a strategic committee, and the club are<br />
ready to move to their new home.<br />
The new facility will open with:<br />
• Three natural grass rugby pitches<br />
• Two pitches with match-standard<br />
floodlights<br />
• Pathways and spectator fencing<br />
• Changing facilities<br />
•100-space car park and utilities<br />
connections<br />
The new ground will meet the demand<br />
from the phenomenal growth in the<br />
club’s underage sections. The club is now<br />
fielding teams with both girls’ and boys’<br />
teams.<br />
• Over 200 minis in 2022 season<br />
• Establishment of underage rugby<br />
structure<br />
• Second year of growth in girls’ rugby<br />
teams<br />
• Three adult teams<br />
Stillorgan-Rathfarmham RFC will officially<br />
open Heavy Technology Park on<br />
September 10, 2022, and will mark the<br />
50th Anniversary with a Gala Dinner in<br />
April 2023.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 35
leinster<br />
squad<br />
2021/22 season<br />
Vakh Abdaladze #1263<br />
PROP<br />
DOB: 06/02/1996<br />
HEIGHT: 1.88m<br />
WEIGHT: 121kg<br />
Michael Ala’alatoa #1301<br />
prop<br />
DOB: 28/08/1991<br />
HEIGHT: 1.91m<br />
WEIGHT: 127kg<br />
7<br />
CAPS<br />
Ryan Baird #1278<br />
LOCK<br />
DOB: 26/07/1999<br />
HEIGHT: 1.98m<br />
WEIGHT: 113kg<br />
8<br />
CAPS<br />
Adam Byrne #1213<br />
WING / FULL BACK<br />
DOB: 10/04/1994<br />
HEIGHT: 1.91m<br />
WEIGHT: 98.18kg<br />
1<br />
CAP<br />
Ed Byrne #1222<br />
6<br />
CAPS<br />
Harry Byrne #1280<br />
2<br />
CAPS<br />
Ross Byrne #1236<br />
13<br />
CAPS<br />
Thomas Clarkson #1285<br />
PROP<br />
DOB: 09/09/1993<br />
HEIGHT: 1.8m<br />
WEIGHT: 114.09kg<br />
FLY HALF<br />
DOB: 22/04/1999<br />
HEIGHT: 1.9m<br />
WEIGHT: 95kg<br />
FLY HALF<br />
DOB: 08/04/1995<br />
HEIGHT: 1.9m<br />
WEIGHT: 92kg<br />
PROP<br />
DOB: 22/02/2000<br />
HEIGHT: 1.85m<br />
WEIGHT: 118kg<br />
36 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Jack Conan #1223<br />
27<br />
CAPS<br />
7<br />
CAPS<br />
Will Connors #1264<br />
9<br />
CAPS<br />
Sean Cronin #1202<br />
72<br />
CAPS<br />
Max Deegan #1256<br />
1<br />
CAP<br />
NO. 8<br />
DOB: 29/07/1992<br />
HEIGHT: 1.93m<br />
WEIGHT: 114.09kg<br />
BACK ROW<br />
DOB: 04/04/1996<br />
HEIGHT: 1.96m<br />
WEIGHT: 100kg<br />
HOOKER<br />
DOB: 06/05/1986<br />
HEIGHT: 1.78m<br />
WEIGHT: 103.18kg<br />
NO. 8<br />
DOB: 01/10/1996<br />
HEIGHT: 1.93m<br />
WEIGHT: 110kg<br />
Peter Dooley #1230<br />
Caelan Doris #1268<br />
17<br />
CAPS<br />
Jack Dunne #1276<br />
Ciaran Frawley #1265<br />
PROP<br />
DOB: 04/08/1994<br />
HEIGHT: 1.83m<br />
WEIGHT: 117kg<br />
BACK ROW<br />
DOB: 02/04/1998<br />
HEIGHT: 1.93m<br />
WEIGHT: 107kg<br />
LOCK<br />
DOB: 21/11/1998<br />
HEIGHT: 2.03m<br />
WEIGHT: 120kg<br />
FLY HALF<br />
DOB: 04/12/1997<br />
HEIGHT: 1.91m<br />
WEIGHT: 98kg<br />
Tadhg Furlong #1220<br />
PROP<br />
DOB: 14/11/1992<br />
HEIGHT: 1.83m<br />
WEIGHT: 125kg<br />
57<br />
CAPS<br />
13<br />
CAPS<br />
Jamison Gibson-Park #1247<br />
SCRUM HALF<br />
DOB: 23/02/1992<br />
HEIGHT: 1.75m<br />
WEIGHT: 80kg<br />
17<br />
CAPS<br />
David Hawkshaw #1290<br />
FLY HALF / Centre<br />
DOB: 03/07/1999<br />
HEIGHT: 1.75m )<br />
WEIGHT: 85.91kg<br />
Cian Healy #1142<br />
PROP<br />
DOB: 07/10/1987<br />
HEIGHT: 1.85m<br />
WEIGHT: 116.82kg<br />
116<br />
CAPS<br />
2<br />
CAPS<br />
Robbie Henshaw #1251<br />
57<br />
CAPS<br />
9<br />
CAPS<br />
Dave Kearney #1158<br />
19<br />
CAPS<br />
Hugo Keenan #1253<br />
20<br />
CAPS<br />
Ronan Kelleher #1277<br />
18<br />
CAPS<br />
CENTRE<br />
DOB: 12/06/1993<br />
HEIGHT: 1.9m<br />
WEIGHT: 99.09kg<br />
WING / FULL BACK<br />
DOB: 19/06/1989<br />
HEIGHT: 1.8m<br />
WEIGHT: 90kg<br />
FULL BACK<br />
DOB: 18/06/1996<br />
HEIGHT: 1.85m<br />
WEIGHT: 91.82kg<br />
HOOKER<br />
DOB: 24/01/1998<br />
HEIGHT: 1.83m<br />
WEIGHT: 105kg<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 37
Jordan Larmour #1258<br />
30<br />
CAPS<br />
Dan Leavy #1231<br />
11<br />
CAPS<br />
WING<br />
DOB: 10/06/1997<br />
HEIGHT: 1.78m<br />
WEIGHT: 90kg<br />
FLANKER<br />
DOB: 23/05/1994<br />
HEIGHT: 1.91m<br />
WEIGHT: 105.91kg<br />
for full squad profiles<br />
please click here<br />
James Lowe #1262<br />
12<br />
CAPS<br />
Nick McCarthy #1241<br />
Luke McGrath #1206<br />
19<br />
CAPS<br />
Michael Milne #1279<br />
WING / FULL BACK<br />
DOB: 08/07/1992<br />
HEIGHT: 1.88m<br />
WEIGHT: 105kg<br />
SCRUM HALF<br />
DOB: 25/03/1995<br />
HEIGHT: 1.8m<br />
WEIGHT: 84.09kg<br />
SCRUM HALF<br />
DOB: 03/02/1993<br />
HEIGHT: 1.75m<br />
WEIGHT: 84.09kg<br />
PROP<br />
DOB: 05/02/1999<br />
HEIGHT: 1.83m<br />
WEIGHT: 115kg<br />
Jimmy O’Brien #1272<br />
Conor O’Brien #1260<br />
Josh Murphy #1261<br />
Ross Molony #1233<br />
LOCK<br />
DOB: 11/05/1994<br />
HEIGHT: 1.96m<br />
WEIGHT: 113kg<br />
FLANKER<br />
DOB: 17/02/1995<br />
HEIGHT: 1.98m<br />
WEIGHT: 110kg<br />
CENTRE<br />
DOB: 06/02/1996<br />
HEIGHT: 1.91m<br />
WEIGHT: 100kg<br />
CENTRE<br />
DOB: 27/11/1996<br />
HEIGHT: 1.83m<br />
WEIGHT: 88kg<br />
Tommy O’Brien #1283<br />
Rory O’Loughlin #1248<br />
1<br />
CAP<br />
Scott Penny #1271<br />
Andrew Porter #1246<br />
43<br />
CAPS<br />
CENTRE<br />
DOB: 28/05/1998<br />
HEIGHT: 1.83m<br />
WEIGHT: 95kg<br />
CENTRE<br />
DOB: 21/01/1994<br />
HEIGHT: 1.88m<br />
WEIGHT: 94.09kg<br />
FLANKER<br />
DOB: 22/09/1999<br />
HEIGHT: 1.83m<br />
WEIGHT: 104kg<br />
PROP<br />
DOB: 16/01/1996<br />
HEIGHT: 1.83m<br />
WEIGHT: 114.09kg<br />
38 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Garry Ringrose #1237<br />
42<br />
CAPS<br />
Rhys Ruddock #1167<br />
27<br />
CAPS<br />
James Ryan #1259<br />
43<br />
CAPS<br />
Johnny Sexton #1127<br />
105<br />
CAPS<br />
14<br />
CAPS<br />
CENTRE<br />
DOB: 26/01/1995<br />
HEIGHT: 1.85m<br />
WEIGHT: 96kg<br />
BACK ROW<br />
DOB: 13/11/1990<br />
HEIGHT: 1.91m<br />
WEIGHT: 113.18kg<br />
LOCK<br />
DOB: 24/07/1996<br />
HEIGHT: 2.03m<br />
WEIGHT: 115kg<br />
FLY HALF<br />
DOB: 11/07/1985<br />
HEIGHT: 1.88m<br />
WEIGHT: 90kg<br />
Dan Sheehan #1286<br />
HOOKER<br />
DOB: 17/09/1998<br />
HEIGHT: 1.91m<br />
WEIGHT: 110.91kg<br />
7<br />
CAPS<br />
Devin Toner #1128<br />
LOCK<br />
DOB: 29/06/1986<br />
HEIGHT: 2.11m<br />
WEIGHT: 127kg<br />
70<br />
CAPS<br />
James Tracy #1211<br />
HOOKER<br />
DOB: 02/04/1991<br />
HEIGHT: 1.83m<br />
WEIGHT: 106kg<br />
6<br />
CAPS<br />
Josh van der Flier #1228<br />
FLANKER<br />
DOB: 25/04/1993<br />
HEIGHT: 1.85m<br />
WEIGHT: 103kg<br />
40<br />
CAPS<br />
Coaching<br />
Staff<br />
2021/22 season<br />
LEO CULLEN<br />
HEAD COACH<br />
STUART LANCASTER<br />
SENIOR COACH<br />
ROBIN MCBRYDE<br />
ASSISTANT COACH<br />
FELIPE CONTEPOMI<br />
BACKS COACH<br />
EMMET FARRELL<br />
KICKING COACH AND<br />
LEAD PERFORMANCE ANALYST<br />
GUY EASTERBY<br />
HEAD OF RUGBY OPERATIONS<br />
DENIS LEAMY<br />
CONTACT SKILLS COACH<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 39
We always strive to be<br />
A beat ahead<br />
layahealthcare.ie
Your best support every season<br />
Managed IT Services IT Disaster Recovery<br />
Managed IT Security Services Cloud Services<br />
Delivering bespoke IT services from concept, delivery and support<br />
support@lantech.ie<br />
www.lantech.ie<br />
OFFICIAL<br />
IT PARTNER
RUGBY<br />
YOU KNOW BETTER<br />
BECAUSE YOU GET<br />
Official Media Partner of <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby
THANK YOU<br />
TO OUR CLUBS<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby wish to acknowledge the 72 rugby<br />
clubs across the province for the excellent<br />
contribution in promoting the domestic game by<br />
way of their social media platforms, in particular<br />
over the last 18 months as we all strived to deal<br />
with and come through the Covid pandemic.<br />
Who would have envisaged this<br />
time last year that we would get<br />
to complete a full season across<br />
all levels of our domestic game.<br />
The <strong>Leinster</strong> Branch domestic<br />
rugby personnel along with the<br />
many volunteers on various<br />
committees strived tirelessly<br />
as always to ensure that all<br />
competitions were completed<br />
successfully. They are to be<br />
congratulated and thanked for<br />
their hard work.<br />
The dedication and expertise by Lisa<br />
Doyle and the communications team in<br />
the Branch office in promoting the club<br />
game through <strong>Leinster</strong>’s media channels<br />
are greatly appreciated by all involved<br />
with domestic rugby.<br />
However, without the commitment and<br />
buy-in by all in our rugby clubs across<br />
the 12 counties post pandemic, this<br />
past season would not have been the<br />
wonderful success that it was.<br />
None more so than the very noticeable<br />
increase of the use of social media<br />
platforms by all clubs in promoting<br />
events and matches across all levels<br />
of the game. This proved to be a vital<br />
way of connecting and reaching out to<br />
club members and players especially<br />
during lockdown and it is great to see<br />
there has been little let up in the amount<br />
of use on these outlets since rugby<br />
resumed.<br />
The number of club rugby video clips<br />
and the promotion of upcoming games<br />
being shared is increasing and the<br />
standard of content is ever improving<br />
and as a result it means our club game<br />
is reaching a far wider audience.<br />
Also, a lot of clubs are live-streaming<br />
matches now allowing members who<br />
cannot attend or living abroad the<br />
ability to watch their clubs in action.<br />
This again is a wonderful and new<br />
innovation and initial concerns that<br />
it might keep club members from<br />
attending in person has not happened.<br />
Indeed, regular notifications of<br />
upcoming fixtures on social media has<br />
no doubt led to the increased number in<br />
attendances seen at club matches over<br />
recent months.<br />
Club websites are another outlet that<br />
has seen increased usage as clubs<br />
continue to improve the quality of<br />
content.<br />
As a result of all this increased media<br />
activity by our clubs our domestic game<br />
is reaching wider audiences which will<br />
in time only prove to be beneficial to all.<br />
Congratulations and sincere thanks to<br />
all 72 clubs, and keep up the posting<br />
and sharing.<br />
John Walsh<br />
President <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby<br />
Jacinta O’Rourke<br />
Chair of Domestic PR Committee<br />
PS - Clubs can avail of the <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
domestic website with good news stories<br />
by forwarding articles to: stories@<br />
leinsterrugby.ie or by contacting a<br />
member of the Domestic PR Committee<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 43
BEARINGPOINT INTRODUCES<br />
LEINSTER RUGBY TO<br />
THE METAVERSE<br />
BearingPoint,<br />
the official<br />
innovation<br />
partner of<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong><br />
Rugby, has<br />
hosted a<br />
milestone<br />
event<br />
showcasing<br />
the<br />
capabilities<br />
of metaverse<br />
technology<br />
for the<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby<br />
sporting<br />
community.<br />
In a multi-location demonstration<br />
of BearingPoint’s virtual reality<br />
(VR) and innovation capabilities,<br />
they have unveiled their shared<br />
ambition with <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby. The<br />
metaverse is a digital environment<br />
where you can work, collaborate,<br />
meet friends and have fun, and<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby is looking to lead<br />
the way for the future of sport in<br />
this digital world.<br />
Business partners, media and <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
Rugby players Jamison Gibson-Park,<br />
Will Connors and Hugo Keenan were<br />
in attendance through virtual reality<br />
technology in four locations across Europe<br />
including the BearingPoint offices in<br />
Dublin, London, and Paris as well as the<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby club facilities in University<br />
College Dublin.<br />
Showcasing the convergence between<br />
the physical and digital worlds through<br />
cutting-edge technology, guests at the<br />
event entered the metaverse and went on<br />
a journey from the BearingPoint offices<br />
in Paris and finished with a pitchside<br />
experience and presentation in a VRbuilt<br />
Aviva Stadium developed by the<br />
BearingPoint team.<br />
BearingPoint is planning to play a central<br />
role in leveraging its VR expertise to<br />
enable <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby to further engage its<br />
fans through immersive experiences and to<br />
explore the wider commercial possibilities<br />
and potential this technology has in the<br />
sporting world.<br />
Speaking at the launch, Gillian O’Sullivan,<br />
Country Leader for BearingPoint Ireland<br />
said: “Today we unveiled our plans to<br />
lead <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby into the metaverse.<br />
It is a very exciting day for us as their<br />
innovation partner and we are committed<br />
to leading them on this journey.<br />
“The power of virtual reality is enormous,<br />
and we wanted to show how this<br />
technology can expand businesses and<br />
experiences. What better way to do it<br />
than by bringing <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby into the<br />
