REIGNING CHAMPIONS LEINSTER ‘A’ have been drawn alongside Plymouth Albion, Jersey and the ‘Wales 3′ qualifier for the pool stages of the 2014/15 British & Irish Cup.
The second-tier competition has been restructured after Scottish Rugby withdrew its teams in order to avoid any clashes with their own BT Premiership.
The 2014/15 British & Irish Cup will feature 20 teams [12 from the English Championship, 4 Welsh Principality Premiership clubs and the four Irish provinces' 'A' sides] split into five pools of four.
Each side will play six pool games before the turn of the year, with the quarter-finals set for January, the semi-finals to take place in March and the final being played in April.
Girvan Dempsey’s Leinster team defended their title successfully last month by beating Leeds Carnegie in Donnybrook on a comprehensive 44-17 scoreline.
As they target a third consecutive trophy at this level, Dempsey’s men will face a Plymouth outfit that includes Irishmen Ruairi Cushion, Eoghan Grace, Declan Cusack and Ben Woods.
Munster ‘A’, who were knocked out by Leinster in the quarter-finals of the 2013/14 campaign, have been drawn in Pool 3 alongside Worcester Warriors – who were relegated from the Aviva Premiership last month – Moseley and Nottingham.
Joining Worcester for next season is former Ireland U18 international Charlie Mulchrone, and Dean Ryan’s side are likely to provide stiff opposition.
Connacht Eagles will face London Scottish, the ‘Wales 2′ qualifier and Bristol in Pool 1, intent on improving on their record of three wins in last season’s competition. Andy Robinson’s impressive Bristol squad means the western province will have to fight hard to top the pool.
Finally, the Ulster Ravens will clash with last season’s runners-up Leeds Carnegie, Rotherham Titans and the ‘Wales 4′ qualifier in Pool 2. Having failed to advance from the pool stages in the 2013/14 campaign, there is clear room for improvement for the Irish province.
There will be familiar faces in the Titans’ ranks with James McKinney and Adam Macklin joining Rotherham from Ulster this summer. Irishmen Sean Scanlon, Michael Keating and Willie Ryan are also on the books at the Championship club.
2014/15 British & Irish Cup pools:
Pool 1: London Scottish, Wales 2, Bristol, Connacht Eagles
Pool 2: Rotherham Titans, Leeds Carnegie, Ulster Ravens, Wales 4
Pool 3: Worcester Warriors, Nottingham, Moseley, Munster ‘A’
Pool 4: Wales 1, Cornish Pirates, Doncaster Knights, Bedford Blues
Pool 5: Leinster ‘A’, Plymouth Albion, Wales 3, Jersey
The preliminary fixture list is available here.
Sad to see him go but more power to the guy. Always preferred a guy who backs himself than stays put. Really hope it works out for him.
“Healy has struggled to nail down a regular place” … he’s played more than both Joey and Crowley?
@thesaltyurchin: Lately though, this season alone, he hasn’t been starting and establishing himself as the prime 10, let’s be honest. It’s been either Joey or Jack who played in the 10 role.
@Criiochúr Daniel Daithí O’Chathail: You’re correct, this season he’s played: 7 times, 2 tries, 6 pen, 6 con, 40 points, 282 minutes. Joey has played: 10 times, 2 tries, 7 pen, 16 con, 641 minutes. Crowely has played: 10 times, 0 tries, 3 pens, 1 con, 11 points, 530 minutes. (semantics but allow me! figures from all.rugby). There are arguments to counter the media rhetoric, but I’ll leave it alone now.
Stick Joey at 15
Crowley at 12
Ben Healy at 10
Just for one game
@Mossy Devaney: I wouldn’t be sure that playing your 1st and 2nd choice no 10s out of position, in order to accommodate your 3rd choice no 10, is a particularly attractive strategy
@Mossy Devaney: … I have the IRFU for you on line one?
