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Greencore Academy Update

5th March 2015 By Munster Rugby

Greencore Academy Update

Elite Player Development Manager Peter Malone on the happenings of the Greencore Munster Rugby Academy over the past month.

Ireland U20 6 Nations representation…
“The team over the three games has done very well, albeit they will be disappointed to have lost last weekend to England. They created chances that they didn’t finish and you can’t afford to do that at international level.

“The three lads we have involved – Greg O’Shea, Stephen Fitzgerald and Jack Cullen have all acquitted themselves really well and we’re pleased with their performances.

Stephen has done well to score a couple of tries. He still has some areas to work on and improve but he’s shown himself to be very comfortable and capable at that level.

Jack is behind the team captain in terms of selection (Nick McCarthy) so it’s hard to get a lot of time off the bench. However he has made an impression in those appearances as well as doing the simple things well. He is well regarded within the squad so needs to keep the head down and wait for his opportunity to arise.

Greg finished his try very well in tough conditions over in Italy. While bravely going for the ball there was a clash of heads in which he sustained a slight crack on the cheekbone. He is currently rehabbing the injury and while a return for the end of the 6 Nations is possible, it might be a bit tight for him. We have to wait and see how he goes.”

Senior Representation for Jack O’Donoghue, Darren Sweetnam and Rory Scannell…
Jack is going well and has taken his chances in the last three PRO12 games. Obviously the tries (3 across the 3 games) are great for him to get, but more importantly he’s looked really comfortable at that level and now the job for Jack is to keeping driving improvements in himself as he moves into the senior ranks next season.

“Delighted that Darren got to feature against Cardiff, and it’s nice for him that he made his competitive debut in Cork. He did well under the high ball and created a few opportunities. As well as that Darren is playing very well for his club Cork Constitution every weekend. After a few injuries at the start of the season he is now getting a good run of games and that’s standing to him.

Rory has really stepped up this year and also impressed against Cardiff. This year he has become the mainstay at 10 for Micko’s (Mick O’Driscoll) ‘A’ team in the B&I Cup. You now see how comfortable he is running a game and he’s also brought that form into his club appearances for Dolphin – winning the AIL ‘Rising Star of the Month’ for January. He now attacks the line very well and his physicality has also improved.”

Upcoming Munster ‘A’ v Ulster Ravens fixture…
“This is another important opportunity for players and it gives them a chance to impress in the Munster jersey. Hopefully we’ll have a few guys who missed out previously due to injury coming back into the fold in time for the game.

“Games like this are played at a high level of intensity and it’s a chance for guys to showcase that they can play at that level and are ready to step up from there to B&I Cup and then possibly on to PRO12.”
Munster 'A' v Ulster Ravens, Thursday March 19th 2015 at Nenagh Ormond RFC – KO 4:30pm.

Injury Update…
“We are very hopeful that John Madigan will be back playing in the next two weeks. The rehabbing of his shoulder has gone really well and is on, if not slightly ahead of, schedule. He also used his time on the sideline to focus on college and we’re now managing his return to play to ensure that he’s 100% before taking to the field, be that for Dolphin or Munster ‘A’.

Niall Horan (thumb) is hopeful of lining out this weekend for Shannon and like John has used his rehab time to work on other areas, focusing on his physical development – his strength & conditioning and his body mass. Hopefully he will see some time off the bench in the AIL this weekend.

“We have yet to put a definite timeline on injuries to Rory Burke, Darragh Moloney and Sean McCarthy (all ankle), while Ryan Foley (knee), Ryan Murphy (arm) and Brian Scott (neck) continue to rehab their respective long term injures and won't play competitive rugby until the new season.

Felix Jones & Cathal Sheridan speak at Academy Mental Skills workshops…
“As part of our ongoing Mental Skills programme with Dr. Tadgh MacIntyre, we teach players resilience and how to deal with injury, how to manage it mentally and how to set goals for oneself during rehabilitation.

“Senior players who have gone through various injuries are ideal to speak to Academy members in both Limerick and Cork. After each presentation players will sit down and workshop areas that they can work on individually.

“It’s not just for those who are injured. It’s good for all players to see that in a professional and physical sport this is what happens and this is the process you may need to go through – to get yourself right and to focus on what you can develop when injured, be it academic, social or rugby related.

“It’s a really constructive module and to have the support and experiences of guys like Felix and Cathal has been very beneficial."

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Jessie Barr (400m hurdler) Clare Murphy (400m) and Cathal Sheridan chat with Academy players about mental resilience during injury and return to play.

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