metaverse.”<br />
BearingPoint’s vision and commitment to<br />
leading <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby on this journey<br />
were set out by their immersive experience<br />
expert, Eric Chevallet at the event.<br />
Speaking at the launch, Eric Chevallet,<br />
Head of Immersive Labs at BearingPoint<br />
said, “At BearingPoint, we are an<br />
innovative company that is ahead of<br />
the curve with regard to metaverse<br />
technology and more broadly with virtual<br />
reality technology.<br />
“The potential for businesses in the<br />
metaverse is endless, and we are<br />
delighted to be working with Ireland’s<br />
leading sports franchise making this first<br />
move today.”<br />
44 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Kevin Quinn, Head of Commercial and<br />
Marketing at <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby who attended<br />
the event said, “At <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby, we’re<br />
always striving to improve, to nurture<br />
and drive the pursuit of excellence in<br />
everything we do both on and off the<br />
pitch. This exciting initiative is a significant<br />
and strategic business and brand building<br />
opportunity for us at <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby.<br />
He added: “By entering the metaverse<br />
with BearingPoint’s support, we are<br />
broadening our horizons to identify new<br />
digital commercial opportunities and<br />
working to develop immersive rugby<br />
experiences that provide our community<br />
with new ways to experience rugby, follow<br />
their teams and interact with our brand.<br />
“We have a passionate, engaged and<br />
growing supporter base and we’re excited<br />
to work with our innovation partner,<br />
BearingPoint, to explore new ways to<br />
improve how we communicate and<br />
engage with them.”<br />
The event provided valuable learning<br />
opportunities for attendees to experience<br />
first-hand the benefits and potential of the<br />
metaverse.<br />
Interest in the metaverse has grown<br />
exponentially in the past year which is<br />
causing businesses to rethink and change<br />
how they can engage more effectively<br />
with users online.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 45
compiled by stuart farmer<br />
media services limited<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Player<br />
Statistics<br />
SQUAD<br />
CAP<br />
NO<br />
DEBUT<br />
2021/22 SEASON FOR LEINSTER LEINSTER CAREER<br />
ALL GAMES URC EPCR ALL GAMES PRO14/URC EPCR<br />
App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts<br />
SINCE LAST TRY<br />
CAPS<br />
VAKH ABDALADZE 1263 2 DEC 17 0+5 1 5 0+4 1 5 0+1 - - 0+17 2 10 0+16 2 10 0+1 - - 2 -<br />
MICHAEL ALA'ALATOA 1301 25 SEPT 21 12+10 2 10 11+4 1 5 1+6 1 5 12+10 2 10 11+4 1 5 1+6 1 5 10 WS 7<br />
RYAN BAIRD 1278 27 APR 19 5+4 1 5 4+3 1 5 1+1 - - 17+19 7 35 15+14 7 35 2+5 - - 4 IR 8<br />
LEE BARRON 1308 23 APR 22 0+2 - - 0+2 - - - - - 0+2 - - 0+2 - - - - - - -<br />
ADAM BYRNE 1213 29 DEC 12 6+2 4 20 6+2 4 20 - - - 55+10 24 120 45+10 18 90 10 6 30 5 IR 1<br />
ED BYRNE 1222 9 FEB 14 7+7 2 10 7+5 2 10 0+2 - - 26+58 12 60 26+45 11 55 0+13 1 5 1 IR 6<br />
HARRY BYRNE 1280 28 SEPT 19 6+4 - 12 6+4 - 12 - - - 20+14 6 166 20+13 6 161 0+1 - 5 13 IR 2<br />
ROSS BYRNE 1236 4 SEPT 15 13+8 3 157 11+3 2 109 2+5 1 48 83+42 9 807 69+21 4 580 14+21 5 227 8 IR 13<br />
THOMAS CLARK-<br />
1285 29 AUG 20 3+4 - - 3+4 - - - - - 5+12 - - 5+12 - - - - - - -<br />
SON<br />
JACK CONAN 1223 20 FEB 14 9 2 10 3 - - 6 2 10 89+25 25 125 62+15 16 80 27+10 9 45 7 IR 27<br />
WILL CONNORS 1264 9 FEB 18 1+1 - - 1+1 - - - - - 18+7 2 10 17+7 2 10 1 - - 12 IR 9<br />
TIM CORKERY 1298 12 MAR 21 - - - - - - - - - 0+2 - - 0+2 - - - - - - -<br />
CHRIS COSGRAVE 1305 26 MAR 22 1+1 - - 1+1 - - - - - 1+1 - - 1+1 - - - - - - -<br />
SEAN CRONIN 1202 28 OCT 11 3+6 3 15 3+6 3 15 - - - 123+81 45 225 79+60 28 140 43+19 16 80 3 IR 72<br />
MAX DEEGAN 1256 3 DEC 16 7+11 6 30 7+7 6 30 0+4 - - 42+41 24 120 39+29 22 110 3+12 2 10 4 IR 1<br />
BRIAN DEENY 1306 23 APR 22 2 - - 2 - - - - - 2 - - 2 - - - - - - -<br />
PETER DOOLEY 1230 31 OCT 14 3+7 - - 3+7 - - - - - 43+60 5 25 41+54 5 25 2+6 - - 18 -<br />
CAELAN DORIS 1268 28 APR 18 12 2 10 5 2 10 7 - - 44+8 7 35 31+6 5 25 13+2 2 10 9 IR 17<br />
JACK DUNNE 1276 16 FEB 19 2+3 - - 2+3 - - - - - 4+16 - - 4+16 - - - - - - -<br />
CORMAC FOLEY 1299 24 APR 21 1+2 - - 1+2 - - - - - 1+3 - - 1+3 - - - - - - -<br />
CIARAN FRAWLEY 1265 17 FEB 18 12+6 2 31 10+2 1 26 2+4 1 5 29+24 6 174 26+16 4 158 3+8 2 16 7 -<br />
TADHG FURLONG 1220 1 NOV 13 9+1 2 10 3+1 - - 6 2 10 82+42 10 50 45+34 3 15 37+8 7 35 3 IR 57<br />
JAMISON GIBSON-PARK 1247 2 SEPT 16 8+4 4 20 3+2 - - 5+2 4 20 57+56 21 105 47+30 14 70 10+26 7 35 3 IR 17<br />
MARCUS HANAN 1295 19 FEB 21 - - - - - - - - - 0+3 - - 0+3 - - - - - - -<br />
DAVID HAWKSHAW 1290 2 NOV 20 0+3 1 13 0+3 1 13 - - - 0+11 2 27 0+11 2 27 - - - 2 -<br />
CIAN HEALY 1142 5 MAY 07 4+10 2 10 3+5 2 10 1+5 - - 160+85 29 145 93+53 15 75 65+31 13 65 5 IR 116<br />
ROBBIE HENSHAW 1251 8 OCT 16 8 4 20 3 1 5 5 3 15 64+1 15 75 28 6 30 36+1 9 45 2 IR 57<br />
DAVE KEARNEY 1158 16 MAY 09 3+1 1 5 3+1 1 5 - - - 150+23 52 260 124+16 45 225 25+6 7 35 2 IR 19<br />
HUGO KEENAN 1253 5 NOV 16 13 5 25 6 1 5 7 4 20 40+3 9 45 28+3 5 25 12 4 20 1 IR 20<br />
RONAN KELLEHER 1277 22 FEB 19 8+2 4 20 2+2 3 15 6 1 5 28+7 13 65 16+5 11 55 12+2 2 10 6 IR 18<br />
JORDAN LARMOUR 1258 2 SEPT 17 9 6 30 6 4 20 3 2 10 61+10 25 125 37+7 18 90 24+3 7 35 1 IR 30<br />
46 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
SQUAD<br />
CAP<br />
NO<br />
DEBUT<br />
2021/22 SEASON FOR LEINSTER LEINSTER CAREER<br />
ALL GAMES URC EPCR ALL GAMES PRO14/URC EPCR<br />
App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts App Try Pts<br />
SINCE LAST TRY<br />
CAPS<br />
TEMI LASISI 1304 12 MAR 22 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - - -<br />
DAN LEAVY 1231 31 OCT 14 4+3 - - 4+3 - - - - - 47+32 17 85 39+22 13 65 8+10 4 20 8 IR 11<br />
JAMES LOWE 1262 2 DEC 17 10+2 13 65 5+1 3 15 5+1 10 50 62+2 47 235 39+1 28 140 23+1 19 95 1 IR 12<br />
JOE MCCARTHY 1303 29 JAN 22 5+2 - - 5 - - 0+2 - - 5+2 - - 5 - - 0+2 - - - -<br />
NICK MCCARTHY 1241 19 DEC 15 3+7 1 5 3+7 1 5 - - - 9+37 5 25 9+31 5 25 0+6 - - 6 -<br />
LUKE MCGRATH 1206 5 MAY 12 12+9 1 5 10+4 1 5 2+5 - - 114+58 40 200 79+47 32 160 35+11 8 40 6 IR 19<br />
JOHN MCKEE 1307 23 APR 22 2 - - 2 - - - - - 2 - - 2 - - - - - - -<br />
MICHAEL MILNE 1279 28 SEPT 19 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - 1+16 2 10 1+16 2 10 - - - 15 -<br />
MARTIN MOLONEY 1300 24 APR 21 2+4 - - 2+4 - - - - - 2+5 - - 2+5 - - - - - - -<br />
ROSS MOLONY 1233 20 FEB 15 17+3 1 5 10+3 - - 7 1 5 81+55 5 25 72+40 4 20 9+15 1 5 13 -<br />
JOSH MURPHY 1261 3 NOV 17 7+4 - - 3+4 - - 4 - - 49+11 5 25 44+10 4 20 5+1 1 5 20 -<br />
JAMIE OSBORNE 1294 30 JAN 21 10+2 - - 10+2 - - - - - 12+6 1 5 12+6 1 5 - - - 13 -<br />
CONOR O'BRIEN 1260 3 NOV 17 1 - - 1 - - - - - 17+7 6 30 17+6 6 30 0+1 - - 10 -<br />
JIMMY O'BRIEN 1272 23 NOV 18 14+1 8 42 8 3 17 6+1 5 25 40+10 15 79 32+9 9 49 8+1 6 30 5 -<br />
SEAN O'BRIEN 1297 12 MAR 21 0+1 - - 0+1 - - - - - 0+3 - - 0+3 - - - - - - -<br />
TOMMY O'BRIEN 1283 20 DEC 19 6+6 3 15 6+4 3 15 0+2 - - 10+11 6 30 10+9 6 30 0+2 - - 2 -<br />
RORY O'LOUGH-<br />
1248 2 SEPT 16 8+1 1 5 8+1 1 5 - - - 72+24 22 110 65+16 19 95 7+8 3 15 3 IR 1<br />
LIN<br />
MAX O'REILLY 1291 2 JAN 21 2 - - 2 - - - - - 8+1 1 5 8+1 1 5 - - - 8 -<br />
SCOTT PENNY 1271 23 NOV 18 10+1 6 30 10+1 6 30 - - - 33+7 22 110 33+7 22 110 - - - 2 -<br />
ANDREW PORTER 1246 2 SEPT 16 10+1 3 15 4+1 2 10 6 1 5 38+50 14 70 27+31 10 50 11+19 4 20 5 IR 43<br />
GARRY RINGROSE 1237 12 SEPT 15 13 2 10 6 2 10 7 - - 97+2 29 153 58+1 18 98 39+1 11 55 5 IR 42<br />
RHYS RUDDOCK 1167 6 DEC 09 13+7 1 5 12+3 1 5 1+4 - - 156+52 12 60 118+34 10 50 37+16 2 10 14 IR 27<br />
ROB RUSSELL 1302 3 OCT 21 2+2 - - 2+2 - - - - - 2+2 - - 2+2 - - - - - - -<br />
JAMES RYAN 1259 2 SEPT 17 5 - - 3 - - 2 - - 49+6 3 15 25+1 1 5 24+5 2 10 15 IR 43<br />
JOHNNY SEXTON 1127 27 JAN 06 7+2 - 87 2+1 - 22 5+1 - 65 155+27 26 1594 89+20 13 855 64+7 12 708 22 IR 105<br />
DAN SHEEHAN 1286 23 OCT 20 4+9 7 35 3+3 4 20 1+6 3 15 7+19 13 65 6+13 10 50 1+6 3 15 6 IR 7<br />
ANDREW SMITH 1292 2 JAN 21 - - - - - - - - - 1+1 - - 1+1 - - - - - - -<br />
ALEX SOROKA 1296 28 FEB 21 1+1 - - 1+1 - - - - - 2+2 - - 2+2 - - - - - - -<br />
DEVIN TONER 1128 27 JAN 06 6+7 - - 6+4 - - 0+3 - - 212+67 4 20 146+46 4 20 63+21 - - 62 IR 70<br />
JAMES TRACY 1211 4 NOV 12 7+5 4 20 7+4 4 20 0+1 - - 64+77 18 90 57+48 17 85 7+29 1 5 5 IR 6<br />
LIAM TURNER 1287 23 OCT 20 - - - - - - - - - 4+2 - - 4+2 - - - - - - -<br />
JOSH VAN DER FLIER 1228 11 OCT 14 12+1 7 35 5+1 1 5 7 6 30 87+24 18 90 50+18 8 40 37+6 10 50 1 IR 40<br />
KICKING<br />
2021/22 SEASON FOR LEINSTER LEINSTER CAREER<br />
ALL GAMES URC EPCR ALL GAMES PRO14/URC EPCR OVERALL<br />
SUCCESS<br />
RATE<br />
C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG C PG DG ATT Career<br />
%<br />
- - - HARRY BYRNE 66.67% 6 - - 6 - - - - - 59 6 58 5 1 1 83 78.31%<br />
ROSS BYRNE 86.49% 50 14 - 33 11 - 17 3 - 246 89 1 187 61 1 59 28 - 428 78.27%<br />
CIARAN FRAWLEY 100.00% 3 5 - 3 5 - - - - 54 12 - 51 12 - 3 - - 80 82.50%<br />
DAVID HAWKSHAW 66.67% 4 - - 4 - - - - - 7 1 - 7 1 - - - - 12 66.67%<br />
JIMMY O'BRIEN 100.00% 1 - - 1 - - - - - 2 - - 2 - - - - - 4 50.00%<br />
GARRY RINGROSE - - - - - - - - - - 4 - - 4 - - - - - 6 66.67%<br />
JOHNNY SEXTON 84.78% 30 9 - 8 2 - 22 7 - 264 301 11 128 171 7 129 126 4 706 80.03%<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 47
TITLE PARTNER<br />
OFFICAL KIT PARTNER<br />
PREMIUM PARTNERS<br />
PARTNERS & SUPPLIERS<br />
MEDIA PARTNERS<br />
48 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Proudly Supporting<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby<br />
Offices in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Mullingar<br />
Tel: +353 (0)1 266 6000<br />
Fax: +353 (0)1 266 6620<br />
Web: aon.com/Ireland<br />
Aon Ireland Limited t/a Aon, Aon Risk Solutions, Aon Risk Affinity, Aon Claims Management, The Bar of Ireland Financial<br />
Services and Unity Insurances is a private company limited by shares and is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
ig picture<br />
14 May 2022<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> supporters before the<br />
Heineken Champions Cup Semi-<br />
Final match between <strong>Leinster</strong> and<br />
Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium in<br />
Dublin.<br />
50 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 51
Your one stop shop for<br />
Deep Retrofits<br />
A deep retrofit will bring your home to the highest level of<br />
energy efficiency so you’ll see the savings in your energy<br />
usage immediately.<br />
Energia’s Cosy Homes Scheme offers all the practical support<br />
and advice you need to get started. Our expert team has years<br />
of experience helping homeowners with all kinds of energy<br />
saving upgrades and retrofits.<br />
We manage everything on your behalf, including all the SEAI<br />
grants which are discounted upfront. And with grants of up to<br />
€35,000 per home now available, as well as additional Energia<br />
financial support, having a cosy home is easier than ever.<br />
Talk to us today about how you can improve the<br />
comfort and BER rating of your home.<br />
energia.ie/cosy-homes<br />
0818 300 701
Old Belvedere announce<br />
partnership with<br />
Homeless Period Ireland<br />
Old Belvedere Women’s<br />
Rugby are proud to announce<br />
a partnership with Homeless<br />
Period Ireland. The Old Belvedere<br />
women’s team will display the<br />
logo of Homeless Period Ireland<br />
for the 2022 season and beyond.<br />
The aim is to promote awareness for<br />
period poverty and to encourage period<br />
positivity in today’s society.<br />
“Old Belvedere women’s rugby is<br />
delighted to support the important work<br />
that Homeless Period Ireland is doing to<br />
provide feminine hygiene products and<br />
promote awareness of how this issue<br />
affects the dignity and comfort of those<br />
experiencing homelessness and other<br />
barriers to accessing period products.<br />
“Our team has provided practical<br />
support for the charity through collections<br />
and donations for the past several years<br />
while also raising awareness by proudly<br />
wearing the Homeless Period Ireland<br />
logo on our jerseys,” said Yvonne Nolan,<br />
Director of Rugby at Old Belvedere RFC<br />
Claire Hunt, CEO of Homeless Period<br />
Ireland added; “Homeless Period Ireland<br />
is a volunteer-run initiative. The aim of the<br />
initiative is to get period products to those<br />
in need but also to raise awareness to the<br />
issue of period poverty.<br />
“Sport has a massive platform, which<br />
can be used to start a conversation<br />
about periods in a space that you would<br />
never expect! A huge thank you to Old<br />
Belvedere women’s rugby, it is an honour<br />
to have our logo emblazoned on the Old<br />
Belvedere jersey. This sends out a very<br />
positive message to both fans in stadia<br />
and players.”<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 53
offical leinster supporters club<br />
And so with the high and the success of our European semi-final<br />
victory last week, our 2021/22 rugby journey will now roll on for<br />
the next three weeks at least (with hopefully another two after<br />
