Latest news with #Leamy
The Irish Sun
02-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Denis Leamy issues warning to Ireland squad before telling them to ignore Lions distractions ahead of Georgia test
DENIS LEAMY has told Ireland players to keep their focus and not be distracted by the Lions. With 15 players and a raft of coaches away with 2 Assistant coach Denis Leamy issued a warning to the young Ireland side ahead of their two tour clashed vs Georgia and Portugal 2 Leamy also told the Ireland squad to avoid Lions distractions There are 13 uncapped players in the squad of 33 which will take on Georgia on Saturday before facing Portugal in Lisbon a week later. Although Craig Casey was overlooked by Andy Farrell when Tomos Williams was ruled out of the And Leamy said: 'I lean on my own experience a little bit with that, being on tours in 2009 when you're on standby for the Lions. 'And it is a challenge, but you have to keep your mind on the job that's in front of you and you have to be very conscious of being as good as you can be in that space. read more on golf 'Obviously, you're watching what's going on in Australia if there's an injury or an opportunity coming. 'But the boys will be very good around that. Their focus will be Ireland and whatever happens after that will happen.' Ulster prop Scott Wilson has been added to the squad with Leamy believing there is a real opportunity for some players such as Gavin Coombes - who might be frustrated by their international progress to date - to advance their claims. Leamy said: 'He's turned up, he's looking fit, he's looking hungry the last few days. I think he's applied himself really well, he's been really good in training. Most read in Rugby Union 'Gavin has been in and out of Irish squads over the last couple of years. The times he's been left out, he's understood the reasons why and they have been very fair. 'Gavin has gone away and worked hard on those parts of the games. Hopefully, if selected, he can go and apply that and put his best foot forward. Brooks Koepka suffers meltdown and smashes tee marker into fans before withdrawing from LIV Dallas claiming 'illness' 'He's worked great between 22 and 22. His ability to make yards in open play, his ability to clock up big numbers in his tackles, his rucks and the fundamentals around his basic play and as a no 8 around the base of the scrum. 'He's learning and improving that all the time. That's why he's back in this environment.'
RTÉ News
01-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Denis Leamy hails interim Ireland coach Paul O'Connell as great leader and communicator
Denis Leamy hailed interim Irish coach Paul O'Connell as a "brilliant leader" as the national team prepare for a Summer Tour series against Georgia and Portugal. With Andy Farrell assuming the role of head coach with the British & Irish Lions and 16 Irishmen part of the overall contingent, it's all change for the two upcoming Tests against Georgia in Tiblisi this Saturday, following by a date with Portugal in Lisbon seven days later. Munster defence coach Leamy got the call to work alongside his former Ireland colleague O'Connell in preparing the side for these July assignments, with attack coach Mike Prendergast and scrum coach Cullie Tucker also helping out. For Leamy, there was much praise for how the interim man in charge is overseeing things. Speaking at a press conference, a day out from the squad's departure to Eastern Europe, he said: "I'm very excited to be working with Paul again; he has carved out a hugely succesful coaching career. He has given us clear guidelines in terms of what he wants from us as coaches coming in from the provinces. He challenges us and creates a good atmosphere to work in." Being even more effusive of O'Connell's contribution, he added: "Paul is a natural leader, a brilliant leader, so his presence alone is a great starting point. He has a great knowledge of the game and his way of imparting that knowledge to the players is hugely impressive." Even though 13 uncapped players are part of this squad, Leamy is not expecting much variation in how Ireland will approach these Tests from the way an Andy Farrell team would play. "It's about implementing old and new into the Irish gameplan again and playing the Irish way again," to see how players do in that environment so that they can produce a big effort and big performances. "It will be very, very similar if not the same," said the former No 8. "So that's the plan, to play the really Irish way and to try and do it as well as we can. "Obviously we're missing a big chunk of the players who have gone to Australia with the Lions but it's a great opportunity for the boys coming in to show what they can do and just build on some of the things that have (been) done to date." Facing Georgia will be the just the challenge for a collective looking to experience the thrust of international rugby, according to Leamy. "They're a very experienced Georgian team, a lot of them have played in World Cups. A huge amount of them play in the Top 14 so they're well accustomed to big games, being in tough environments. "So it's a really good challenge for a young team and to go to Tbilisi, into a bit of a bearpit, it's going to physical, it's going to be hot, it's everything we want to expose our young players to." The Tipperary native also had positive news on Munster's Tom Ahern, who had been feeling the effects of a tight hamstring. "Tom is good to go. He's fit and he's ready to go," he revealed. "Tom has progressed hugely over the last couple of years and he's put in some excellent performances for Munster. So he's a guy we have high hopes for and absolutely, hopefully, he'll get game time and do really well. "He's such a promising player, I've no doubt he can do that."
