Irish Players to Watch

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Luke Marshall- Paddy Wallace will be 33 at season's beginning and after a career full of physical punishment on his relatively light torso, you get the sense his game is going decline more rapidly over the coming season. This in turn offers a prime opportunity for the talented young Ulsterman to make a play at the No. 12 shirt over this coming season. The Ballymena man reminds me somewhat of Luke McCalister, both in dimensions, under 6 foot but with powerful builds but their strength lies in their creative skills. At the 2011 iRB Junior World Championsip, it seems as though Ruddock was captivated by Marshall's size and used him as a crash centre which was a crying shame given his ability to potentially open up games with his arsenal of skills. This is not to say that his size isn't an advantage as it gives him a little more space and time.

What might work against him is what would seem like Ulster placing all their chips on Paddy Jackson in the key pivot role. You can either see them sticking with Wallace to balance up the experience loss with Jackson at 10 or wanting to plug Spence into the line up and offer the strong defender and crash ball option at 12. Marshall might be young but the 21 year old has the full package. His passing range is strong and due to his size has a good ability to suck in defenders freeing up outside runners. He may not have top end speed but he is quick and could cause real danger if he makes it past the first line of defence while he also offers another kicking option from a wider channel to take the heat off the stand off.

Making a prediction for how he will do this year is tough as Anscombe is an unknown quantity at this level so we don't know what his policy on youth will be but I expect Marshall to make a big impact in the Rabo this season and to gain some valuable H Cup experience as well.


Andrew Conway- I saw resident poster draw a comparison with Conway to Denis Hickie, the former Leinster flyer, which I thought apt. What is more exciting for Irish fans though is Conway has more to his game than Hickie did. The hype started on Conway while still in Ireland's most famous rugby school, Blackrock College. I remember watching the Junior Cup final when they beat St. Michaels in the final, who actually played fantastically well in that match but Conway's devastating running from deep clinched the title for 'Rock. He played all his schools rugby at full back but it would seem that wing is the most likely position for him at senior level.

At U20s, he played two seasons, winning a 6 Nations Championship in 2010 and ending up joint top try scorer at that level in the iRB JWC. Conway is a quick livewire outside back who certainly goes against the current trend of large powerful wingers. What I am interested to see is how Schmidt, probably the foremost attacking mind in the Northern Hemisphere gets the ball into the hands of Conway who has fantastic acceleration and his ability to change direction at such pace is a rare asset. While he has put on a bit of bulk since he first made his debut for Leinster, Schmidt will want to avoid him getting clogged up in midfield unless favourable match ups can be found against tight forwards. In space though, he could be a difference maker for an already intimidating Leinster outfit.
My prediction is Conway won't make it into Leinster's first team this season with the strength they have in the outside backs but we'll see him develop more in the Rabo and for 606ers to be calling for him to start on the wing for Ireland because of it


Ian Nagle- This time last season Nagle was seen as heir apparent along with Donncha Ryan to Munster's long time boiler room attendants. After this past season I have seen some suggesting that Foley might be the player instead. One season is not enough to rule out a player. We saw that with Devin Toner at Leinster this season where some were saying his just didn't have the temperament or attitude to make it yet he showed the doubters otherwise with a solid season.

As with Ryan before him, Nagle has got as tough an ask as it comes with three Irish internationals ahead of him. Every opportunity he gets, he will need to take it with both hands and more. Paul O'Connell is still the premier lock in Ireland but his body is struggling more and more to cope with the demands of rugby. Nagle could be the foil that Ryan needs when O'Connell isn't playing. He is a fantastic athlete for a man his size but it is his effort in defense which really makes him stand out.

My prediction is Nagle to make a real impact this season and to remove O'Callaghan from the 23 at Munster.

rodders wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:
Me too, a first visit to Ravenhill, can't wait

You are in for a treat ASBO...nothing compares to seeing Sparky in the flesh for the first time...

Such a shame that Big Chief won't get to kick Sparky's scrawny h'arris this season!

Notch wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

Notch wrote:

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Me too, a first visit to Ravenhill, can't wait

It's a real old-school ground

Hope you're getting tickets for the Prom?

I am in the hands of the maestro

Hope to see you there!

Definitely, Notch, hoping to catch up with as many of yous as possible :dressedorange:

Here's a lad actually who seems to have been skipped over, does anyone think Felix Jones or Ian Keatley could up it this season?

Both are pretty talented and have a good skill level. Keatley has to be considered 2nd choice still despite JJ and Jones could well make the starting HCup XV but I wouldn't put money on that with Zebo and Hurley in the mix.

Jones has had some horrible injuries and has come back from most playing some good rugby, he is amazing at coming in to the line and releasing wingers but since his latest comeback he seems to be booting the ball away more and more. Has he lost the confidence to counter which was one of Munster's strengths a few seasons back.

Keatley will get gametime as ROG begins to fade, if he is to hold off JJ he will need to make sure the gametime he gets he plays well in. He needs to prove himself consistent too be it in game management or kicking for goal. The fact he plays 10-12-13-15 will help him.

Both will need to seriously improve on last season.

Its a MASSIVE season for Jones. Seriously big.

If it goes well he could finish the season as 1st choice fullback for Munster and 2nd choice for Ireland.

If he fails to deliver he will end up as the 3rd choice Musnter fullback behind Keith Earls and Denis Hurley.

I agree re: Jones. I think he is semi standing down the barrell. it is great for the coaches to show faith in a player returning from injury. But there is only so many times the team can be expected to do that and particularily since he seems to have gone in on himself since returning last time and now having another injury/op this summer. He really needs his body to be able to handle this season. He really needs to do that and play very well in the style he was playing 10/11 season

We talk about the same players for years. Luke Marshall, Nagle etc have been around for years but we only get to watch them when they're on the sidelines.

profitius wrote:We talk about the same players for years. Luke Marshall, Nagle etc have been around for years but we only get to watch them when they're on the sidelines.

Not really. Marshall was supposed to break through last season, and he only came onto most people's radar after the combined provinicial youngsters' game. But he was injured, and because he wasn't going to be available for the first three rounds, wasn't on the HEC squad, so was bumped down the pecking order. The injury was bad luck, the timing terrible luck.

Although maybe you have a point. Compare Marshall's progress to Paddy Jackson's. One had a flaky, poorly-performing player ahead of him. IHumph's opting-out of defensive duties Geoff told us in Feb(?) was becoming an issue in the squad. And he then decided to move on. The other had a talented stalwart of the Ulster team, having a very good season. So is it primarily about chance - about the injuries and form of the player ahead of you?

It will be interesting to see how Henderson goes this season. Hell of a talented player, but he has the inspirational team captain ahead of him, who will be around during international windows, a player on the fringes of the Ireland squad (who will hopefully kick on) and a very good squad player in Stevenson. Is there just too much talent there for him to shift?

Is he a lock? I thought he played #6 for the U20 team.

He only played a couple of games at blindside. He is a lock in the sort of baby-eating enforcer mould, at least at U20s level, but he also has serious pace and athleticism. Hence the ability to cover the back row.

There's a lot of excitement in Ulster about how this player will develop because he has all the physical attributes of a great lock forward even at his young age.

red_stag wrote:Is he a lock? I thought he played #6 for the U20 team.

He's like Stephen Ferris, Willie John McBride and Finn McCool rolled into one stag

He's my one to watch 2013-14 though. I think his gametime will be limited this season unless there are injuries.

I think he started the last JWC game blindside, all the rest he was at second row. I'd like to see him get a few Rabo games and become a regular in the Ravens.

Which reminds me - would I be right in thinking Henderson started every single JWC game?