that!). The focus for today is back on URC action and a return to<br />
the Aviva as we once again welcome another red army, that of our<br />
interprovincial rivals, <strong>Munster</strong>, for this rescheduled fixture.<br />
So much has been written about<br />
these two sides and their many,<br />
many head-to-heads down<br />
through the years that you might<br />
be forgiven for thinking this is<br />
just another routine run of the<br />
mill game, however thankfully<br />
you’d be wrong! Whilst we<br />
have secured a home quarterfinal<br />
for the weekend of June 4,<br />
<strong>Munster</strong> will be looking to secure<br />
as many match points as they<br />
can today given that the three<br />
teams in second, third and fourth<br />
positions of the URC are all on 56<br />
points and so they’ll no doubt be<br />
desperate to stay in the top four<br />
so that they won’t have to travel<br />
for a quarter-final.<br />
The last fixture for <strong>Munster</strong> in the Aviva<br />
Stadium was a mere two weeks ago<br />
when their supporters met with the other<br />
red army of Toulouse in the Heineken<br />
Champions Cup quarter-final. Victory<br />
on that day went to the French and well<br />
we know what happened to them last<br />
weekend, however given that <strong>Munster</strong><br />
have had an extra week to prepare for<br />
this fixture, you can be sure that they will<br />
be primed and ready to overturn <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
at every opportunity and so this is once<br />
again sure to be an exciting game of<br />
rugby from start to finish.<br />
Leo, Stuart and Co took a welcome<br />
opportunity to get some of the extended<br />
senior squad some game time last Friday,<br />
as ‘A’ head coach Simon Broughton<br />
selected a number of the players as part<br />
54 | www.leinsterrugby.ie<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong><br />
<strong>Munster</strong><br />
1st Position 2nd<br />
L W W L L URC Form L W L W W<br />
511 Points Scored 499<br />
69 Tries Scored 63<br />
7,253 Metres Gained 5,590<br />
251 Points Conceded 306<br />
28 Tries Conceded 30<br />
2,440 Tackles Made 2,317<br />
89% Tackle Success 89%<br />
Ross Byrne (109) Leading Points Scorer Ben Healy (97)<br />
Scott Penny (6) Tries Scored Simon Zebo (7)<br />
Max Deegan (73) Successful Carries Gavin Coombes (61)<br />
Rhys Ruddock (22) Defenders Beaten Mike Haley (24)<br />
of his team that faced a University Student<br />
Selection in Energia Park. Michael Milne,<br />
Jack Dunne, Martin Moloney, Ryan Baird<br />
and Vakh Abdaladze were just some of<br />
the names who featured and this is sure<br />
to be a welcome boost to Leo and the<br />
entire squad as they work to what is a<br />
very important game both today, and in<br />
France next week!<br />
Our form coming into this game reads as<br />
having lost our last two however those<br />
fixtures were away from home down in<br />
South Africa and it was a very youthful<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> team who travelled. Whilst the<br />
results might not have been what the<br />
players themselves wanted, those two<br />
losing bonus points they secured ensured<br />
our place as the top seed in the URC and<br />
thus the all-important home quarter-final<br />
so it was an excellent result that they<br />
returned home with.<br />
These fixtures are always tense affairs<br />
and we expect no different this week<br />
but what we do know as evidenced in<br />
the past weeks both home and away is<br />
that we can come away with the victory<br />
when we need it most when the crowd<br />
is behind the team and let’s make sure<br />
today is no different. We want to wrap up<br />
the pool stages on a high so let’s ensure<br />
we get the job done today!<br />
As always we’re thankful for the support<br />
we as a committee get from <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
Rugby, Bank of Ireland, Laya (for our<br />
wonderful TRY/clap banners, and all<br />
our other sponsors and as always we<br />
encourage you to show your support<br />
through our social media channels.<br />
Be loud, be true, be blue<br />
Yours in Rugby,<br />
Your OLSC Committee
OFFICIAL<br />
LEINSTER<br />
SUPPORTERS<br />
CLUB<br />
Suort Suort Suort Suort Suort us by<br />
visiting r r r r r<br />
ONLINE<br />
STORE<br />
Kp Kp Kp Kp Kp up date<br />
OLSC<br />
NEWS<br />
Ctact Ctact Ctact Ctact Ctact us<br />
olsc@leinsterrugby.ie<br />
Foow Foow Foow Foow Foow us<br />
#seaofblue P D E Q
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby<br />
thriving in Nairobi<br />
Paula Cullen and<br />
three friends,<br />
Adrienne Keeley<br />
(Wicklow),<br />
Catherine Nolan<br />
(Carlow) and<br />
Irene Plunkett<br />
(Castleknock)<br />
have spent the<br />
last 15 days<br />
working at the<br />
street boys<br />
rehab centre<br />
in the Mukuru<br />
slums.<br />
Among the many things they<br />
achieved for the boys during their<br />
stay included a day at an animal<br />
sanctuary in National Park, an<br />
afternoon swimming and a school<br />
sports day.<br />
However the highlight of their trip had<br />
to be the centre’s residents competing at<br />
a tag rugby tournament in the heart of<br />
the Ngong Hills about two hours outside<br />
Nairobi, a most remote area.<br />
The centre had three teams entered,<br />
U-14s with the name Carlow, U-16s with<br />
the name Blackrock and U-16s called<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong>.<br />
The U-14s won their section and the two<br />
U-16s got to the final with the B team<br />
beating the A team in their group. It was<br />
as good as it gets with huge excitement<br />
among the boys who had all played four<br />
matches each to make the finals.<br />
This could not have happened without<br />
the support of <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby who have<br />
generously supplied the boys kits while<br />
we were honoured to meet the vice<br />
chairman of Kenya Rugby Union, Kombo<br />
Mwalimu who had scouts present on the<br />
day.<br />
We had another success when one of<br />
‘our boys’ was offered a place at a rugby<br />
boarding school about an hour outside<br />
Nairobi.<br />
This is a huge achievement for Mukuru<br />
Promotion Centre as these homeless boys<br />
wouldn’t even have known the shape of a<br />
rugby ball three years ago.<br />
We must thank all at <strong>Leinster</strong> including<br />
many supporters who donate towards the<br />
expenses of coaches, hiring of buses and<br />
general expenses in running this rugby<br />
project.<br />
Thank you to all for your continued<br />
support and best wishes to <strong>Leinster</strong> for the<br />
remainder of the season.<br />
Paula Cullen and friends and the boys<br />
at MPC rehab centre.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 57
As Official Clean Air Partner to <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
Rugby we are delighted to support the<br />
team in their pursuit of excellence by<br />
adding Novaerus Air Disinfection to their<br />
winning formula.<br />
Irish-designed and patented Novaerus<br />
NanoStrike technology strives to give<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> the physical and competitive edge<br />
by disinfecting the squad and<br />
management team’s indoor<br />
air safely, 24/7.
GETTING<br />
We check social media<br />
for the latest views<br />
and thoughts across<br />
SOCIAL<br />
the 12 counties<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 59
Try <strong>Leinster</strong>’s Next Big Dish<br />
from Mao At Home today
Virtual Mascot<br />
Alex<br />
Traynor<br />
Age: 8<br />
School: Willow Park Junior School<br />
Class: Second Form<br />
Hobbies and Interests: Rugby, football,<br />
playing drums and piano<br />
Favourite Player: James Lowe<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 61
WHERE ARE<br />
THEY NOW?<br />
STEPHEN KEOGH<br />
THEN: Stephen<br />
Keogh won<br />
85 caps for<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> over<br />
five seasons<br />
between 2006<br />
and 2011.<br />
NOW: He is<br />
Head of Retail<br />
Sales for<br />
the south<br />
and west at<br />
New Ireland<br />
Assurance and<br />
married to<br />
Niamh with<br />
three children<br />
Mollie (8),<br />
Frankie (5) and<br />
Zoe (3).<br />
62 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Stephen Keogh was one of them.<br />
You know the type, a hard-nosed Limerick<br />
man steeped in the best traditions of<br />
<strong>Munster</strong> rugby which amounts to a blood<br />
and guts approach to this game for<br />
warriors.<br />
Back in 2006, the back-row forward<br />
crossed the great divide in order to<br />
bring some of that meanness into a<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> pack of forwards that seemed<br />
demoralised.<br />
“I was playing with Bruff RFC, but my<br />
school St Munchin’s was affiliated to<br />
Shannon where Colm Tucker Senior, who<br />
unfortunately passed away, was very<br />
good to me in school. I lived out in the<br />
country and he used to drop me to the<br />
bus. So, naturally, Shannon was always<br />
in my mind to settle into as my club.<br />
“The world was a much bigger place<br />
back then,” he recalls.<br />
“When you travelled to play in<br />
Clongowes or Blackrock - they were the<br />
two big schools in <strong>Leinster</strong> at that stage - it<br />
just felt like a different place. You had that<br />
bitterness even then, going up to try and<br />
win in those places.”<br />
When school was done and a degree<br />
pocketed from UCC, Keogh returned<br />
home to the bosom of all-conquering<br />
Shannon.<br />
Stellar form for the club led to 54<br />
<strong>Munster</strong> caps between 2003 and 2006,<br />
marking Stephen as one of the up-andcoming<br />
forwards in Irish rugby at the age<br />
of 23.<br />
“At one time, it was one culture versus<br />
another culture. Dublin was moving<br />
ahead in relation to the Celtic Tiger.<br />
Limerick and Cork were that bit<br />
behind.<br />
“It was a clash of two different cultures.<br />
You had that between Ireland’s two best<br />
provinces and one of them, <strong>Munster</strong>, was<br />
the best in Europe.<br />
“You always look over the wall at what<br />
the neighbour has and <strong>Munster</strong> had<br />
Heineken Cups when <strong>Leinster</strong> didn’t.<br />
“Then, there was the importance of Irish<br />
selection. When you throw all of that<br />
together, sparks are going to fly and they<br />
did back then.<br />
“But, it was great. The public bought into<br />
the rivalry and the atmosphere was all<br />
the better for it.”<br />
However, Stephen decided to take the<br />
unusual move of signing for <strong>Leinster</strong>, just<br />
weeks before sitting on the bench for that<br />
epic 2006 Heineken Cup semi-final in<br />
which <strong>Munster</strong> won the day once again.<br />
“While I had played a lot for <strong>Munster</strong>,<br />
I was ahead of the curve in my<br />
appearances because there had been<br />
a spate of injuries that opened up game<br />
time for me.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 63
“I just got a phone call from Michael<br />
Cheika. Eric Miller was moving on and<br />
Victor Costello was gone. They needed a<br />
back-rower to come in.<br />
“I looked at it and decided there was a<br />
spot there at <strong>Leinster</strong> to start regularly in<br />
the Heineken Cup. I signed in March.”<br />
It was a smart move given the resources<br />
in that area for <strong>Munster</strong>, the list including<br />
Anthony Foley, Alan Quinlan, Eddie<br />
Halvey, Denis Leamy, David Wallace, Jim<br />
Williams and Stephen.<br />
“The reaction in <strong>Munster</strong> was fine. It was<br />
no problem at all. The lads were grand.<br />
There was no issue,” says Stephen.<br />
“Even at that stage, rugby was treated<br />
as a business as well as your passion.<br />
The lads knew it was a good business<br />
decision for me, a good rugby decision<br />
for me to move. They understood it.”<br />
It was the possibility of becoming more<br />
relevant on Heineken Cup days that<br />
made it a relatively easy decision for the<br />
impatient loose forward.<br />
“I think the <strong>Leinster</strong> lads would openly<br />
say this, there was a vast contrast in the<br />
two teams at that stage, especially up<br />
front.”<br />
In the summer of 2006, the challenge<br />
was to leave that hatred behind and to<br />
embrace those who once were enemies.<br />
“When you move somewhere, you’ve got<br />
to buy into it,” he adds.<br />
“It’s not really about the colour of the<br />
jersey. It is not about the place. It is<br />
about teammates. At the end of the day,<br />
everyone’s the same. They all want the<br />
same things.<br />
“When you are involved in rugby,<br />
generally, people will have the same<br />
motivations, the same common goals.<br />
Once you buy into those, the men around<br />
you become your friends. And you<br />
would do anything for your friends, your<br />
mates. Those friendships were created in<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong>.”<br />
Those bonds remain.<br />
“Who am I closest to from the group? It<br />
is not like the schoolyard thing where: ‘I<br />
don’t want to say who my best friend is’,”<br />
he laughs.<br />
“We had a reunion in 2019, 10 years<br />
after the first Heineken Cup. It was just<br />
great craic, like we had never left.<br />