@Mossy Devaney: There’d be some smug looks from Leinster if Joey played at 15
@thesaltyurchin: the IRFU gave u Carberry (made a mess of him), Tadhg Beirne, Conway etc. Bizarrely gave Earls and Murray recent central contracts and are subsidizing Zebos fat salary so I’d stop your moaning
@Macodub: Exacty! why? Take Zebos kilo of hotdogs and give them to a younger player? Nah, the bai’s have a right to a chilled retirement. Don’t want joey, not sure who Conway is, and Beirne, he probs didn’t wana to go back to Leinster given his rise (we’ll keep him tho! lol). would rather they jogged on tbf, they have created this semi-state culture.
@Mossy Devaney: too Late now
@Macodub: Can you enlighten us as to what ‘Fat Salary’ Zebo is on?
This can’t be right, Jim Demps said it was all a media fabrication ?
Why is this allowed to happen?
Ben Healy will be a huge loss to Irish rugby we cannot afford to lose quality players .
Bloody careless someone has messed up .
@Mike Morris: How do you keep player , when he wants to leave. Don’t get it.
What are Munster suppose to do. Can’t forse him to stay.
So tell me, what are they suppose to do.
@Mike Morris: I know that the lack of transparency causes conspiracy theories but there must be some useless people at Munster the way these situations arrive, always at Munster, never any other province. No smoke with fire I reckon, Wood was recently moved onto the board, would love to know wtf is going on behind the scenes. Limerick rugby + Politics is notoriously a shambles, always has been. Don’t buy that he ‘wants’ to leave, never had that impression. Did Cronin want to leave, or Ryan? Don’t think so, some other moron called that, but not this? yea right.
@Paddy Waggon: They could play him more often so he doesn’t want to leave. The last 2 appearances against South Africa and Ulster he was class.
@thesaltyurchin: Always at Munster, never anywhere else? Really? What about Tommy Seymour? Very very similar, left Ulster as wing opportunities were limited, half Scottish like Healy, and went on to be not only play for Scotland became a Lion as well. Or Steenson, won everything there is to win at Club level at OH for Exeter Chiefs, same as Ian Whitten. But sure it only happens at Munster.
@thesaltyurchin: “Limerick Rugby plus politics” …obviously you haven’t a clue about who have been in the decision making positions re player recruitment / retention for the last number of years. If you did, you’d know your statement makes absolutely no sense. Outside of munster, nucifora also has a huge say on who goes or stays including holding the purse strings.
@thesaltyurchin: would you ever give it a rest and maybe do some googling? He was reported as turning down the 2 year deal last year specifically to keep his options open. Glasgow were after him at the time. He’s a confident and talented player with dual loyalties, he’s but really closer to being first choice for Munster now and instead another genuine option has emerged to affect his minutes, why would he not look at Edinburgh and think he could be first choice there and play international to boot.
@Keith McNamara: Oh no doubt IRFU are dictating, isn’t that why we loads of players hanging about sitting on their hands. Can’t go here or there, do what you’re told, play this nothing A-game instead of making the AIL better etc. I stand by the politics comment, any Limerick rugby fan older than 30 knows exactly what I mean, state of the clubs?
@Kingshu: Correct, had forgotten about Tommy Seymour actually. You know how it goes on here… If a tree falls in the woods.. Munster rugby ;)
@Paddy Waggon: right now he’s better than Burns, Carty and many people would pick him over Carbery. This a blow for Munster but it’s a big loss to Ireland when you consider our long term options at 10
@Emmet Martin: seconded. Burns good enough for ulster but that’s it. Carty too hit and miss. Leinster pssng about with the Byrnes. Carbery should have nbeen shipped out ages ago. What a mess.
@Mike Morris:
Well his mother is Scottish and he took the opportunity to seek new pastures and try his luck to making his mark as a Scottish International.
Good luck to him an I hope he does well.
It shows he has ambition
Is Joey a better prospect than Ben going forward?…Doubt it.
@Leonard O’mahony: nope
@Leonard O’mahony: He was till he went to Munster
@Riaf: He came to Munster because he wasn’t good enough at Leinster.
Yep. The update confirms it. Ben will leave home shores and head to Scotland. And honestly, I can only be happy for him.
I think this is the best move for his career. At least for now anyway. All I can do as a Munsterman is wish him the very best of luck at season’s end. Hopefully, if he has a stellar time of it over there, he can come back someday.
Thanks for your services Ben.
