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From the Bangor Bulldozer to Baby BOD: 5 Irish young guns who broke out in 2015

The future of the back row – and the backline – looks bright in Ireland.

IT HAS BEEN a mixed year for Irish rugby. The national team collected their second straight Six Nations title before a disappointing World Cup exit while none of the provinces managed to add silverware to their respective trophy cabinets.

Nevertheless, there are reasons to be hopeful for next year and we’ve picked out five in the form of a quintet of young players who developed over 2015 and are set to get even better in 2016.

Josh van der Flier

Josh Van Der Flier runs in for a try Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

The first thing you notice about the 22-year-old flanker is his distinctive name but immediately after that it is his all-action style. The former Wesley College pupil is lightning quick for a number seven, is a strong ball carrier and is improving on the ground with every game.

Sean O’Brien hasn’t been at his best since the World Cup through a combination of injury and poor form, but van der Flier has deputised so well that he is pushing for a consistent starting role.

One of the most impressive aspects of van der Flier’s rise is how he stepped up during Leinster’s bleak November and fans province will be eagerly monitoring his improvement over the course of the season.

Jack O’Donoghue

The explosive Waterford flanker finished the 2014/15 season with some exceptional tries from distance and he has carried that form over into the current season. He might not be an out-and-out number seven, but O’Donoghue is so powerful that Anthony Foley has no choice but to pick him.

Peter O’Mahony and Tommy O’Donnell have been missing through injury but the tag team of O’Donoghue and CJ Stander has matched the sidelined duo in terms of power output.

jod

O’Donoghue has already become one of Munster’s most impressive ball carriers.

Stuart McCloskey

The man who was nicknamed ‘The Bangor Bulldozer’ on this site this time last year has become an even bigger wrecking ball. The 23-year-old centre is over 6’3 and is pushing 17 stone, so he obviously doesn’t lack anything physically.

But what is most striking about watching the man from Bangor bulldoze is how fast and skillful he is too. He can exploit a gap and if he is tackled, he has the sleight of hand to find a team-mate with an offload.

stu

Is it worth looking at McCloskey inside Robbie Henshaw in the Irish team in the near future?

Garry Ringrose

Garry Ringrose and Hadleigh Parkes Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

Ringrose hasn’t gotten the same amount of top level game time as the other three players here, but he has looked sharp, skillful and adventurous in every opportunity Leo Cullen has given him. He has been used mostly on the wing so far this season but there is no question that his long-term future is at outside centre, where Ringrose has the offloading ability and footwork to excel.

He also has that bit of magic in his repertoire of passing that makes the nickname ‘Baby BOD’ a formality in the years to come.
https://vine.co/v/O2dFIgF1xpq

Denis Buckley

Denis Buckley James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

The Connacht loosehead is a solid scrummager and very dangerous in the looose. His performance against Munster at Thomond Park last spring was ominous as Buckley snaffled up a ridiculous amount of turnover ball for a prop.

What young players do you think had breakout years in 2015?

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15 Comments
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    Mute Graham Murphy
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    May 18th 2015, 3:51 PM

    Norman Whiteside wasn’t 17 in 1985, unless he played in the 82 world cup when he was 14!

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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    May 18th 2015, 4:00 PM

    Cheers Graham,

    I obviously got Norman Whiteside and Freddy Adu mixed up!

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    Mute N O hUallaigh
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    May 18th 2015, 4:22 PM

    That 1970 match description is class.. “neutralised”

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    Mute Jon Walters
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    May 18th 2015, 4:29 PM

    Your a gas man, Will

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    Mute Manus Boyce
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    May 18th 2015, 3:46 PM

    Wouldn’t consider that tackle to be a straight red nowadays, probably borderline. Back then….not even close, yellow at worst

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    Mute Eamonn Maloney
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    May 18th 2015, 4:12 PM

    Miss timed is all it was.I remember watching that game and being shocked when he was sent off.Disagree that it was on any way cynical, there isn’t a cynical bone in Kevin Moran’s body.

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    Mute John O'Neill
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    May 19th 2015, 2:10 PM

    Yeah, definitely mis-timed. I blame Reid for having legs!