“It is only when you leave the game that<br />
you realise what a time you had. I urge<br />
any player now, to savour it. You will<br />
never have that time again.”<br />
When the 2006/07 fixture list came out,<br />
Stephen would have been excited to see<br />
where and when <strong>Munster</strong> would come.<br />
He still remembers where he was when<br />
Michael Cheika rang on a Thursday<br />
afternoon to let him know he wouldn’t be<br />
starting in that first derby.<br />
In 2008, there would be another chance<br />
to exorcise demons and it came on a<br />
miserable, wet day at Musgrave Park<br />
when Stephen returned from a broken<br />
hand in a 10-3 win in Cork, giving<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> much-needed confidence.<br />
“I am not saying it turned the tide. But,<br />
it was one of those wins that helped<br />
along the way, especially for the type<br />
of day it was, lashing rain in the muck in<br />
Musgrave.<br />
“My only memory is of Denis Leamy, my<br />
great friend, giving me a dig and pulling<br />
the jersey over my head, so I couldn’t see<br />
where I was going for 30 seconds. There<br />
was just good niggle to that game.”<br />
When you make the change from red to<br />
blue, you discover that the hype of hate<br />
built up around the contrast in cultures is<br />
not real.<br />
64 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
“You grow up with the common belief<br />
in <strong>Munster</strong>, albeit wrongly, that <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
players are all posh and what have you.<br />
You just find out that they are normal<br />
people. They are the very same as you.<br />
“I wasn’t long up in <strong>Leinster</strong> when I did a<br />
press conference. I was asked a simple<br />
question: ‘Did you notice any differences<br />
between <strong>Munster</strong> and <strong>Leinster</strong>?’”<br />
“I said: ‘The only thing I can’t get my<br />
head around is that there are so many<br />
takeaway coffees up in <strong>Leinster</strong>.’”<br />
There was a headline in the newspaper<br />
the next day: “I’m not here for the<br />
coffee.” To this day, the boys in the<br />
WhatsApp group will hit him with “I’m not<br />
here for the coffee”.<br />
“Looking back now, I am as long out of it<br />
as when I was playing it. They were great<br />
times, just great craic.”<br />
The dream of making a difference for<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> in the Heineken Cup never truly<br />
materialised, Rocky Elsom arriving in<br />
2008 to be the missing piece in that<br />
jigsaw.<br />
“They obviously felt they needed quality<br />
in the position I was in and that leads to<br />
you asking questions about yourself.<br />
“I was a good Magners League player.<br />
I had two seasons of starting regularly<br />
in the Heineken Cup and then dropping<br />
down to be a squad player.”<br />
When Rocky left, Kevin McLaughlin<br />
and Seán O’Brien came on the scene.<br />
In Ireland, there are always back row<br />
players coming on the scene.<br />
“Only the world-class players reach the<br />
top of the game. I wasn’t world-class.<br />
Therefore, I didn’t reach the top. And<br />
that is okay. I have no hassle with<br />
that.”<br />
It wasn’t too long before Stephen<br />
had had enough of the professional<br />
environment.<br />
“People think professional rugby is<br />
great. And it is. It is also very frustrating.<br />
Whether you are a good player, or not,<br />
or fully-committed, or not, holding a<br />
tackling bag is not easy.<br />
“Everyone knows if you are doing a<br />
good or bad job as a professional rugby<br />
player because all they have to do is<br />
read the teamsheet.<br />
“You are constantly explaining yourself.<br />
People are asking you, are you injured?<br />
No. Why aren’t you playing? The coach<br />
didn’t pick me.<br />
“I just got sick of it. I could have gone to<br />
Italy or France. For me, there are other<br />
things in life outside of rugby.”<br />
That meant the beginning of a second<br />
career in 2011.<br />
A degree in Economics from UCC led<br />
to a future in finance with New Ireland<br />
Assurance, working his way up that<br />
particular ladder to become Head of<br />
Retail and Sales in April.<br />
“It is important to join the right company.<br />
That happened to me. They never treated<br />
me as an ex-rugby player. I never had to<br />
do any rugby-related stuff for them.<br />
“I came in on merit and they helped me<br />
to build a career. That is really important.<br />
I fell on my feet that way.”<br />
Stephen cited determination, clear goals,<br />
clear plans, clear strategies as some of<br />
the building blocks that translate from<br />
rugby into the workplace.<br />
“You don’t learn management when you<br />
are a professional sportsman because<br />
you are mostly worrying about yourself,<br />
doing your part.<br />
“You don’t have to motivate people<br />
because they are already motivated. You<br />
learn how to be part of a team.”<br />
In red and blue.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 65
W W W . B E S T M E N S W E A R . C O M<br />
OFF<br />
ENTER THE CODE BELOW<br />
LEIN15<br />
Until June 30th 2022<br />
ONLINE ONLY SHOP NOW<br />
T&Cs Apply
Delvin RFC 60s/70s<br />
Players Get Together<br />
BY CAROLINE MCFADDEN<br />
L-R Eamon Cooney,Bill Douglas, Donal<br />
Henderson, Jim Walker, Christy Lynch,<br />
Gordon Henderson & Alec Smyth<br />
The Neptune Hotel in Bettystown<br />
was the place back in the 1960s<br />
and 1970s where the ex-Delvin<br />
RFC club entertained their visiting<br />
teams following their games at<br />
their then grounds in Butlin’s<br />
Mosney. They also celebrated New<br />
Year’s Eve with their famous ‘sold<br />
out’ New Year’s Eve Dinner Dances<br />
in the hotel.<br />
Those great bygone days were relived<br />
recently when the club’s players of that era<br />
once again gathered to celebrate another<br />
momentous occasion, the 60th anniversary<br />
of the club winning the <strong>Leinster</strong> Provincial<br />
Towns Cup back in 1962.<br />
The captain of that famous team, Mr<br />
Billy Reynolds, was in attendance along<br />
with another member of the team, Hugh<br />
Cumisky. Others such as Derek Little, Niall<br />
Delaney and Peter Barry, who were on<br />
the periphery of the team, were also in<br />
attendance.<br />
Perusing old times<br />
in the Drogheda<br />
Independent<br />
Whilst the get together did celebrate<br />
the 60th anniversary of that great<br />
achievement, it wasn’t confined to that<br />
year and was expanded to include<br />
members and players who played with the<br />
club throughout the 60s and early 70s.<br />
An informal lunch was organised and<br />
there was a great response from those<br />
who lined out or supported the club<br />
throughout that period. Pictures of the ‘62<br />
final were on view as well as page cuttings<br />
from the Drogheda Independent which<br />
drew great attention from the gathering.<br />
There was also a book profiling the club’s<br />
history, written by former club President<br />
and player, Jim Walker, for the nostalgic<br />
gathering to peruse.<br />
As the afternoon wore on, stories were<br />
once again retold, embellished and<br />
friendships were rekindled following many<br />
years since meetings had taken place<br />
between many of those who attended.<br />
The Winning Captains, Seamie<br />
Briscoe McGowan Cup ‘77 &<br />
Billy Reynolds PTC ‘62<br />
There was a splendid surprise when<br />
an anniversary cake was baked and<br />
produced for the occasion by Karen<br />
Hammond which was certainly eaten with<br />
great nostalgic taste by everybody.<br />
The club was founded in the early 1950s<br />
by Des Scaife and played out at the<br />
Butlin’s Holiday Camp in Mosney. Their<br />
playing base comprised of players mainly<br />
from north County Dublin and east Meath.<br />
Ten years after Delvin RFC was founded,<br />
they managed to win the prestigious<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Provincial Towns Cup in 1962<br />
and their only other senior success was<br />
the North-East Area LB McGowan Cup<br />
in 1975/76. The captains of both these<br />
sides, Billy Reynolds and Seamie Briscoe<br />
respectively were present at the gathering.<br />
The winning Delvin <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
PTC Team from 1962<br />
Team Mates From ‘62 Billy Reynolds<br />
& Hugh Cumiskey<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 67
Referees<br />
Corner<br />
BY DAN WALLACE<br />
Welcome to another edition of Referees Corner and a warm<br />
welcome to Frank Murphy, today’s match referee and his team.<br />
Frank is a former rugby player. Originally from Cork, Murphy<br />
played for his native province of <strong>Munster</strong> before moving to the<br />
English side Leicester Tigers, with whom he won a Premiership<br />
title, and then finished his career with Connacht, another<br />
Irish province, making over 100 appearances for the side.<br />
He began refereeing in the<br />
All-Ireland League in 2015,<br />
progressing to referee in the<br />
British and Irish Cup later that<br />
year. He began refereeing at<br />
international level in 2016 and<br />
has taken charge of games in<br />
the European Nations Cup. In<br />
November 2016, Murphy took<br />
charge of his first PRO12 game,<br />
and has since gone on to referee<br />
in the Challenge Cup at European<br />
level.<br />
We’re wrapping up our 2021/22<br />
season in Referees HQ and it has been<br />
fantastic to see so many competitions<br />
back in full swing and see our referees<br />
back on the pitch. Referees play a<br />
central role in our game and we are<br />
justly proud of how we have conducted<br />
ourselves and our contribution to rugby<br />
in <strong>Leinster</strong> this season.<br />
We had a tricky but successful season<br />
with our trial referees. We ran one<br />
new member workshop on October<br />
30, with the attendance of 25 recruits.<br />
In total, a record number of 36 trial<br />
members passed trial matches and<br />
attained full membership during the<br />
season. Compliments are due to a<br />
number of individuals for their hard<br />
work with our trial referees in achieving<br />
these outstanding results. The next<br />
new recruits’ workshop will be held on<br />
Saturday, August 27. Details further on.<br />
This season, we also launched a new<br />
programme of mentoring with IRFU<br />
guidance. Norman Carter took on the<br />
role as head of mentors and recruited<br />
approximately 40 active and former<br />
referees to act as mentors. Training<br />
was provided by the IRFU, and as a<br />
result, almost 70 referees have received<br />
mentorship during the season.<br />
Do you want to explore a new way to<br />
be involved in the game next season?<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby Referees are inviting applications<br />
for their next New Referees Course which will<br />
take place on 27 August. Visit the website…<br />
And drop Sean Gallagher an email for<br />
more information…<br />
68 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
During the season, head of evaluation<br />
Jim Breen and his sub-committee<br />
deployed approximately 25 evaluators.<br />
These evaluators are responsible for<br />
assessing our referees in the field<br />
and recommending promotions and<br />
demotions amongst other things. In<br />
total we completed well over 300<br />
evaluations, covering our own referees<br />
and also covering National Panel<br />
Referees and IPAS Referees. In all<br />
almost 200 individual referees were<br />
evaluated, a great return.<br />
Under the guidance of Barry O’Keefe,<br />
using a combination of ref cam and<br />
attendance at matches, we deployed a<br />
number of coaches who issued almost<br />
50 coaching reports. This is significantly<br />
more than previous years. Coaching<br />
and evaluating differ greatly. Coaching<br />
focuses more on observing the referee<br />
and giving them a couple of items to<br />
work on over the following weeks.<br />
A referee development team of six<br />
individuals, directed by Steve Griffiths,<br />
run the activities of our development<br />
group. The development group is made<br />
up of referees that we see as having the<br />
skill and ability to move to the top level<br />
of refereeing in <strong>Leinster</strong> and onwards<br />
to perhaps the National Panel. This<br />
group and the work coming from it,<br />
involves a serious commitment on their<br />
parts to allow them to become the best<br />
they can be as referees. The group for<br />
the season consisted of nine referees,<br />
three of whom were in IPAS. All three<br />
IPAS members performed very well<br />
throughout the season, as a result of<br />
which Robbie Jenkinson has already<br />
been promoted to the National Panel,<br />
and Katie Byrne has already refereed<br />
at AIL level.<br />
Our area representatives are one of the<br />
cornerstones of our association. Their<br />
level of commitment and work rate can<br />
never be overstated. A massive thank<br />
you for all the work they put into their<br />
areas, especially youth and underage<br />
games!! Also many thanks go to<br />
Hayley White in our Administration<br />
office, who makes sure everything runs<br />
smoothly.<br />
For the first time in two years, we<br />
were able to hold our annual dinner.<br />
Held in Lansdowne FC on April 9, a<br />