Can’t be the only one who thinks he’d be a good fit for Connacht???
@sus domesticus: unfortunately going to Connacht is not a fast track for playing for Ireland
@sus domesticus: I can see why Connacht fans get annoyed, always the same line, someone underperforms send them west. Why not have someone who could actually be amazing for them go? like Joey for example.
@sus domesticus: ….or Ulster
@sus domesticus: I agree!
@thesaltyurchin: no thanks Joey can stay where he is.
@Patrick Breen: Damnit!!..
I don’t honk there is so much talent in Irish rugby that the IRFU can afford to let Healy go without a fight.
Effectively, he is not in the ideal position he wishes to be as he is stuck in the middle between a senior in Joey and a junior in Jack.
I think I’d head off if I were him. No doubt Joey will get another contract and Jack is pretty much being considered a future 10 going forward. Plus, his talent will not be used properly by both Munster and Ireland. Why should we try and keep him?
Seeing as he is half Scottish, makes perfect sense that heading over to Edinburgh, once he establishes himself there, he will be considered a future 10 for Scotland. And that is no joke by any means. Scotland need an ideal 10 moving forward and Healy is more than capable.
I say let him go. If he says he will leave, don’t bother trying to get him to stay. After all, look at the state of the province and where they have been for over a decade. Clearly, the expectations have had to drop significantly.
@Criiochúr Daniel Daithí O’Chathail: You’ll be togging off when they’re both on hollibobs from internationals is it?
@thesaltyurchin: Hell if I know.
@Criiochúr Daniel Daithí O’Chathail: ‘Hell if’ anyone at Munster has even thought of yet, Flannery up at Ulster, they’ll be sending Harry Byrne down next, ffs. IRFU need to get out of it.
@Criiochúr Daniel Daithí O’Chathail: what about keeping players happy. I’d like to agree Daniel, but I’m not convinced, for example, looking at all the players playing in Leinster, yet you don’t really hear of this unrest. The academy fly half for Leinster has played URC this season, has Munsters? Despite all the players they have, you can still pick the first 15 for a big game.
Leinster has Johnnny, Ross B, Harry B, and Ciaran Frawley (injured) all for 10 and not a beep about it .. why?
@Fergal Doyle: That’s what I mean, Leinster have their house in order and Munster never really did. I doubt Munster have ever heard of ‘sport psychology’, (something Lancaster is massive on). Anyway its all moot now, we can move on.
Would have been smarter to let Carbery go….losing a good young talent….
@Kieran Hayes: totally agree
Big loss tbh. Ignoring the fighting going on here in the comments. More should have been to keep him in Ireland be it moving another ten around or something reports are now Jake is coming back from Ulster? Madness, give them Joey and let us keep Ben I’d say
@: why give them Joey?. He’s been a revelation at provincial and National level previously. Has been solid albeit not spectacular since coming back from injury and is still in his twenties. Crowley has not been a revelation at 10!! Last weekend proved that. A super athlete and has the X factor but only when he moved from 10 did he show his class v Ulster. Keep Carberry! Shame to see Healy leave but he didn’t want to be a player on the bench and he was offered a new and improved contract.
@Simon Kerins: look i don’t want a argument over this but Joey has not been anything of the sort. He’s been bang average from a Munster perspective for near three years and I know about injuries and everything but like fact of the matter is he’s 26 injury prone and not progressed since we signed him really. Honestly hand on heart I’d have more confidence in Healy over Joey if one had to start a big European game for munster tomerrow
@: I still have faith/hope in Joey but shame to see Ben Healy leave. Offered an improved contract by all accounts but didn’t want to be number 2/3 which is a fair expectation.
Very disappointing
I’m not sure he’s that big a loss. He’s 22 and doesn’t get picked for his home club as much as he’d like for 1 season because clearly the coaches think the other two 10s are playing better. But rather than train harder, work harder to make yourself 1st choice, he takes the easy option and moves to a smaller club and a weaker nation. With that mindset I wouldn’t want him playing for Ireland and if I was a munster supporter wouldn’t be mourning the loss. Its not like he’s Cooney, at the other end of his career, that would be more understandable, but 22? A bit spoilt in my opinion.
