Leinster sign Nathan White??

Its being reported in the Irish Times this morning that Leinster have signed 29 year old tighthead prop Nathan White from Waikito Chiefs. According to the article its because Ross and Healy are in the Ireland squad, Hagan is in the extended Ireland squad and obviously Wright has left.

The article itself isn't actually about this signing but the author says he's signed. Apparently he won't be arriving until September however.

Good player?

The article also paints a pretty bleak picture for Ulster during the WC, with Ulsters best homegrown players being called up to Ireland, on top of losing Afoa, Pienaar and possibly even Muller at the same time.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/0721/1224301061880.html

Another Irish newspaper paints bleak picture for Ulster shocker......

Let's hope this isn't another Juan Gomez/Stephen Knoop/Clint Newland!

If Ireland progress to the World Cup final in Auckland’s Eden Park on Sunday, October 23rd, it leaves the best home-grown players with less than three weeks to prepare for round one of the Heineken Cup. “Actually, it only gives us that week with them as they will be rested for two weeks up to that,” Schmidt explained.


And not one fan of the 4 provinces would give 2 hoots!!!

OnASideNote wrote:If Ireland progress to the World Cup final in Auckland’s Eden Park on Sunday, October 23rd, it leaves the best home-grown players with less than three weeks to prepare for round one of the Heineken Cup. “Actually, it only gives us that week with them as they will be rested for two weeks up to that,” Schmidt explained.


And not one fan of the 4 provinces would have to worry about that!!!

Fixed that for you

OnASideNote wrote:If Ireland progress to the World Cup final in Auckland’s Eden Park on Sunday, October 23rd, it leaves the best home-grown players with less than three weeks to prepare for round one of the Heineken Cup. “Actually, it only gives us that week with them as they will be rested for two weeks up to that,” Schmidt explained.


And not one fan of the 4 provinces would give 2 hoots!!!

I can't believe we've become so fixated with provincial rugby and the HEC that we're concerned about the National side reaching a WC final!

Believe Mick, believe................

Seriously tho, rodders is spot on, cant believe Schmidt is griping, imagine getting his players back full of confidence after reaching a wc final???

OnASideNote wrote:
Seriously tho, rodders is spot on, cant believe Schmidt is griping, imagine getting his players back full of confidence after winning a wc final???

Fixed that one for you too....

Ye guys...........

Ah I don’t think he’s griping lads. His job is to coach Leinster and produce players for the international team, he said in another paragraph that he hopes as many of his players as possible are on the plane to NZ. But his job is his job and it’s harder for him to deliver when the national team do well.

No, his job is actually primarily to support the National team's needs and hope that success for Leinster is a by product!! Same as all 4 of the provinces coaches. Us fans sometimes forget that its Country before club.

Its an odd set up we have actually when u break it down isn't it??

But yeah Mick, were only tongue and cheeking it this morning.....

That’s an interesting point OnA. Not sure I totally agree though. The IRFU hire the coaches to enable the provinces to perform well, the bi-product of which is a successful national team.

I’m not saying that the provinces are more important, but any success that Ireland have had at international level has come after a period of success for the provinces, and not vice versa.

I agree Mick, its 2 ways of looking at (hopefully) the same out come. Irish success.

But, bottom line is, if the Irish Management Team say jump, its Schmidts/McGahans/ etc's job to just say How high??


Thats just the way its set up. IRFU pay the wages....

Well wide of the mark re Ulster

Payne, Gilroy, Cave/Spence, Marshall, Gaston, Humphreys, Marshall, McAllister, Kyriacou, Fitzpatrick, Tuohy, Muller (he wont be selected), Henry, Wannenburg, Faloon
Bench: D'Arcy, Cave/Spence, Porter, Brady, Black, Stevenson, Diack
stands up pretty well imo

Whats well wide geoff??

I feel for Ulster they have a pretty tough start to the HEC with a game against a French side and then a game against Tigers at Welford Rd. Could be pretty horrible for them if Ireland and SA progress but England get dumped out early.

Not that, that would bother the average Irishman, bragging rights over the English would be secured.

Sorry Geoff, got ya now.