fabulous night was had by all. Over<br />
130 attendees and expertly organized<br />
by Barry Dempsey and his team. The<br />
presidents from both the IRFU and the<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Branch were in attendance. A<br />
full set of awards being handed out on<br />
the night.<br />
Harry Ardle Award to<br />
Keith Spendlove<br />
Alain Rolland Award to<br />
Mitch Enderby<br />
Terry Doyle Award to<br />
Coolmine RFC<br />
Denis Collins Award to<br />
Robbie Jenkinson<br />
Lifetime Achievement Award to<br />
Peter Donnelly<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 69
ank of ireland<br />
MATCHDAY MINIS<br />
West Offaly Lions<br />
Front Row: Ellie Flynn, Senan Dunne, James Darcy, Cian<br />
Dunican, Cathal Molloy, Ultan Keeneghan, Clyde Buckley,<br />
Jessica Coffey, James Guinan, Noah O’Duffy.<br />
Back Row: Jason Mullen, Hayley Delaney, Emily Lynam-<br />
Carroll, Alex Foley, Kayleigh Berry, Callie Hennessy,<br />
Jasmine McIntyre, Will Browne, Dylan Buckley, Adam<br />
Delaney.<br />
Ardee RFC<br />
Back (left to right): Killian McShane, Paddy McArdle, Adam<br />
Malone, Turlough McCague, Jake Steel, Daniel Malone,<br />
Charlie Murray, Jeremiasz Michalski, Pat Smith, Shea<br />
Campbell, Noel Malone (Coach)<br />
Front (left to right): Jack Gillick, Shea Devlin, Connor<br />
Kiernan, Connor Grimes, Odhran Carrlon, Michael Tighe,<br />
Noah Taaffe, Jay McHugh, Sean Madden.<br />
Managers: John Mullen, Frances Pillion.<br />
Old Belvedere RFC<br />
Players: Alex Rochford, Ben Glynn, Bobby Callanan,<br />
Cameron Wallace, Charlie Reynolds, Chris Comer, Danial<br />
Kennedy, David Kelly, Donnacha Cosgrave, Freddie Moore,<br />
Jack Moyles, Jack O’Rourke, James O’Reilly, John Gunne,<br />
Kyle Calvert, Lewis Murphy, Mark Bryson, Mark McNally,<br />
Nathan Keogh, Robin Elliott<br />
Coaches: Colm Bryson and Alan Wallace<br />
Athy RFC<br />
Players: Cailan O’Shaughnessy, Charlie Rafferty, Charlie<br />
Price, Cian Maher, Conor Brophy, Conor Dooley, Cormac<br />
Kerrigan, Donnacha Conway, Eoghan Kavanagh, Finbar<br />
Purcell, Harry Walsh, Henry Hovenden, Jack Farrell, Jerry<br />
Davis, Mark Boyle, Max Hogan, Oscar Byrne, Saran Buttle,<br />
Senan Mulqueen, William Cassidy<br />
Coaches: Brian Kerrigan, Eric Conway, Mark Price,<br />
Niall Walsh, Paddy Byrne, Steve Mulqueen<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 71
TO MAXIMISE YOUR SPORTS AND EXERCISE<br />
PERFORMANCE THROUGH NUTRITION<br />
Optimum Nutrition and <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby have partnered to help share good nutrition tips throughout<br />
the season to help you achieve your performance goals. Here are some simple tips and things to<br />
remember to help maximise your performance and help you recover quickly to come back stronger.<br />
Protein Rich.<br />
Protein provides your muscles with<br />
the building blocks to repair & grow.<br />
Carb-Up.<br />
Carbohydrate foods are king as they<br />
power high intensity play.<br />
Fuel-Up.<br />
Consume the majority of your<br />
carbohydrates around training to<br />
support fuelling and recovery.<br />
Recover.<br />
Quality rest & nutrition between<br />
training sessions is the key to<br />
recovery. Remember to:<br />
Repair with protein,<br />
Refuel with carbohydrate,<br />
Rehydrate with fluid.<br />
Hydrate.<br />
Dehydration can lead to a drop in<br />
exercise intensity & can impact your<br />
decision making. Drink 2-3 litres of<br />
fluid each day to ensure hydration.<br />
Game Day.<br />
To fuel performance on the field,<br />
consume a large carbohydrate rich<br />
meal 2-3 hours before kick-off, i.e.<br />
chicken & pasta, turkey bolognaise<br />
wraps.<br />
Get 20% off all Optimum Nutrition products<br />
using code <strong>Leinster</strong>20 on optimumnutrition.ie
KNOWING WHAT ADVICE TO TAKE<br />
IS ESSENTIAL IN THIS GAME.<br />
beauchamps.ie<br />
OFFICIAL LEGAL ADVISOR<br />
Beauchamps LLP | Riverside Two | Sir John Rogerson’s Quay | Dublin 2 | D02 KV60
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby charity partner<br />
Cardiac Risk in<br />
the Young<br />
THE FIELDS OF<br />
LANSDOWNE<br />
ROAD.<br />
When it<br />
comes to<br />
selecting her<br />
favourite<br />
Lansdowne<br />
Road memory,<br />
Orla Foley<br />
has a few to<br />
pick from.<br />
Orla’s brother Anthony Foley<br />
Ireland’s debut in 1995, when<br />
he scored a consolation try<br />
against England, came close, but<br />
she quickly plucked for a game<br />
almost a decade later.<br />
“Ronan O’Gara’s try… the Heineken Cup<br />
semi-final against <strong>Leinster</strong> in 2006, that’s<br />
my favourite game,” she smiles.<br />
“I was in Glasgow watching his Ireland<br />
debut in 1995 on the TV, so the 2006<br />
game has to be the best memory.”<br />
Orla is quick not to rub salt in the wounds<br />
of the opposition who welcome <strong>Munster</strong><br />
to Dublin today though. “I support all four<br />
provinces, really! I find I can’t be shouting<br />
for them in green, and not when they’re<br />
playing for their provinces… I like to see<br />
all the provinces do well.<br />
“I’ll never forget how <strong>Leinster</strong> wore<br />
Number 8 shirts in 2016 after Anthony<br />
died (due to Sudden Cardiac Death) and<br />
brought a <strong>Munster</strong> jersey into the dressing<br />
room. That was the day of the funeral and<br />
looking at it on TV was unreal. Leo Cullen<br />
always speaks so well of Anthony and so<br />
fondly too, and that means the world.<br />
“I’ll never forget either, how Johnny<br />
Sexton - after he scored that famous<br />
drop goal against France to win the Six<br />
Nations - sent his jersey to Anthony’s boys<br />
with a beautiful letter. The rugby family<br />
in Ireland,<br />
from Ulster, Connacht, <strong>Leinster</strong> and<br />
<strong>Munster</strong> has a special connection. You<br />
get to meet people from all walks of life<br />
and I’ve been given lovely memories of<br />
what Anthony meant to many over the<br />
past few years.”<br />
The last time Orla was in the Aviva<br />
Stadium, it was to hear Hermitage Green<br />
singer, and former <strong>Munster</strong> player, Barry<br />
Murphy launch his song ‘Alone You<br />
Stand’, in tribute to Anthony Foley to raise<br />
vital funds for CRY Ireland, Mid-Western<br />
Cancer Foundation and the children’s<br />
charity CARI.<br />
But she won’t walk down Lansdowne<br />
Road today, instead she’s cycling in<br />
France as part of her fundraising ‘Orla’s<br />
Wild Ways’ tour that began almost two<br />
years ago when she cycled the coast of<br />
the Wild Atlantic Way.<br />
Orla’s Wild Ways is in memory of<br />
Anthony Foley, and has raised over<br />
€30,000 already for three charities<br />
including <strong>Leinster</strong>’s charity partner<br />
for May, CRY Ireland (Cardiac Risk<br />
in the Young / CRY), which facilitates<br />
free access to cardiac assessment and<br />
provides free support and counselling<br />
services for families that have been<br />
affected by the loss of someone to<br />
Sudden Cardiac Death.<br />
“I was only in Dublin a couple of weeks<br />
ago to get my own heart check - I do it<br />
every few years because of history in the<br />
family,” Orla said.<br />
“CRY has a new centre in Dublin, with<br />
a helpline that wasn’t there for us - it’s<br />
lovely that it’s there for others now, the<br />
helpline really goes that extra mile.<br />
“Everyone has access to this service for<br />
free, which is amazing. And it covers all<br />
32 counties - just like rugby, there’s no<br />
north and south separation, everyone has<br />
access.”<br />
You can<br />
still make a<br />
donation to<br />
Orla Foley’s<br />
Wild Ways<br />
Cycle<br />
For more<br />
information<br />
about CRY,<br />
please go to<br />
cry.ie<br />
74 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
ABOUT CRY<br />
CRY in Ireland was founded in<br />
March 2002 by parents Michael<br />
and Marie Greene who had<br />
experienced the effects of sudden<br />
and unexplained death within<br />
their families.<br />
We are a self-supporting registered<br />
Charity. We are therefore dependent<br />
on fundraising activities and donations<br />
to help us provide access for families in<br />
Ireland, north and south, bereaved by<br />
the sudden cardiac death (SCD) of a<br />
young person, or who are affected by,<br />
or at risk from inherited conditions that<br />
cause SCD.<br />
TEXT CRY TO<br />
50300<br />
TO DONATE €4<br />
Texts cost €4.00 CRY Ireland will<br />
receive a minimum of €3.60 Service<br />
Provider: LIKECHARITY.<br />
Helpline: 01 4819311<br />
Our<br />
Programmes<br />
CRY facilitates free cardiac<br />
assessment at the centre at<br />
Tallaght University Hospital,<br />
for families who have lost a<br />
young person through SCD or<br />
SADS (Sudden Arrhythmic Death<br />
Syndrome), or who are affected<br />
by, or at risk from inherited<br />
conditions that cause SCD.<br />
CRY supports research into the prevention<br />
of sudden cardiac death.<br />
CRY also offers emotional support<br />
to families, bereaved through SCD<br />
through the CRY Helpline a freephone<br />
service available 7-9pm Tuesdays and<br />
Thursdays, 10am-12pm Wednesdays and<br />
4-6pm Sundays.<br />
FREEPHONE:<br />
Republic of Ireland:<br />
1800 714 080<br />
Northern Ireland/UK:<br />
00 44 8006<br />
40 62 80<br />
Looking for a<br />
challenge?<br />
Join Team CRY and help us raise<br />
funds this September as we walk<br />
the Camino Portuguese from Tui<br />
to Santiago de Compostela.<br />
Take part in the VHI Mini Marathon on<br />
June 5th and consider supporting CRY<br />
and the families affected by SCD<br />
To join our fundraisers, please email:<br />
info@cry.ie<br />
@CRYIre<br />
For more see our website<br />
www.cry.ie<br />
@cryireland @cry.ireland<br />
Proudly supported by BearingPoint.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 75
opposing view<br />
7 May 2022<br />
<strong>Munster</strong> supporters celebrate<br />
a second half penalty during<br />
the Heineken Champions Cup<br />
Quarter-Final match between<br />
<strong>Munster</strong> and Toulouse at Aviva<br />
Stadium in Dublin.<br />
76 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 77
All-New Nissan Qashqai<br />
Now electrified with mild hybrid power.<br />
Personalised 3.9% APR finance packages.<br />
Find out more on windsor.ie
Head Coach<br />
Johann<br />
van Graan<br />
South African Johann van Graan<br />
joined <strong>Munster</strong> in November 2017<br />
from his role as forwards coach<br />
with the Springboks.<br />
Prior to that he had enjoyed success with<br />
the Bulls in Super Rugby, working as both<br />
their forwards and attack coach.<br />
He is due to sign English Premiership club<br />
Bath at the culmination of the current<br />
season.<br />
Captain<br />
Peter O’Mahony<br />
Flanker Peter O’Mahony made<br />
his <strong>Munster</strong> at Ravenhill against<br />
Ulster in January 2010 as an<br />
Academy player.<br />
Awarded a senior contract ahead of the<br />
2011/12 season, he has since gone on<br />
to be named the province’s captain after<br />
Doug Howlett’s departure in 2013.<br />
He has played 159 times for <strong>Munster</strong><br />
as well as amassing 84 Ireland caps to<br />
date.<br />
munster squad<br />
FORWARDS<br />
THOMAS AHERN<br />
LOCK<br />
STEPHEN ARCHER<br />
PROP<br />
DIARMUID BARRON<br />
HOOKER<br />
TADHG BEIRNE<br />
LOCK<br />
SCOTT BUCKLEY<br />
HOOKER<br />
CHRIS CLOETE<br />
FLANKER<br />
GAVIN COOMBES<br />
NO. 8<br />
JACK DALY<br />
FLANKER<br />
MARK DONNELLY<br />
PROP<br />
JOHN FORDE<br />
LOCK<br />
JAMES FRENCH<br />
PROP<br />
JOHN HODNETT<br />
FLANKER<br />
CIAN HURLEY<br />
LOCK<br />
JASON JENKINS<br />
LOCK<br />
ALEX KENDELLEN<br />
FLANKER<br />
DAVE KILCOYNE<br />
PROP<br />
JEAN KLEYN<br />
LOCK<br />
KEYNAN KNOX<br />
PROP<br />
JEREMY LOUGHMAN<br />
PROP<br />
CONOR MOLONEY<br />
FLANKER<br />
KEVIN O’BYRNE<br />
HOOKER<br />
LIAM O’CONNOR<br />
PROP<br />
EOIN O’CONNOR<br />
LOCK<br />
JACK O’DONOGHUE<br />
FLANKER<br />
DANIEL OKEKE<br />
NO. 8<br />
PETER O’MAHONY<br />
FLANKER C<br />
JACK O’SULLIVAN<br />
NO. 8<br />
JOHN RYAN<br />
PROP<br />
ROMAN SALANOA<br />
PROP<br />
NIALL SCANNELL<br />
HOOKER<br />
RG SNYMAN<br />
LOCK<br />
JOSH WYCHERLEY<br />
PROP<br />
FINEEN WYCHERLEY<br />
LOCK<br />
BACKS<br />
GROUP<br />
TONY BUTLER<br />
FLY-HALF<br />
PATRICK CAMPBELL<br />
FULLBACK<br />
JOEY CARBERY<br />
FLY-HALF<br />
CRAIG CASEY<br />
SCRUM-HALF<br />
ANDREW CONWAY<br />
WING<br />
LIAM COOMBES<br />
WING<br />
ETHAN COUGHLAN<br />
SCRUM-HALF<br />
NEIL CRONIN<br />
SCRUM-HALF<br />
JACK CROWLEY<br />
FLY-HALF<br />
SHANE DALY<br />
WING<br />
DAMIAN DE ALLENDE<br />
CENTRE<br />
KEITH EARLS<br />
WING<br />
CHRIS FARRELL<br />
CENTRE<br />
JAKE FLANNERY<br />
FLY-HALF<br />
SEAN FRENCH<br />
CENTRE<br />
MATT GALLAGHER<br />
FULLBACK<br />
DAN GOGGIN<br />
CENTRE<br />
MIKE HALEY<br />
FULLBACK<br />
BEN HEALY<br />
FLY-HALF<br />
CONOR MURRAY<br />
SCRUM-HALF<br />
CALVIN NASH<br />
WING<br />
ROWAN OSBORNE<br />
SCRUM-HALF<br />
PADDY PATTERSON<br />
SCRUM-HALF<br />
RORY SCANNELL<br />
CENTRE<br />
JONATHAN WREN<br />
FULLBACK<br />
SIMON ZEBO<br />
WING<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 79
TAKE A CAR-CATION TO<br />
BRITAIN<br />
FROM ONLY €139 SINGLE CAR & DRIVER<br />
DUBLIN - HOLYHEAD | BELFAST - CAIRNRYAN<br />
BELFAST - LIVERPOOL | ROSSLARE - FISHGUARD<br />
stenaline.ie<br />
T&Cs apply.