@amusing_musings: Exactly. He’s still very young. First set back in his career and he jumps ship rather than fighting for his place. He might be on better money in Scotland but it wasn’t his life’s ambition to play for them or Edinburgh. With no clear successor to Sexton it was very likely he’d be capped sooner rather than later. This decision reminds me of JJ going to Northampton, but unlike JJ, there’s no way back for Healy once he goes. I think he’ll look back and regret it. So young to make such a big call in his career. He was involved in some big Champions Cup games last season. He likely won’t be again for rest of his career.
@amusing_musings: seeing as he’s been playing better than the other 10’s in the country bar Sexton I think he’s right to leave. Frawley was brought to New Zealand instead of him and Crowley was capped before him. Both are terrible decisions by the IRFU.
@Mike Looney 88: apparently the Munster and Irish coaches don’t agree with you.
@amusing_musings: no they’d rather bring a 12 from Leinster on tour as a 10, than a 10 from Munster on tour for some reason.
@amusing_musings: He’ll be 24 in June.
Very disappointing when you see all the opportunities he has and will get but hey best of luck to him as it is his career
@Scott Crossfield: To be honest Scott, he’s not getting the right ones. We’re wasting his talent and Ireland will do the exact same as well. He’s better off developing his career elsewhere.
Think this is a moment that Ireland and Munster will look back on with regrets.
Think the Sexton successor question is wide open and Healy had as much going for hin as any of his rivals, and had more of a track record over the last couple of seasons than any of the others.
Granted he doesn’t have the dancing feet, but there is something in the steely mentality of young lad that screams international 10.
Think the Ulster game showed a glimpse of what a Healy/ Crowley combo could have been.
The real sickner is he will be Scotland capped, so a return won’t even happen unlike previous young lads who struck out for gametime and a stage to prove themselves
@Johnny 5: Steely ? Didn’t fight very hard for Sexton’s shirt
Hallo, this would not happen in D4 , The IRFU ????
@Tom Harrington: There’s always one…
@Tom Harrington: : the IRFU gave u Carberry (made a mess of him), Tadhg Beirne, Conway etc. Bizarrely gave Earls and Murray recent central contracts and are subsidizing Zebos fat salary so I’d stop your moaning
@Macodub: what did the Gloucester Coach say of later re Lenister??
Go away ye feckers .
Opens the door for someone else at Munster. Especially as Carbery can never seem to stay fit. Healy was never going to next WC and has currently 5 players at 10 ahead of him in Ireland reckoning that could feasibly go to the WC in 2027.
Sad for munster to lose a homegrown player but wish the lad well
A cockup by Munster and Ireland again.
Anyone look up the Edinburgh squad? Its an interesting read. They have 4 flyhalves on their books already ,Blair Kinghorn,a SAwho just signed a long-term deal,a young Ulster lad and an Aussie
Good decision by him to go and try to get capped with Scotland and thereby increase his earning potential.
Ireland out half berth would be much harder for him to obtain
I don’t think Munster or Ireland will miss him to be honest.
If it was young Jack , now that would be a different matter.
People seem to have forgotten covid ramifications and the huge amount of money that the IRFU lost and as such contracts are not the same now.
I wouldn’t pay big money for a third choice out half
I think Healy has been very poorly advised here. There is no one at the present time that is nailed on to succeed Sexton and Healy is thereabouts as potentially someone who could. For me Carbery never has been and never will be the answer so it is a battle between Crowley, Healy and Byrne to take over. Hope it works out for him as he is now left with no option if if doesn’t. Munster get Jake Flannery back from Ulster as a replacement please!!
Really wish the IRFU would give him a central contract and maybe he could go to Ulster for a couple of seasons. He’s head and shoulders better than any 10 they have up there. I think he has a really strong all round game and a sustained run at 10 could put him in the window for Ireland. He is half Scottish and could switch allegiance to Scotland when he moves to Edinburgh. It would be our loss.
Any reason why Scotland won’t cap him straightaway now?
@Lesidees: Is there any residency requirement?
@sean o’dhubhghaill: not that I know of – Finn Russell surely lives in France!
@sean o’dhubhghaill: Not with the SRU.
Gutted