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    Mute Graham Kavanagh
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    May 18th 2015, 3:54 PM

    How times have changed…. You did not see Everton players swarm the ref demanding a red, Man U players were in shock….. Rightly so too, you saw these tackles every week and you got on with it…. Its a sending off and a media circus today, but back then it was, ummm football….. Tackles are expected, and was rarely ever cynical…….

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    Mute Dave Murray
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    May 18th 2015, 4:10 PM

    Spot on Graham, sure even Peter Reid protested to the ref on behalf on Moran…..very rare you will see that nowadays.

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    Mute John Fitzpatrick
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    May 18th 2015, 5:46 PM

    Peter Reid actually begged the referee not to send Moran off. Frank Stapleton reverted to emergency centre half and had a stormer. Peter Willis was the referee and it was his last ever match to officiate. He was looking to make a name for himself. Years later the F.A. Stopped referees officiating in their last ever match in the cup finals.

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    Mute Dave O'Hanlon
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    May 18th 2015, 6:33 PM

    ‘With United down to 10, Everton took them to extra-time’, shouldn’t that be United took Everton to extra-time as the Toffees were just crowned league champions you know.

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    Mute Spoddgy
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    May 19th 2015, 6:04 AM

    Also had more league titles than United! And had just won the cup winners cup beforehand!

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    Mute David Higginbotham
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    May 18th 2015, 6:52 PM

    Moran’s wasn’t allowed receive a winners medal that day either .

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    Mute Graham Ross
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    May 18th 2015, 4:39 PM

    Forget the tackle. He’d get 6 months now for pulling & dragging out of the ref in protesting his innocence! Although he didn’t quite get to Di Canio levels…

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    Mute Colm Kelly
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    May 18th 2015, 4:32 PM

    Unusually it was an intercept of Paul McGraths pass that led to Kevin having to make the lunge.

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    Mute Andrew Logue
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    May 18th 2015, 5:34 PM

    Suberb tackle won the ball cleanly. Football is being destroyed these days by cheating, diving and every second tackle being either a yellow or red. Games these days are often decided by which team has a player sent off its a complete joke

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    Mute Graham Kavanagh
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    May 18th 2015, 7:30 PM

    Lol, everyone had common sense comments today till that…. Thought we might have a good thread…..

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    Mute David Carino
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    May 18th 2015, 3:48 PM

    Badly timed don’t think tackles back then were cynical or malicious as they are today .

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    Mute dontletitslip
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    May 18th 2015, 5:34 PM

    A proper challenge that! :D

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    Mute Goldberg
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    May 18th 2015, 5:46 PM

    Big Ron would have referred to the tackle as a ‘reducer’

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    Mute Carlos Bandanas
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    May 18th 2015, 10:48 PM

    This may be an urban myth and I am well open to correction but is it true that the first person to be sent off in the FA Cup final (Kevin Moran) and the first player to be sent off in the Premier League (Niall Quinn) both went to the same school (Drimnagh castle)??

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    Mute mark
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    May 18th 2015, 9:53 PM

    If memory serves me, I was seven at the time, kevin Moran didnt get a winners medal on the day after his red card. He only received it after a campaign on his behalf.

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    Mute Mick Rooney (TIPM)
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    May 18th 2015, 11:53 PM

    Bit misleading. Why would you be considered the most cynical player in FA Cup Final history just because you were the first to be sent off in one? Moran was a tough ‘no prisoners’ player, but he was never cynical in his playing days.

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    Mute breandan
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    May 19th 2015, 3:35 AM

    If it was today Reid would be gone for simulation…

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    Mute Peter Clarke
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    May 19th 2015, 8:54 AM

    Most cynical ever? The writer obviously doesn’t remember Willie Young in 1980! Only a yellow too. I think that was the tackle that prompted the introduction of the straight red for a professional foul.

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    Mute Donal Ring
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    May 19th 2015, 6:09 PM

    Good article Will, still very few being sent off in big games- Lehmens in 06 CL final, Reyes in 05 FA cup final-can’t think of any others. A few in World cup finals- two Argentinians in 1990, Desailly, Heitinga

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