Club in Focus<br />
ROSCREA<br />
RFC<br />
Roscrea is<br />
a county<br />
Tipperary<br />
town with a<br />
rugby club<br />
holding<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong><br />
status. It<br />
has long<br />
celebrated<br />
an<br />
interesting<br />
relationship<br />
with<br />
Ireland’s<br />
biggest<br />
provincial<br />
rivals.<br />
82 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
“It started as a club playing<br />
in <strong>Munster</strong> competitions and<br />
migrated to <strong>Leinster</strong> due to the<br />
grounds being across the border<br />
in Offaly. We were admitted into<br />
the <strong>Leinster</strong> League and we have<br />
stayed there,” says Club President<br />
Terry Farrelly.<br />
“I became a member 35 years ago and I<br />
haven’t been able to escape since.”<br />
At one point, in the 1970s, it is<br />
understood there was a movement within<br />
the club to switch to <strong>Munster</strong> as the club’s<br />
new pitches were inside the Tipperary<br />
border. This was quickly subdued by an<br />
IRFU promise to reduce or even wipe out<br />
tickets for Ireland’s internationals.<br />
The desire to switch provinces came from<br />
the fact that the majority of the Roscrea<br />
players and supporters were and are<br />
<strong>Munster</strong> supporters.<br />
In 1978, one of the members of the<br />
club, Seamus Dennison, who played<br />
for Garryowen at the time, was on the<br />
<strong>Munster</strong> team that beat the All Blacks.<br />
“There are certain members of the club,<br />
who are staunch, staunch <strong>Leinster</strong>. There<br />
are certain members of the club, who are<br />
staunch, staunch <strong>Munster</strong>,” says Terry.<br />
“The breakdown of the membership is<br />
probably close to two-thirds <strong>Munster</strong> and<br />
one-third <strong>Leinster</strong>.”<br />
They are drawn from counties Laois,<br />
Offaly, and Tipperary within about a<br />
12-mile radius, taking in Offaly’s Shinrone<br />
and Coolderry, Laois’ Borris-In-Ossory<br />
and Rathdowney and Tipperary’s<br />
Roscrea, Cloughjordan and Moneygall,<br />
a village divided between Offaly on one<br />
side of the main street and Tipperary on<br />
the other.<br />
“We have very few <strong>Leinster</strong> season ticket<br />
holders. We have a lot more <strong>Munster</strong><br />
season ticket holders. That is really down<br />
to geography,” he adds.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 83
“For example, I had a 10-year ticket to<br />
<strong>Munster</strong> and I could pop in the car and<br />
be in my seat in Thomond in 45 minutes<br />
whereas it would take the guts of two<br />
hours to make it to the RDS.”<br />
It would lead an objective observer to<br />
presume a siege mentality has set in<br />
over the decades, a sort of outsiders’<br />
perspective.<br />
“No, I wouldn’t say that. It is quite a<br />
trek for many of the provincial clubs, like<br />
Longford, Wexford, Mullingar, to make it<br />
to Dublin,” notes Terry.<br />
“But, in recent years, the provincial<br />
clubs are providing a much higher<br />
representation to <strong>Leinster</strong>. For example,<br />
Peter Dooley is from up the road in Birr.<br />
His father Gerry would have been a mad<br />
<strong>Munster</strong> supporter.”<br />
The nearest <strong>Leinster</strong> club Birr has<br />
amalgamated with Roscrea at the youth<br />
level to play together as the Roscrea and<br />
Birr Ravens, a union born out of necessity<br />
for the boys and girls in the area.<br />
“We don’t have the numbers we used to<br />
have at underage from U-14 up. While<br />
the bigger clubs prospering might be the<br />
ones closer to Dublin, the provincially<br />
peripheral clubs are finding it difficult.<br />
“There are healthy numbers at minis.<br />
But, there is a fall-off from U-14 upwards<br />
with some of the boys going to school as<br />
day-boarders at CCR (Cistercian College<br />
Roscrea), a short walk from the club<br />
grounds.<br />
“Consequently, at U-14, U-15, U-16,<br />
and U-18, we are joined up with Birr<br />
for boys and girls, training and matches<br />
alternating between the clubs.”<br />
The rise in popularity of girls’ and<br />
women’s rugby has injected a different<br />
kind of excitement and given the club<br />
another level of interest from the outside.<br />
“The number of girls at the club is almost<br />
as many as the boys. In the minis, we<br />
could have 120 boys and 100 girls.<br />
The importance of the girls cannot be<br />
overestimated.”<br />
There is also the view that the club has<br />
to reach out as more than just a place to<br />
play rugby given the competition from<br />
various sports and organisations.<br />
“We are trying to develop the club as<br />
a community facility. My thoughts are:<br />
‘If we don’t do that, we won’t survive’,”<br />
warns Terry.<br />
“We have to be more than a club<br />
providing men’s rugby. We are<br />
diversifying. That process has started<br />
already.<br />
“The girls were the start of it. We have<br />
people with disabilities in the club as<br />
associate members, coming from St<br />
Anne’s, the special needs school here.<br />
That is another step in the right direction.<br />
We have to encourage everyone to<br />
come in.<br />
“At one stage, there were four senior<br />
men’s teams at the club and no<br />
underage. Now, it is an underage club<br />
with one senior team.”<br />
At present, Roscrea is in the middle of an<br />
application for planning permission to<br />
upgrade many of the facilities that have<br />
aged since the 1970s.<br />
Floodlights, changing facilities accounting<br />
for the rise in the numbers of girls,<br />
wheelchair access, and a walking track,<br />
designed to encourage locals to come<br />
into the club, are all part of the plan.<br />
“From a personal point of view, the<br />
challenge is to manage the interests of all<br />
the people in the club from minis, girls,<br />
adults, so that they all get a fair shake.”<br />
It means a considerable amount of time<br />
84 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
given over in a voluntary capacity as<br />
many as six to eight hours a week.<br />
“Sadly, for some of the older members, it<br />
is a fundraising thing, trying to keep the<br />
club going for everyone.<br />
“Every administrator in every rural club<br />
would understand. Everyone wants free<br />
jerseys. Nobody wants to pay for them.”<br />
Pulling on the maroon and white shirt<br />
is about generating a sense of identity,<br />
coming together from different counties,<br />
even different provinces, to play for the<br />
same goal.<br />
“Legendary Liverpool manager Bill<br />
Shankly once said, to paraphrase,<br />
‘Football is not life or death. It is much<br />
more important than that’.<br />
“The same goes for rugby, in this regard.<br />
When something is important for a<br />
10-year-old, it is everything to them. It is<br />
also important for his or her parents and<br />
grandparents whereas it is not as big a<br />
deal for a senior player.<br />
“We have to do everything we can to<br />
show all the people of Roscrea and the<br />
surrounding area how important they are<br />
to us and how important the club is for<br />
the whole community.”
joe<br />
McCarth<br />
THE ACADEMY<br />
INTERVIEW<br />
BY PAUL CAHILL<br />
As the final whistle<br />
blew last Saturday<br />
at Aviva Stadium, Joe<br />
McCarthy celebrated<br />
with his teammates as<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby reached<br />
their sixth Heineken<br />
Champions Cup final<br />
in front of more than<br />
42,000 supporters.<br />
But, just three years earlier,<br />
McCarthy was a fifth year student<br />
watching the very same fixture<br />
from the stands with his younger<br />
brother.<br />
For many of us, that 2019 semi-final<br />
against Toulouse seems like only<br />
yesterday, but the Academy second<br />
row – who only last month signed his first<br />
senior contract – has been on quite a<br />
journey since then.<br />
As the 2021/22 season was getting<br />
underway, McCarthy didn’t have the<br />
lofty ambitions of featuring in a Heineken<br />
Champions Cup semi-final.<br />
The extent of his ambitions, was just trying<br />
to get fit.<br />
“I was coming back from an injury at the<br />
start of this season,” says the 21-year-old.<br />
86 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
y<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 87
do.ie<br />
audit<br />
tax<br />
advisory<br />
consulting<br />
BDO’s Hospitality<br />
Sector Sentiment Survey<br />
is available now<br />
Hospitality Sector<br />
Sentiment Survey<br />
September 2021<br />
Smart business advisors<br />
For further information contact:<br />
Michael Costello, Managing Partner,<br />
on 01 470 0130 or email mcostello@bdo.ie<br />
Click here to visit bdo.ie<br />
The survey consulted with<br />
almost 1,000 representative<br />
bars and restaurants, drawn<br />
from the membership of the<br />
Licensed Vintners Association,<br />
Restaurants Association<br />
of Ireland and the Vintners<br />
Federation of Ireland.<br />
Download your copy of the<br />
survey here.<br />
Smart business advisors<br />
BDO is authorised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland to carry on investment business. BDO, a partnership established under Irish Law, is a<br />
member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of independent members firms.
“I missed the Irish U-20s through injury,<br />
and I was out for all of pre-season.<br />
“So, I was just hoping to try and get back<br />
playing as many games as possible.<br />
Whether that was with Trinity in the<br />
Energia All-Ireland League or wherever, I<br />
just wanted to play and try to improve.”<br />
As McCarthy entered his second year in<br />
the <strong>Leinster</strong> Academy, he got his first run<br />
out of the season in November 2021 at a<br />
wet and blustery Banbridge Rugby Club<br />
for <strong>Leinster</strong> ‘A’ against Ulster ‘A’.<br />
“I felt a bit off after not playing for quite<br />
a while. But, after coming through that ‘A’<br />
game I got a good run of matches with<br />
Trinity.<br />
“I managed to play five or six full games<br />
in a row. I started to feel back on track<br />
after getting a few 80 minutes in the<br />
AIL. I definitely improved through those<br />
games.”<br />
McCarthy may not have known it then,<br />
but that period with Dublin University<br />
Football Club under Tony Smeeth made<br />
him battle hardened and gave him the<br />
match fitness required to kick on with<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong>.<br />
“The AIL has been really important this<br />
year. We know the <strong>Leinster</strong> coaches<br />
watch all of the games too. It’s been a<br />
great springboard for players.”<br />
With most <strong>Leinster</strong> Academy players<br />
playing with their AIL club, there have<br />
been some huge battles on show each<br />
weekend, and McCarthy has been in<br />
some big tussles.<br />
“I remember we played Clontarf. They<br />
had Martin Moloney, Alex Soroka and<br />
David Hawkshaw. Plus a lot of lads who<br />
would have played with <strong>Leinster</strong> at some<br />
stage or age grade. Lots of quality.<br />
“On our Trinity team we had Jack Dunne,<br />
Thomas Clarkson, Lee Barron, Liam<br />
Turner, Rob Russell, Max O’Reilly and<br />
myself . So, it was a really competitive<br />
game. Those games are such a high level<br />
that you really feel match fit when you get<br />
back to <strong>Leinster</strong>.”<br />
After a consistent run of games with<br />
Trinity, McCarthy was given the news that<br />
every Academy player hopes for; that<br />
he would be making his <strong>Leinster</strong> senior<br />
debut.<br />
“A lot of the internationals had gone<br />
away, so you’re kind of hoping you might<br />
get an opportunity, but you’re still not<br />
really sure, because there’s still loads of<br />
really good players around.<br />
“It was a Monday morning, and I had<br />
played with Trinity the week before. I<br />
was in the gym and I got a tap on the<br />
shoulder to say that I would be playing<br />
in the game away to Cardiff. I was<br />
pretty shocked to hear that and I was just<br />
delighted really.<br />
“I was thinking to myself, ‘Don’t look<br />
so shocked!’. It was hard to go back to<br />
weights after that.”<br />
Having found out early in the week that<br />
he would be involved, the McCarthy<br />
family had time to make their way over to<br />
Cardiff for the game.<br />
But, even if they had been given little<br />
notice, they would have found a way to<br />
Cardiff Arms Park.<br />
“My parents and my brother Andrew go<br />
to all of my games, no matter where they<br />
take place. As soon as I told them that I<br />
was playing, they started booking flights<br />
straight away.<br />
“It was nice to have my mum and dad<br />
and my brother in Cardiff that night. It<br />
was special.”<br />
It helps that the McCarthy household is<br />
rugby mad.
We joke about it at home that<br />
Andrew has more <strong>Leinster</strong> gear<br />
than me! He’s fully dressed in the<br />
right colours for every game.<br />
Joe (senior) and Paula McCarthy have<br />
three rugby mad sons.<br />
Our Joe is in the middle. Paddy is the<br />
youngest and was one of the standout<br />
players on this year’s victorious Blackrock<br />
College Senior Cup team.<br />
But, Joe admits that their older brother,<br />
Andrew, is by far the biggest rugby fan in<br />
the house.<br />
“He plays with the Seapoint Dragons,<br />
which is their special needs team. He<br />
absolutely loves it, and he just loves<br />
going to watch games.<br />
“He’s a big Blackrock College fan. He<br />
would always be coming into me and<br />
Paddy telling us that we have to beat<br />
Michael’s in the Schools Senior Cup!<br />
“He’s a big <strong>Leinster</strong> fan too, so I know<br />
he loves seeing Paddy and I playing<br />
in Energia Park or in the RDS. We joke<br />
about it at home that Andrew has more<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> gear than me! He’s fully dressed<br />
in the right colours for every game. He<br />
probably takes some of my gear too.”<br />
So while McCarthy may have burst<br />
onto the scene this year with <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
Rugby, getting his first run out at Aviva<br />
Stadium last Saturday, he wasn’t the first<br />
McCarthy to play on the hallowed turf.<br />
“Andrew has played in Aviva Stadium a<br />
couple of times at half-time during <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
