Talent stream flows stronger than we dreamed possible
Ireland's record in developing young talent bodes well for the future, says Jim Glennon
E nough has been said and written about Ireland's anti-climactic exit from Croke Park last Saturday. But amidst the disappointment, at least we don't have to look too far to find some welcome good news.
The success of the Ireland U20s in securing their second Six Nations championship in four seasons fits the bill just nicely. While it didn't slip completely under the radar, it has been unduly overshadowed by the exploits of the seniors.
This success is worthy of attention however, particularly in the context of a certain amount of hype currently surrounding some members of that U20 squad, captain Rhys Ruddock, who started on Leinster's blindside in the Magners League yesterday, and full-back Andrew Conway, who has also made the step up to that level for Leinster in recent weeks, being just two.
To get some idea of what we might expect from this year's crop of U20s, it is probably a useful exercise to take a look back at the 2007 championship-winning crop, and see how their development is progressing, three years on.
Of the 22 players to represent Ireland in that 2007 championship, 13 are currently on professional contracts with Irish provinces, while, last summer, second-row Conor McInerney joined the Ospreys, replacement prop Ruaidhri Murphy signed for Exeter Chiefs from the Leinster Academy, and openside flanker Kevin Sheahan moved to play professionally in Italy.
Aside from the starting team from the 2007 Italian match, back-row squad members Tommy O'Donnell and Sean O'Brien are both on professional contracts, with Munster and Leinster respectively. Add into the mix the injured Luke Fitzgerald (who missed the entire 2007 championship due to injury) and the tally comes to six full senior internationals, including two Lions, within three years. The class of 2010 certainly have something to live up to.
But more importantly, it shows a clear link between the U20 and senior squads which can only give us hope that we are producing players capable of making the breakthrough. Breaking down Irish national team selections by province is always an interesting exercise, and while not ascribing any scientific significance to the exercise, the comparison between 2007 (Connacht two, Leinster nine, Munster one and Ulster three) and 2010 (Connacht two, Leinster seven, Munster three and Ulster three) is worthwhile.
The topical issue of Connacht's development status is of relevance here; while only two non-Connacht players of the 2007 team, Jamie Hagan and Ian Keatley (both of Leinster), have 'gone west' of the Shannon to progress their careers, there are at least another three struggling elsewhere to obtain reasonable amounts of game-time while being paid by the IRFU.
One of the more interesting aspects of the current squad's make-up is the presence of massive prop Stewart Maguire and the aforementioned Ruddock, both members of the Leinster Academy, and recruited by the province from the Dragons and the Ospreys respectively, having previously represented Wales at under-age levels.
Having been coach and manager of Leinster during the transition period around 1995 when the game changed from amateur to professional, I have first-hand experience of the thinking behind the role envisaged for the embryonic professional structures of the provinces at that turbulent time. It was merely a reactive one of trying to build upon the existing provincial structure and was, self-evidently, well-positioned to develop our players and underpin the IRFU's only cash cow, the national senior team; in doing so, a realistic option to remain at home and ply their trade here would be made available to the cream of our playing talent.
I don't believe it ever entered the consciousness of our administrators that we could manage to hold onto our very best players -- the riches available abroad, particularly in England and France, would always be too much of an attraction for this particular elite, or so we believed anyway.
If the prospect of retaining our very best failed to challenge our imagination, never in our wildest dreams was it contemplated that the great, and then unimaginable, successes achieved since would serve to actually attract overseas talent to these shores. This is the direct opposite of what was anticipated, even dreaded, in the difficult days of the mid and late '90s when, unbelievably now, several of Leinster's and Munster's European Cup teams were playing for English clubs in all other competitions.
Just how many of Allan Clarke's current squad make the breakthrough to senior professional rugby, in Ireland or elsewhere, is obviously unclear but there is no doubt that the class of 2007 have been very good to us so far, and with a great deal more to come from them too. Will the class of 2010 emulate them? Watch this space.
jglennon@independent.ie
- Jim Glennon
Originally published in
