Craic Head wrote: No Schools in Connacht will come close to Leinster. The culture is worlds apart.

Having a boarding function is key to the success of many Leinster Schools.

Only Sligo Grammar has a Boarding culture but is mixed and a tiny enrolment [440], but it is key to the success of most of the big six in Leinster, certainly Rock & Clongowes.
In fact about half of the top twenty are boarding schools, the remainder day schools are schools with big enrolments [Belvo - 1005], or where smaller enrolments are single sex [St Mary's and Gonzaga - 550 each]

If you look at the effect that the loss of Boarders had on Garbally as a Rugby school, you can see how important it is to have these kids available to train almost professionally 5-7 days a week.Despite being single sex and having 500 pupils, once kids are free to disperse at 3-4pm they pursue other interests even if the schools is a self declared Rugby school.

If you look at the Senior Cup holders of the last two years and the most successful Connacht side since the turn of the century, the Jes.
They have achieved success despite only slightly more than 600 pupils and being a mixed school, and having no playing fields on the school grounds...

But in any year if you put their best XV up against the best XV of any of the top Twenty in Leinster or top ten in Munster / Ulster...they would be demolished 9 times out of ten....

And this is why you see the drain on Connacht Rugby at schools level with the best player being induced to go to to the like of Roscrea/Rock/Clongowes etc

No Schools in Connacht will come close to Leinster. The culture is worlds apart.

Mark Mostyn wrote:

Bazzo wrote: Pity for Sean, think he's one of the few players who's been performing in this u20 side. Our representation (or lack of) this year is worrying though and I don't think it looks like it will be getting much better...

Probably not, only Sean and Corey Reid on the 19s this year.

I can see it improving as the years go on but we need a similar culture in schools as they have in Leinster, of course our numbers are always going to vastly inferior but you'd like to think 4 per year would be achievable

Bazzo wrote: Pity for Sean, think he's one of the few players who's been performing in this u20 side. Our representation (or lack of) this year is worrying though and I don't think it looks like it will be getting much better...

Probably not, only Sean and Corey Reid on the 19s this year.

Pity for Sean, think he's one of the few players who's been performing in this u20 side. Our representation (or lack of) this year is worrying though and I don't think it looks like it will be getting much better...

IRELAND U20 news:
Sean Masterson is one of the many Irish players going home injured following the NZ game (along with Kelly, Rea, Coomes and Fitzgerald)
Luke Carty is one of the players drafted in

Corey Reid (Marist) and Sean Masterson (Corinthians) in Ireland u19 squad for 2 game tour of France (11th and 16th of April)

Cistercian College to remain open - good news!

www.irishtimes.com/news/education/roscre...ue-package-1.3013052

Cormac Brennan too I think.
In fairness most of them are Connacht natives so maybe my original statement is the wrong way around, Connacht underage rugby has been a good source of students for Cistercian College

RonanL wrote: Tiernan went there didn't he? Any other notable successes?

Gavin Duffy, (our) Sean O'Brien, Conor Finn. I expect there's loads more.

Quite a few recent players. Gavin Duffy, Tiernan O'Halloran, Conor Finn, Rory Maloney, Sean O'Brien. Ciaran Gaffney,

Don't know much about the place, but it seems like it had a healthy relationship with the Academy.

pinky wrote: Cistercian Coll

1. ege in Roscrea is closing. It's been a good source of academy recruits for Connacht over the years.

Tiernan went there didn't he? Any other notable successes?

I never knew much about the school, but it makes their Leinster senior cup success a few years ago all the more impressive. Apparently they only had 9 first years enrolled for next year, which makes the decision pretty understandable.

pinky wrote: Cistercian College in Roscrea is closing. It's been a good source of academy recruits for Connacht over the years.

www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/home/235941/...oscrea-to-close.html

Cistercian College in Roscrea is closing. It's been a good source of academy recruits for Connacht over the years.

Sun 16th Oct                      Connacht Eagles v Cornish Pirates          14.30                    the Sportsground
Sat 22nd Oct                        London Irish v Connacht Eagles              15.00                     Madejski Stadium
Sat 10th Dec                       Connacht Eagles v Ospreys Select          14.30                    the Sportsground
W/E 17th Dec (TBC)             Ospreys Select v Connacht Eagles          TBC                      TBC
W/E Sat 14th Jan (TBC)     Connacht Eagles v London Irish               TBC                      TBC
Sat 21st Jan                        Cornish Pirates v Connacht Eagles           14:00                    Mennaye Field

Cornish Pirates up this Sunday

clanman wrote: I see that we are having difficulty fielding a full team for the u20's interppros, they even changed the format to allow development players to be allowed play our for the he u20's

U20s interpro scheduled for next Thurs has been called off due to lack of numbers.