games. It would be cool if we got to play<br />
on the same day. But, Andrew definitely<br />
played there before I did!”<br />
After travelling to Cardiff for Joe’s debut,<br />
the McCarthys had another day out a<br />
few weeks later as he was named to<br />
start his first home game alongside Devin<br />
Toner against the Emirates Lions.<br />
“That was my first time playing in the<br />
RDS, so it was really cool. All of my<br />
family were there.<br />
“It was really special, because obviously<br />
for my first cap away to Cardiff we lost<br />
the game. So we could enjoy the postmatch<br />
a bit more after getting the win.<br />
“We put in a pretty good performance<br />
against the Lions, who were a really<br />
big, tough team. It was actually really<br />
satisfying. It’s definitely one of the<br />
highlights of my year.”<br />
There was an interesting contrast when<br />
the <strong>Leinster</strong> team was announced for that<br />
Lions game. The second row consisted of<br />
the clubs most experienced player and<br />
one of the youngest players.<br />
90 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
“It was just quite funny when the team<br />
was announced and the second row had<br />
274 caps. It was my second and Dev<br />
had 272!”<br />
As McCarthy starts his journey in<br />
professional rugby, Toner is winding<br />
down his, after announcing that he will<br />
retire at the end of the season.<br />
But, McCarthy is keen to learn as much<br />
as he can from the most-capped <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
player.<br />
“Dev is class. Whenever you play with<br />
Dev you’re quite confident because he is<br />
a real calm guy and you can see that he<br />
knows exactly what he’s doing.<br />
“It’s kind of crazy to think how many caps<br />
he’s got, because it’s such a big deal<br />
getting your first one, and he’s nearly<br />
got 300. He has so much experience of<br />
playing in the biggest games and World<br />
Cups.<br />
“He’s always giving younger players<br />
little tips and he puts a lot of confidence<br />
in you.”<br />
As the season moved along, McCarthy<br />
continued to hit new milestones.<br />
In March, he played three more senior<br />
games, including his first two interpro<br />
fixtures at a packed Kingspan Stadium in<br />
Belfast and the Sportsground in Galway.<br />
“You hear a lot that interpro games are<br />
another step up in intensity. I definitely<br />
found that it was another step up,<br />
especially when you know the players a<br />
bit more than against other teams.<br />
“The travelling <strong>Leinster</strong> fans were class<br />
and they really got behind the team.<br />
They really are the games you want to<br />
play in.”<br />
Earlier this month, McCarthy made<br />
another huge stride in his rugby journey<br />
by making his European debut away to<br />
Leicester Tigers.<br />
“It was a really cool experience. Playing<br />
in a European quarter-final is the type of<br />
game you dream of playing in as a kid.<br />
Especially somewhere like Welford Road.<br />
“When you’re younger, that is<br />
somewhere you associate with big<br />
European games. There’s a lot of<br />
history there.<br />
“The whole experience of<br />
travelling over and then<br />
seeing the stadium. It’s an<br />
old school stadium with<br />
those changing rooms, but<br />
it has a big capacity, and<br />
you can really feel the crowd<br />
on top of you. So it was a<br />
great experience.”<br />
While McCarthy has taken<br />
each new experience in his
Join our FRIENDS<br />
programme<br />
and help support<br />
seriously injured<br />
rugby players<br />
For more details,<br />
click here<br />
www.irfucharitabletrust.com
stride, even he was a little taken aback<br />
at the prospect of facing the five-time<br />
European Champions, Toulouse.<br />
“I remember in 2019, I went to Aviva<br />
Stadium with my brother, Paddy for the<br />
semi-final against Toulouse. I was in fifth<br />
year in school and Paddy would have<br />
been in second year.<br />
“So, it was quite surreal to come on<br />
against them last week, considering I was<br />
watching that fixture in the stands a few<br />
years ago.<br />
“Toulouse always have some big names<br />
and French internationals involved. I<br />
remember my brother saying it was<br />
surreal that I was playing against them.”<br />
McCarthy’s fine form has been rewarded<br />
with a senior contract which begins next<br />
season.<br />
But, he knows that there’s no time to<br />
reflect on his achievements just yet.<br />
“You have to make sure you kind of<br />
stay on top of your stuff because there’s<br />
probably a bit more expectation on you<br />
as a senior. You’re just trying to make<br />
sure you just keep the foot on the pedal<br />
really.”<br />
There were plenty of ‘pinch me’ moments<br />
for McCarthy this season, but getting<br />
a call up to the Irish Six Nations camp<br />
was certainly another big moment for the<br />
former Blackrock College student.<br />
“After I played the Ulster game, I got a<br />
call to come in and train and see what<br />
the setup was like. I certainly wasn’t<br />
expecting it because I had just played<br />
four games for <strong>Leinster</strong>.<br />
“I learned so much while I was there.<br />
How professional the players were in<br />
their preparation, and you could see that<br />
it was another step up again.<br />
“But being in that environment, I really<br />
enjoyed it. I trained there for the week<br />
and learned from all of the coaches.<br />
“I chatted to Paul O’Connell a lot while I<br />
was there. We spoke about how to plan<br />
your day and how you can get better. I<br />
tried to soak up as much as I could.”<br />
As we enter the business end of the<br />
season, McCarthy is keen to contribute.<br />
“There are a lot of big games coming<br />
up and I’ll be aiming to just try and put<br />
my hand up to try and get involved in as<br />
many of those as possible. They’re the<br />
kind of games you dream of playing in.<br />
“Hopefully, I can just put my best foot<br />
forward in training or whatever games I<br />
may get selected for.”<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 93
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby Academy<br />
Year Three 2021/22:<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby Academy<br />
Year two 2021/22:<br />
Second Row<br />
Brian Deeny #1306<br />
DOB: 02/03/2000<br />
HEIGHT: 1.99m WEIGHT: 121kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20 (8 caps) &<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (2 caps)<br />
Did You Know: Brian played youth rugby with Wexford<br />
Wanderers RFC. He got his first Irish cap playing for<br />
Ireland Under-18 Sevens. Brian played midfield for<br />
his school St Peter’s College in Gaelic football and<br />
reached the All-Ireland Colleges Final in 2017. He is<br />
currently studying Science in Trinity and lives in Abbey<br />
House B&B, Wexford. Instagram: brian_deeny<br />
wing<br />
Niall Comerford<br />
DOB: 06/04/2000<br />
HEIGHT: 1.83m WEIGHT: 86kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20<br />
Did You Know: Niall played both hurling and Gaelic<br />
football with Kilmacud Crokes for 14 years. He also<br />
represented Dublin in Gaelic football in the U17<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Championship. He is currently studying<br />
Commerce in UCD.<br />
Instagram: niall_c123<br />
Cormac Foley #1299<br />
DOB: 24/10/1999<br />
HEIGHT: 1.81m WEIGHT: 88kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20 (9 caps)<br />
& <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (4 caps)<br />
Marcus Hanan #1295<br />
DOB: 03/10/2000<br />
HEIGHT:1.8m WEIGHT:110.91kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20 (2 caps)<br />
& <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (3 caps)<br />
Scrum Half<br />
Did You Know: Started playing rugby with Greystones<br />
RFC when he was nine. Growing up, Cormac did a lot<br />
of show jumping and he is now studying Economics and<br />
Finance in UCD.<br />
Instagram: cormacfoley6<br />
prop<br />
Did You Know? Marcus is from Clane in Kildare and is the<br />
youngest of three. His dad went to the High School and then<br />
played rugby in Old Wesley before coaching back at Clane<br />
RFC. Marcus has Italian connections on his mother’s side with her<br />
father, Luigi Rea, being from Italy. Marcus is studying Business<br />
Management in Griffith College. Instagram: @marcus_hanan<br />
Back Row<br />
Martin Moloney #1300<br />
DOB: 19/10/1999<br />
HEIGHT: 1.88m WEIGHT: 99kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20 (5 caps) &<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (7 caps)<br />
Did You Know: Martin played hurling for Kildare and<br />
played GAA and basketball for his secondary school,<br />
Knockbeg College, and local GAA club, St Laurence’s.<br />
He played his youth rugby with Athy RFC. He is now<br />
studying Business and Law in UCD, He also enjoys<br />
working on the family farm. Instagram: martin_moloney<br />
Second Row<br />
Joe McCarthy #1303<br />
DOB: 26/03/2001<br />
HEIGHT: 1.95m WEIGHT: 119kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20 (3 caps) &<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (7 caps)<br />
Did You Know: Joe started playing rugby with Blackrock<br />
College RFC at the age of six before moving to<br />
Willow Park and then Blackrock College. He was also<br />
on the Blackrock swim team for five years. He’s currently<br />
studying Global Business in Trinity College Dublin.<br />
Instagram: joetmmcc<br />
Second Row<br />
Charlie Ryan<br />
DOB: 03/02/1999<br />
HEIGHT: 2.01m WEIGHT: 115kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20 (15 caps)<br />
Did You Know: Charlie played youth rugby at Blackrock<br />
College RFC while also attending the school since<br />
Senior Infants. He captained Ireland to the U20 Grand<br />
Slam in 2019 and again for the U20s World Cup. His<br />
friends call him Chuck! He is currently studying Business<br />
and Legal Studies in UCD.<br />
Instagram: chuck_ryan5<br />
hooker<br />
John McKee #1307<br />
DOB: 15/02/2000<br />
HEIGHT: 1.82m WEIGHT: 105kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20 (12 caps) &<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (2 caps)<br />
Did You Know: John grew up in Belfast going to school<br />
at Campbell College where he won a Senior Cup. He<br />
was involved with Ulster at age grade level until moving<br />
to Dublin after school. He also has multiple medals<br />
from Northern Irish Schools Judo competitions.<br />
Instagram: johnmckee_<br />
Centre<br />
Liam Turner #1287<br />
DOB: 14/07/1999<br />
HEIGHT: 1.73m WEIGHT: 91kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20 (10 caps)<br />
& <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (6 caps)<br />
Did You Know: Liam started to play rugby at the age<br />
of six at Blackrock College RFC. He later joined<br />
Blackrock College and was part of the 2018 Senior Cup<br />
winning team. He was also part of the Ireland U20 team<br />
that went on to win the 2019 Grand Slam. Liam currently<br />
studys BESS in Trinity College. Instagram: liamtn123<br />
Centre / Full Back<br />
Jamie Osborne #1294<br />
DOB: 16/11/2001<br />
HEIGHT:1.93m WEIGHT:96.82kg<br />
HONOURS: <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (18 caps)<br />
Did you know? Jamie is studying commerce in UCD. His<br />
grandad, Paddy Osborne, was a horse trainer in Naas,<br />
while his dad played rugby all throughout his life and<br />
his mum played hockey. Other than rugby, Jamie loves<br />
all sports especially soccer, GAA and NFL. Jamie is<br />
currently in a house with fellow <strong>Leinster</strong> Academy players<br />
Brian Deeny, Martin Moloney and Max O’Reilly.<br />
Instagram: @jamieosborne01<br />
94 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
Seán O’Brien #1297<br />
Lee Barron #1308<br />
Back Row<br />
DOB: 31/07/2000<br />
HEIGHT: 1.90m WEIGHT: 103kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20 (3 caps)<br />
& <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (3 caps)<br />
Did You Know: Seán started playing rugby at age<br />
six with Greystones RFC where he played up until Under-13.<br />
He then played on the Junior and Senior Cup<br />
teams in Blackrock College. He is currently studying<br />
Economics and Finance in UCD<br />
Instagram: seanobrien456<br />
Hooker<br />
DOB: 15/02/2001<br />
HEIGHT: 1.91m WEIGHT: 108kg<br />
HONOURS: <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (2 caps)<br />
Did You Know: Lee played golf growing up in the<br />
Castle Golf Club and in the end was playing off a<br />
handicap of eight. He has family roots in Carlow but<br />
went to school in Dublin and attended St Michael’s College.<br />
As well as rugby with his school, he also played<br />
GAA and even lined out in Croke Park.<br />
Instagram: @lleebarron<br />
Max O’Reilly #1291<br />
Chris Cosgrave #1305<br />
Full Back<br />
DOB: 26/02/2000<br />
HEIGHT: 1.85m WEIGHT: 86kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20 (3 caps) &<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (9 caps)<br />
Did You Know: Max is currently in his third year of<br />
Business and Management in DIT. His preferred sport<br />
was soccer until about the age of 15, which he had<br />
played at centre midfield with Enniskerry FC for over 10<br />
years and also for Wicklow.<br />
Instagram: max_oreilly<br />
full back<br />
DOB: 24/07/2001<br />
HEIGHT:1.83m WEIGHT:85kg<br />
HONOURS: <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (2 caps)<br />
Did You Know: Chris is a member of UCD RFC, where he<br />
is also an Ad Astra scholar studying Agricultural Science.<br />
His athleticism is best highlighted by his feats in the field<br />
of Athletics with All-Ireland honours to his name in both<br />
the 4x100m relay and the Discus. Before the UCD and<br />
St Michael’s College days, he played at a young age<br />
with Old Belvedere RFC. Instagram: @chriscosgrave1<br />
Andrew Smith #1292<br />
Mark Hernan<br />
DOB: 21/07/2000<br />
HEIGHT: 1.83m WEIGHT: 91kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20 (3 caps) &<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (2 caps)<br />
DOB: 04/07/2000<br />
HEIGHT: 1.88m WEIGHT: 99kg<br />
HONOURS: <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (1 cap)<br />
Back Three<br />
Did You Know: Andrew is currently studying Quantity<br />
Surveying and Construction Economics in TUD. In<br />
2019, he won the <strong>Leinster</strong> Schools Senior Cup with St<br />
Michael’s College. Andrew also played Gaelic football<br />
