Pro14 the squad is the key

So last year the Pro 14 teams used around 45 - 55 throughout the season. With the Pro14 being about developing as many people to international and European Cup level as possible what is the best way to do.

There are 4 levels of players within each Pro 14 squad where we would expect players to hold their own. (1) International (2) European (3) Pro 14 (4) A Team. The players that standout in each level would be expected to be a good bench option for the level above.

Each club has about 4 people for each position in the front row, and three each for every other position making a squad of about 48, obviously people have more than that be really they are just academy/lower club levels who get sub spots when injuries hit.

If we exclude the playoffs as for most game management these are excluded, we limit internationals to 10 starts & 10 subs, the rest as 15 starts and 10 subs. With the front row it would be less due to the about of work they do in a game.

Internationals (Starts) – Europe 5 games, Pro 14 5 games
Europe (Starts) – Europe 6 games, Pro 14 9 games
Pro 14 (Starts) – Pro 14 15 games
A team (Starts) – A league 7 games
The front row should have the top player doing Europe, Middle two doing Pro 14 and fourth should be doing the A games. They then should have the sub on the bench get mixed about so that you can spread them over the season. Obviously you want your top play playing in the pro14 just as your second should start one or two euro games. With injury most clubs are using their top nine players in the front row. Edinburgh & Scotland are a good example of finding players that jumped up levels because they played more because their top players were injured.

So you might ask what do you do when you have don’t have people to fill the team because the people at the given level have played their 15 games. People that are looking to step up need to be given a chance. Lamour last year went from A team to international in the year, Kinghorn when from Pro 14 to International. There are many more and if your team doesn’t have players going up you are in trouble as a coach and squad.

You also don’t want to do as we have seen where all the top players are rested and the players below them get slaughtered and fall back after the bad experience. We have seen this season with Ospreys and Munster that first and second is a big difference in standard and so you get lopsided games. Connacht v Leinster and Ulster V Dragons were examples of sending lambs to the slaughter last year. What you want to see is some top player some medium and some up and coming on the team with the bench equally balanced. Having someone like Isa for Leinster was great at helping to get the kids over the line.

Cooney was not getting enough regular playing time at Connacht but has blossomed at Ulster.

So what do you think is the best balance to get the most out of your squad over the season and getting the conveyor belt moving each year not just hope a gem is exposed each year?

For me its that your first team squad needs 2 players in each position who can rotate seamlessly. To me this was where leinster got ahead of everyone else. Glasgow have copied them. Its not about having half a dozen top internationals - its about the depth in the squad and being able to rotate without significant weakening of the team. So forget the players wanting a million a year. forget those who are really not good enough. Build a first team squad with 2 in every position of similar abilities.

I think they have also done well and bringing through new players but not letting them sink and ruining their confidence.