Anyone know anything about this Nathan white chap?

I think we are pretty strong- however if Humphreys was selected, or Muller, we'd have problems.

I'm really worried about those two, just hope they are available for us!

Humphreys being selected for the WC or getting injured would be worst case scenario given that Pienaar is away as well, but the one good thing about Pienaar being away is that Jackson will get game time.

and porter too

OnASideNote wrote:Whats well wide geoff??

The observation that we will be in trouble during the WC - I reckon we are in a better position than the vast majority of Magners teams.

The only ones I would want to avoid are Munster because their reserves are so strong and Dragons and Connacht because they will be virtaully first teams anyway.

I hope Jack McGrath is given game time (obviously he has to earn the opportunity in training and buildup). Hagan probably won't make the plane to NZ but could be first reserve TH on call if there is an injury out there. Getting an extra TH in is probably good planning, but is there anything in the academy that could step up and grab an opportunity?

Where does this leave the NIQ quota for Leinster? September is a curious month for the transfer, is it anything to do with Strauss moving from NIQ to IQ about the same time.

At the minute it is Strauss, Nacewa, Heinke ..... and my mind is blank (Hines gone, Wright gone, Clint gone (someone please confirm)

Skyes (the second row from NZ)

Oh and Berquist (Nz flyhalf)

NIQ quota's can be bent during times of need.

So that is VDM, skyes, berquist, nacewa that makes our 4 NIQ

and Strauss will have become IQ by October isn't it???

Your allowed 5 NIQ this year - the restriction to 4 doesn't come in till 2012-13

Sykes and Berquist, I knew I was forgetting people. Cheers guys. I understand that Strauss is IQ from October time onwards so we will go from 4 NIQ plus a project to 5 NIQ over the course of that month. I'd like the next step for Leinster to be a goal of 3 NIQs (prop, sykes and Nacewa) and look to build on what has been a fabulous academy of late.

thebandwagonsociety wrote:Sykes and Berquist, I knew I was forgetting people. Cheers guys. I understand that Strauss is IQ from October time onwards so we will go from 4 NIQ plus a project to 5 NIQ over the course of that month. I'd like the next step for Leinster to be a goal of 3 NIQs (prop, sykes and Nacewa) and look to build on what has been a fabulous academy of late.

Yeah couldn't agree more tbh

How goes the in house re-generation of the midfield? At the pre season game vs Tigers last year I was reliabley informed that 12 would not be an issue and D'Arcy would be struggling to hold onto his shirt with McFadden coming onto the scene but BOD was still somewhat irreplaceable. Are Leinster going to have to look abroad to replace the Leinster Legend or is there another great player coming through?

Well McF will replace Darcy more than likely.

Eoin O'Malley played well in every game he had to play at 13, especially away against Clermont. Fitzgerald is an option at 13 also

Macken coming through as well. Whoever comes through won't be as good as O'Driscoll but these two could still be fine players in their own right.

O Malley please. A cracking player and will push for Ireland selection when he gets more gametime. Looking fwd to seeing more of him in September....

Need to see more from O'Malley but we have two guys in Ulster challanging hard for that 13 spot - Cave and Spence.

I have been particularly impressed by McFadden and Cave playing together for Ireland 'A' - looked like a very good combination

Fitzgerald is an option at 13 the way the Bull is an 'option' at loosehead. He is a prop and should theoretically know how to play LH, but he almost certainly can't. Ditto Fitzy @13.

Keep an eye out for Alex Kelly lads!
One for the future @13

debaters1 wrote:Fitzgerald is an option at 13 the way the Bull is an 'option' at loosehead. He is a prop and should theoretically know how to play LH, but he almost certainly can't. Ditto Fitzy @13.

Quite true. Up until O'Malley stepped up from the academy, the longer term plan did appear to be to try and get Fitz into the 13 jersey. Though, even before O'Malley got into the senior side, McFadden was primary replacement for BOD, so I could be going back even another season since management were considering Fitz in the 13 jersey.

Mickado wrote:Keep an eye out for Alex Kelly lads!
One for the future @13

At Leinster though?