with his local club - Clanna Gael Fontenoy GAA Club.<br />
Instagram: andrew.sm1th<br />
Flanker<br />
Did You Know: Mark was coached by Ross Molony,<br />
Josh Murphy, Ross Byrne and Nick McCarthy when in<br />
St. Michael’s College. His grandfather Fergus O’Brien<br />
was Lord Mayor of Dublin and his father, Ray, played<br />
for Connacht seniors and Ireland u25s.<br />
Instagram: @mark_hernani<br />
Alex Soroka #1296<br />
Temi Lasisi #1304<br />
Back Row<br />
DOB: 19/02/2001<br />
HEIGHT: 1.95m WEIGHT: 104.5kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20 (7 caps)<br />
& <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (4 caps)<br />
Did You Know: Alex’s family moved to Ireland from<br />
Ukraine shortly before his birth. He was born in Cork<br />
before moving to Dublin.<br />
Instagram: alex._.soroka<br />
prop<br />
DOB: 09/05/2001<br />
HEIGHT: 1.78m WEIGHT: 115.8kg<br />
HONOURS: <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (1 cap)<br />
Did You Know: The TUD Mechanical Engineering<br />
student originally picked up the oval ball in Enniscorthy<br />
before later moving to Lansdowne FC. Temi rose<br />
through the ranks in the Youths system, his first outing<br />
with the province came at U-18 level against Northampton.<br />
He also describes himself as a ‘competent<br />
pianist’. Instagram: @lasisi.temi<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby Academy<br />
Year one 2021/22:<br />
Scrum half<br />
Ben Murphy<br />
DOB: 23/04/2001<br />
HEIGHT: 1.75m WEIGHT: 80kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20 (3 caps)<br />
& <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (1 cap)<br />
Did You Know: Ben played all different sports growing<br />
up including football, GAA and golf and won an 800m<br />
gold in the U-14 East <strong>Leinster</strong>s. He is studying economics<br />
in UCD. Ben’s father Richie played for <strong>Leinster</strong><br />
Rugby and has coached at all levels of the game and is<br />
the current Ireland U-20s head coach. I<br />
nstagram: @ben._murphy01<br />
Jack Boyle<br />
DOB: 10/03/2002<br />
HEIGHT: 1.85m WEIGHT: 106kg<br />
HONOURS: Ireland U20 (9 caps)<br />
Rob Russell #1302<br />
DOB: 13/01/1999<br />
HEIGHT: 1.83m WEIGHT: 90kg<br />
HONOURS: <strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby (4 caps)<br />
Prop<br />
Did You Know: Jack’s father, Herbie, and uncles, Colon<br />
and Eric, all represented Old Wesley rugby club for<br />
years. His cousin Stephen Boyle also represented the<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> Rugby youths. Jack is currently studying for a<br />
Commerce Degree in UCD.<br />
Instagram: @jackboyle1<br />
Full Back / Wing<br />
Did You Know: Rob is currently in his final year of<br />
Business and Management in DIT. He started playing<br />
rugby at the age of five with Wanderers RFC. He also<br />
played football up to minor level with Kilmacud Crokes<br />
and it took priority over rugby until he left school.<br />
Instagram: @robrussell7<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 95
Date<br />
25/09<br />
03/10<br />
09/10<br />
16/10<br />
22/10<br />
27/11<br />
03/12<br />
11/12<br />
1/12<br />
1/01<br />
22/01<br />
29/01<br />
11/02<br />
19/02<br />
25/02<br />
05/03<br />
12/03<br />
26/03<br />
02/05<br />
08/04<br />
15/04<br />
23/04<br />
30/04<br />
07/05<br />
14/05<br />
KO/<br />
Result<br />
W<br />
31-3<br />
W<br />
7-6<br />
W<br />
43-7<br />
Opposiotion Venue 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 1 2<br />
URC VODACOM<br />
BULLS<br />
URC DRAGONS<br />
Aviva<br />
Stadium<br />
Rodney<br />
Parade<br />
URC ZEBRE RDS Arena J O’BRIEN<br />
KEENAN O’LOUGHLIN RINGROSE FRAWLEY LOWE<br />
SEXTON<br />
3C 1P<br />
MCGRATH<br />
PORTER<br />
1T<br />
SHEEHAN<br />
KEENAN RUSSELL RINGROSE C O’BRIEN O’LOUGHLIN R BYRNE GIBSON-PARK PORTER SHEEHAN<br />
A BYRNE<br />
2T<br />
OSBORNE<br />
FRAWLEY<br />
W<br />
50-15 URC SCARLETS RDS Arena KEENAN LARMOUR RINGROSE FRAWLEY<br />
1C<br />
W<br />
31-15<br />
URC GLASGOW<br />
Scotstoun<br />
Stadium<br />
KEENAN<br />
1T<br />
A BYRNE<br />
1T<br />
L<br />
10-20 URC ULSTER RDS Arena J O’BRIEN A BYRNE HENSHAW<br />
1T<br />
W<br />
47-19 URC CONNACHT RDS Arena KEENAN LARMOUR 1T RINGROSE<br />
1T<br />
W<br />
45-20 HCC BATH Aviva<br />
Stadium<br />
L<br />
0-28<br />
W<br />
89-7<br />
W<br />
64-7<br />
L<br />
29-27<br />
W<br />
26-7<br />
W<br />
29-7<br />
W<br />
21-13<br />
HCC MONTPELLIER<br />
GGL (Altrad)<br />
Stadium<br />
KEENAN<br />
1T<br />
HCC MONTPELLIER RDS Arena KEENAN<br />
HCC BATH<br />
URC<br />
CARDIFF<br />
RUGBY<br />
Recreation<br />
Ground<br />
Cardiff Arms<br />
Park<br />
LARMOUR<br />
1T<br />
LOWE<br />
RINGROSE FRAWLEY LOWE<br />
FRAWLEY<br />
HENSHAW<br />
LARMOUR RINGROSE FRAWLEY<br />
LARMOUR<br />
LOWE<br />
LOWE<br />
1T<br />
H BYRNE<br />
SEXTON<br />
1C 1P<br />
R BYRNE<br />
4C 1P<br />
R BYRNE<br />
1C 1P<br />
H BYRNE<br />
5C<br />
R BYRNE<br />
5C<br />
MCGRATH<br />
GIBSON-PARK<br />
MCGRATH<br />
E BYRNE<br />
1T<br />
PORTER<br />
1T<br />
HEALY<br />
CRONIN<br />
1T<br />
KELLEHER<br />
1T<br />
KELLEHER<br />
1T<br />
MCGRATH E BYRNE TRACY<br />
MCGRATH<br />
GIBSON-PARK<br />
2T<br />
HEALY<br />
PORTER<br />
- - - - - - - - -<br />
KEENAN<br />
1T<br />
LARMOUR<br />
1T<br />
LARMOUR<br />
1T<br />
RINGROSE<br />
RINGROSE<br />
FRAWLEY<br />
HENSHAW<br />
J O’BRIEN<br />
1T<br />
J O’BRIEN<br />
4T<br />
J O’BRIEN A BYRNE 1T OSBORNE FRAWLEY O’LOUGHLIN<br />
URC EDINBURGH RDS Arena OSBORNE T O’BRIEN O’LOUGHLIN FRAWLEY KEARNEY<br />
URC OSPREYS RDS Arena J O’BRIEN<br />
URC<br />
EMIRATES<br />
LIONS<br />
W<br />
17-61 URC BENETTON Stadio<br />
Monigo<br />
L<br />
13-18 URC ULSTER Kingspan<br />
Stadium<br />
W<br />
45-8<br />
LARMOUR<br />
1T<br />
OSBORNE H BYRNE KEARNEY<br />
RDS Arena O’REILLY T O’BRIEN OSBORNE H BYRNE<br />
J O’BRIEN<br />
2T 1C<br />
URC CONNACHT Sportsground J O’BRIEN<br />
W<br />
34-19 URC MUNSTER Thomond<br />
Park<br />
LARMOUR<br />
1T<br />
KEARNEY<br />
1T<br />
OSBORNE H BYRNE T O’BRIEN<br />
J O’BRIEN A BYRNE O’LOUGHLIN OSBORNE T O’BRIEN<br />
KEENAN<br />
W<br />
26-21 HCC CONNACHT Sportsground KEENAN<br />
1T<br />
W<br />
56-20 HCC CONNACHT Aviva<br />
Stadium<br />
L<br />
23-28<br />
L<br />
13-20<br />
W<br />
23-14<br />
URC<br />
CELL C<br />
SHARKS<br />
URC<br />
DHL<br />
STORMERS<br />
HCC<br />
LEICESTER<br />
TIGERS<br />
Jonsson<br />
Kings Park<br />
Green Point<br />
Stadium<br />
Mattioli Woods<br />
Welford Road<br />
W<br />
40-17 HCC TOULOUSE Aviva<br />
Stadium<br />
21/05 19:15 URC MUNSTER<br />
00/05 19:15 HCC Xxxxx<br />
Final<br />
fixtures and<br />
results 2021/22<br />
Aviva<br />
Stadium<br />
Xxxx<br />
Stadium<br />
T O’BRIEN<br />
2T<br />
J O’BRIEN<br />
1T<br />
OSBORNE<br />
RINGROSE<br />
1T<br />
FRAWLEY<br />
1T<br />
HENSHAW<br />
J O’BRIEN RINGROSE HENSHAW<br />
KEENAN J O’BRIEN RINGROSE<br />
COSGRAVE<br />
T O’BRIEN<br />
1T<br />
OSBORNE<br />
HENSHAW<br />
2T<br />
FRAWLEY<br />
2C 3P<br />
O’LOUGHLIN<br />
1T<br />
LOWE<br />
2T<br />
LOWE<br />
2T<br />
LOWE<br />
4T<br />
O’REILLY A BYRNE OSBORNE O’LOUGHLIN RUSSELL<br />
KEENAN J O’BRIEN RINGROSE<br />
KEENAN<br />
1T<br />
HENSHAW<br />
1T<br />
J O’BRIEN RINGROSE HENSHAW<br />
R BYRNE<br />
1T 7C<br />
SEXTON<br />
5C<br />
R BYRNE<br />
3C 2P<br />
R BYRNE<br />
3C<br />
R BYRNE<br />
3C 1P<br />
R BYRNE<br />
3C<br />
R BYRNE<br />
1T 7C<br />
R BYRNE<br />
1C 2P<br />
R BYRNE<br />
1C<br />
R BYRNE<br />
1P 4C<br />
SEXTON<br />
1C 2P<br />
SEXTON 6C<br />
GIBSON-PARK<br />
1T<br />
MCGRATH<br />
PORTER<br />
PORTER<br />
1T<br />
SHEEHAN<br />
1T<br />
KELLEHER<br />
1T<br />
KELLEHER<br />
KELLEHER<br />
MCGRATH E BYRNE CRONIN<br />
N MCCARTHY<br />
1T<br />
MCGRATH<br />
E BYRNE<br />
HEALY<br />
1T<br />
TRACY<br />
TRACY<br />
N MCCARTHY E BYRNE TRACY<br />
MCGRATH<br />
DOOLEY<br />
CRONIN<br />
2T<br />
MCGRATH DOOLEY TRACY<br />
MCGRATH DOOLEY TRACY<br />
GIBSON-PARK E BYRNE TRACY<br />
MCGRATH HEALY SHEEHAN<br />
GIBSON-PARK<br />
1T<br />
PORTER<br />
KELLEHER<br />
O’LOUGHLIN H BYRNE N MCCARTHY PORTER MCKEE<br />
LOWE<br />
LOWE<br />
2T<br />
FRAWLEY<br />
2P<br />
SEXTON<br />
2P 2C<br />
SEXTON<br />
3C 3P<br />
FOLEY<br />
E BYRNE<br />
1T<br />
MCKEE<br />
GIBSON-PARK PORTER KELLEHER<br />
GIBSON-PARK PORTER KELLEHER<br />
96 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
3 4 5 6 7 8 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23<br />
ALAALATOA MOLONY J RYAN RUDDOCK<br />
VAN DER FLIER<br />
1T<br />
ALAALATOA MOLONY RYAN RUDDOCK VAN DER FLIER<br />
ALAALATOA BAIRD TONER LEAVY<br />
FURLONG MOLONY RYAN<br />
DORIS<br />
2T<br />
PENNY<br />
1T<br />
VAN DER FLIER<br />
DORIS<br />
DEEGAN<br />
1T<br />
RUDDOCK<br />
CONAN<br />
FURLONG MOLONY BAIRD DORIS LEAVY CONAN<br />
TRACY<br />
1T<br />
E BYRNE HEALY BAIRD DEEGAN GIBSON-PARK<br />
R BYRNE<br />
1T 1C<br />
TRACY E BYRNE HEALY BAIRD LEAVY N MCCARTHY C FRAWLEY<br />
KELLEHER<br />
1T<br />
SHEEHAN<br />
2T<br />
SHEEHAN<br />
1T<br />
DOOLEY HEALY MOLONY DEEGAN N MCCARTHY<br />
HEALY<br />
1T<br />
ALAALATOA BAIRD RUDDOCK MCGRATH<br />
SEXTON<br />
4C<br />
R BYRNE<br />
3C<br />
OSBORNE<br />
S PENNY<br />
[UNUSED]<br />
RUSSELL<br />
T O’BRIEN<br />
E BYRNE ALAALATOA TONER RUDDOCK GIBSON-PARK OSBORNE VAN DER FLIER<br />
FURLONG MOLONY TONER LEAVY PENNY RUDDOCK CRONIN DOOLEY ABDALADZE DEEGAN CONNORS N MCCARTHY H BYRNE T O’BRIEN<br />
ALA’ALATOA<br />
BAIRD<br />
1T<br />
TONER<br />
RUDDOCK<br />
1T<br />
VAN DER FLIER<br />
DORIS<br />
1T<br />
KELLEHER PORTER ABDALADZE J MURPHY<br />
DEEGAN<br />
1T<br />
N MCCARTHY<br />
R BYRNE<br />
1C<br />
T O’BRIEN<br />
FURLONG<br />
1T<br />
MOLONY BAIRD RUDDOCK<br />
VAN DER FLIER<br />
1T<br />
DORIS SHEEHAN HEALY ALAALATOA TONER DEEGAN MCGRATH J O’BRIEN T O’BRIEN<br />
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -<br />
FURLONG<br />
MOLONY<br />
1T<br />
J MURPHY<br />
DORIS<br />
VAN DER FLIER<br />
2T<br />
CONAN<br />
2T<br />
SHEEHAN<br />
2T<br />
HEALY<br />
ALAALATOA<br />
1T<br />
RUDDOCK DEEGAN MCGRATH<br />
SEXTON<br />
5C<br />
LOWE<br />
1T<br />
ALAALATOA MOLONY MURPHY DORIS<br />
VAN DER FLIER<br />
1T<br />
CONAN<br />
SHEEHAN<br />
1T<br />
HEALY ABDALADZE BAIRD DEEGAN GIBSON-PARK<br />
R BYRNE<br />
2C<br />
FRAWLEY<br />
1T<br />
ALAALATOA TONER J MCCARTHY RUDDOCK CONNORS PENNY 1T TRACY 1T DOOLEY ABDALADZE MOLONY DEEGAN N MCCARTHY H BYRNE T O’BRIEN<br />
ALAALATOA MOLONY J MURPHY MOLONEY<br />
ALAALATOA MOLONY BAIRD MOLONEY<br />
ALAALATOA<br />
1T<br />
PENNY<br />
1T<br />
PENNY<br />
1T<br />
DEEGAN<br />
1T<br />
CRONIN<br />
DOOLEY<br />
ABDALADZE<br />
1T<br />
TONER SOROKA MCGRATH H BYRNE RUSSELL<br />
DEEGAN CRONIN DOOLEY CLARKSON DUNNE RUDDOCK N MCCARTHY A BYRNE<br />
TONER J MCCARTHY J MURPHY LEAVY RUDDOCK CRONIN DOOLEY CLARKSON DUNNE DEEGAN MCGRATH A BYRNE<br />
CLARKSON MOLONY J MCCARTHY RUDDOCK PENNY<br />
ALAALATOA MOLONY J MCCARTHY RUDDOCK PENNY<br />
ALAALATOA MOLONY J MCCARTHY RUDDOCK PENNY<br />
DEEGAN<br />
1T<br />
DEEGAN<br />
1T<br />
DEEGAN<br />
1T<br />
TRACY<br />
2T<br />
LOWE<br />
1T<br />
PENNY<br />
1T<br />
E BYRNE ALAALATOA TONER LEAVY FOLEY O’LOUGHLIN KEARNEY<br />
CRONIN LASISI CLARKSON TONER LEAVY N MCCARTHY HAWKSHAW MOLONEY<br />
CRONIN E BYRNE CLARKSON J MURPHY MOLONEY N MCCARTHY<br />
HAWKSHAW<br />
1T 4C<br />
ALAALATOA TONER DUNNE DORIS VAN DER FLIER CONAN SHEEHAN HEALY FURLONG MOLONY MURPHY MCGRATH FRAWLEY DEEGAN<br />
FURLONG MOLONY J MURPHY DORIS VAN DER FLIER CONAN TRACY E BYRNE ALAALATOA TONER DEEGAN GIBSON-PARK<br />
FURLONG<br />
1T<br />
MOLONY J MURPHY DORIS VAN DER FLIER CONAN SHEEHAN E BYRNE ALAALATOA TONER RUDDOCK MCGRATH<br />
CLARKSON DEENY DUNNE RUDDOCK<br />
PENNY<br />
1T<br />
R BYRNE<br />
1P<br />
R BYRNE<br />
2C<br />
COSGRAVE<br />
FRAWLEY<br />
FRAWLEY<br />
DEEGAN BARRON DOOLEY ALAALATOA J MURPHY SOROKA FOLEY HAWKSHAW MOLONEY<br />
CLARKSON J MURPHY DEENY SOROKA PENNY RUDDOCK BARRON MILNE ABDALADZE DUNNE S O’BRIEN N MCCARTHY<br />
FURLONG MOLONY RYAN DORIS<br />
FURLONG MOLONY J RYAN DORIS<br />
VAN DER FLIER<br />
1T<br />
VAN DER FLIER<br />
1T<br />
CONAN SHEEHAN HEALY ALAALATOA J MCCARTHY RUDDOCK MCGRATH<br />
CONAN SHEEHAN HEALY ALA’ALATOA J MCCARTHY RUDDOCK MCGRATH<br />
H BYRNE<br />
1C<br />
R BYRNE<br />
1P<br />
R BYRNE<br />
1C 1P<br />
MOLONEY<br />
T O’BRIEN<br />
FRAWLEY<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 97
matchday<br />
Squads<br />
officials<br />
Jordan Larmour<br />
Rob Russell<br />
Jamie Osborne<br />
Ciarán Frawley<br />
Rory O’Loughlin<br />
Harry Byrne<br />
Cormac Foley<br />
15<br />
14<br />
13<br />
12<br />
11<br />
10<br />
9<br />
FULL BACK<br />
RIGHT WING<br />
OUTSIDE CENTRE<br />
INSIDE CENTRE<br />
LEFT WING<br />
FLY HALF<br />
SCRUM HALF<br />
Mike Haley<br />
Andrew Conway<br />
Chris Farrell<br />
Dan Goggin<br />
Keith Earls<br />
Joey Carbery<br />
Conor Murray<br />
REFEREE:<br />
FRANK MURPHY<br />
(IRFU, 62ND COMPETITION GAME)<br />
ASSISTANT REFEREE<br />
PETER MARTIN (IRFU)<br />
ASSISTANT REFEREE<br />
OISIN QUINN (IRFU)<br />
TMO:<br />
BRIAN MacNEICE (IRFU)<br />
Ed Byrne [C]<br />
Seán Cronin<br />
Thomas Clarkson<br />
Joe McCarthy<br />
Josh Murphy<br />
Ryan Baird<br />
Scott Penny<br />
Max Deegan<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
LOOSE HEAD PROP<br />
HOOKER<br />
TIGHT HEAD PROP<br />
SECOND ROW<br />
SECOND ROW<br />
BLINDSIDE FLANKER<br />
OPENSIDE FLANKER<br />
NUMBER 8<br />
Josh Wycherley<br />
Niall Scannell<br />
John Ryan<br />
Jean Kleyn<br />
Thomas Ahern<br />
Fineen Wycherley<br />
Alex Kendellen<br />
Jack O’Donoghue [C]<br />
John McKee<br />
Peter Dooley<br />
Cian Healy<br />
Devin Toner<br />
Alex Soroka<br />
Ben Murphy<br />
David Hawkshaw<br />
Adam Byrne<br />
16<br />
17<br />
18<br />
19<br />
20<br />
21<br />
22<br />
23<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
REPLACEMENT<br />
Diarmuid Barron<br />
Jeremy Loughman<br />
Keynan Knox<br />
Jason Jenkins<br />
Jack Daly<br />
Craig Casey<br />
Ben Healy<br />
Rory Scannell
At Sword we know how important the Game is.<br />
We know how important your memories are ....so relax<br />
and enjoy yourself, you're in safe hands.<br />
LEINSTER RUGBY FANS .... Secured by the team at Sword<br />
Dublin: 01-6688220<br />
info@swordsecurity.com<br />
www.swordsecurity.com<br />
Securing Sports Fans around the World.
Parting Shot<br />
Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile<br />
100 | www.leinsterrugby.ie
14 May 2022<br />
James Lowe of <strong>Leinster</strong> celebrates after scoring his side’s first try<br />
during the Heineken Champions Cup Semi-Final match between<br />
<strong>Leinster</strong> and Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.<br />
www.leinsterrugby.ie | 101