Greencore Academy Update

Catching up with Elite Player Development Officer Colm McMahon on the happenings of the Greencore Munster Academy over the past month.

Alex Wootton signs senior contract…
 
“It’s fantastic that Alex’s three years in the academy programme culminate in him receiving an opportunity with the senior squad on a development contract.  Alex has worked very hard, most recently splitting his time between his academy training, his club Garryowen and his involvement with the Ireland Men’s 7s set-up.  That’s a lot of commitment and it’s great to see him get his just rewards for it.
 
“For a guy like Alex, who because of his position hasn’t had that many opportunities to train in the senior set-up, it really shows the value of good performances in the AIL.  Also, through his exploits with Ireland and Munster 7s he gained excellent experience in a lot of tough tournaments and was the only Munster player to play every minute of the Limerick World Club 7s in Thomond Park at the beginning of the season.
 
“That showcases his durability and athleticism and we are delighted to see him progress into the senior set-up.”
 
 
Ireland Men’s 7s involvement…
 
“Along with Alex, Dan Goggin, Gearoid Lyons, Ollie Lyons and Greg O’Shea are all included in the national set-up and their programme is pretty much all systems go in the coming weeks.  They train a couple of times midweek with the 7s squad in Dublin and do that in conjunction with their strength programme here in Munster.
 
“They have a lot of tournaments coming up including the GB7s and Amsterdam 7s which they will use as preparation for the World Rugby Olympic Repechage tournament that takes place in Monaco on June 18^th and 19^th.  Should they win that competition they will qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio.  That’s a big ask but the current preparations will give them the best chance possible and whatever the outcome it will be a wonderful experience for all those involved.”
 
 
Recent Munster A encounter with Ulster A in Naas RFC (Ulster winning 38-31)…
 
“We had a couple of senior players who needed to complete their return to play by clocking up some game time and after that we fielded a lot of academy and sub-academy players.  Ulster fielded a particularly strong starting XV with a lot of fully contracted guys, Tommy Bowe and Darren Cave being the pick of them.
 
“The physicality of the Ulstermen early on was an eye-opener for our lads but once they settled in and got up to speed they gave a really good account of themselves, scoring some lovely tries and finishing within a try of Ulster.
 
“To mix it with guys who are used to running out at PRO12, Champions Cup and international level was a steep learning curve and one that they will take a lot from.”
 
 
Club involvement…
 
“Every game is a big game at this stage of the season in the club scene.  Even for those clubs who are not in contention for trophies, a lot of games become the equivalent of Cup Finals as they try to finish their campaign strongly.
 
“We’ve had a lot of guys involved with Cork Constitution over the season and it was great to see them make history at the weekend by becoming the first side to win the Bateman Cup four years in a row, defeating Galwegians 38-20.  It also backed up their win over Young Munster in the semi-final of the AIL and to have two Munster sides in the AIL knock-out stages was great to see, especially after a number of seasons where Dublin clubs tended to dominate.  Con now face Clontarf at the Aviva Stadium this Sunday (2.30pm) in the AIL Division 1A final.  This is the pinnacle of club rugby in Ireland and playing in such a fine arena and live on TV will bring its own pressures which again is good experience and, with Con facing a very good Clontarf side, I expect a high quality spectacle of rugby.
 
“We also had guys involved for both sides in the Munster Junior Cup final where Young Munster took the spoils over Con on that occasion and after Young Munster’s win over Old Crescent in the semi-final of the Munster Senior Cup, they will again go head to head in the final.
 
“After training together all week, our academy lads certainly look forward to having a crack off each other in club action at the weekend.  That brings a bit more edge which in turn increases performance.”

 
Injury update…
 
“Bill Johnston (shoulder) has now returned to non-contact training with the seniors and he will be phased back into contact in the next week or two.
 
“John Madigan (knee) continues to progress well and will return to action in the new season.
 
“Ned Hodson picked up a knee injury playing for Con in the Bateman Cup final and is currently awaiting a scan to assess the extent of the injury.
 
“Gearoid Lyons picked up a lower limb injury in action with Young Munster in the Munster Senior Cup semi-final and is also awaiting a scan.”
 
“Stephen Fitzgerald picked up a thumb fracture in Shannon’s final AIL game and will be sidelined for four to six weeks.
 
“David Johnston sustained a knee injury in Garryowen’s final game and will be out of contention for a number of weeks.
 
“Ben Kilkenny is currently following return to play protocols for a concussion sustained while playing with Young Munster in the AIL semi-final.  He should be in line for a return in the Munster Senior Cup final.”
 
“Sean McCarthy and Jack Cullen (both knee) continue to follow their respective programmes.”