The 42
01-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Ulster's Scott Wilson joins Ireland squad for summer tour
ULSTER'S SCOTT WILSON has joined Paul O'Connell's Ireland squad ahead of the upcoming summer Tests against Georgia and Portugal. The prop is the 13th uncapped player in O'Connell's 33-man squad. The 22-year-old tighthead played 19 times for Ulster this season and was part of the Emerging Ireland squad who toured South Africa last October. Ireland fly to Tbilisi tomorrow before Saturday's game against Georgia, and then take on Portugal in Lisbon seven days later. Earlier today it was confirmed both games will be broadcast live on Virgin Media. Defence coach Denis Leamy also confirmed that both Tom Ahern and Calvin Nash are on track to feature following injury. Uncapped Munster lock Ahern sat out training over the weekend due to a tight hamstring. 'Tom is good to go. He's fit and he's ready to go,' Leamy said. Advertisement 'Tom has progressed hugely over the last couple of years and he's put in some excellent performances for Munster. So he's a guy we have high hopes for and absolutely, hopefully, he'll get game time and do really well. He's such a promising player, I've no doubt he can do that.' Leamy said the aim of the tour is to give some fresh faces a taste of international rugby, while striving to play 'the Irish way'. 'I think it's about implementing old and new into the Irish gameplan and playing the Irish way and seeing how players do in this environment and how they can produce big efforts and big performances. 'So it's about building that catalogue of experience with those players and giving them a feel of what Test rugby looks like. 'It will be very, very similar if not the same (to when Andy Farrell is in charge). So that's the plan, to play the really Irish way and to try and do it as well as we can. 'Obviously we're missing a big chunk of the players who have gone to Australia with the Lions but it's a great opportunity for the boys coming in to show what they can do and just build on some of the things that have (been) done to date.'
Irish Examiner
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Georgia trip the perfect challenge for young Ireland, says Leamy
Denis Leamy believes Georgia will be the ideal challenge for a young and inexperienced Ireland side looking to play the 'Irish way' under interim head coach Paul O'Connell in Tbilisi this Saturday. With a record 16 Irishmen absent on tour in Australia with the British & Irish Lions under the charge of Ireland's head coach Andy Farrell, O'Connell departs from Dublin to the Georgian capital on Wednesday with a 33-man national squad captained by Craig Casey featuring 13 uncapped players, including newest call-up Scott Wilson, the Ulster prop. They will face a host nation coached by Richard Cockerill with plenty of French top-flight experience and a fierce reputation for scrummaging prowess and defence coach Leamy, on secondment from Munster with regular Ireland assistant Simon Easterby away with the Lions, is excited to see how an understrength touring party will cope. 'They're a very experienced Georgian team, a lot of them have played in World Cups,' Leamy said on Tuesday. 'A huge amount of them play in the Top 14 so they're well accustomed to big games, being in tough environments. 'So it's a really good challenge for a young team and to go to Tbilisi, into a bit of a bearpit, it's going to physical, it's going to be hot, it's everything we want to expose our young players to.' Leamy delivered a positive update on injury concern Tom Ahern, the uncapped Munster lock/flanker who sat out training over the weekend due to a tight hamstring. Six Nations-winning wing Calvin Nash was also declared fit for selection and with O'Connell set to name his team on Thursday, the defence coach said: 'Tom is good to go. He's fit and he's ready to go. 'Tom has progressed hugely over the last couple of years and he's put in some excellent performances for Munster. So he's a guy we have high hopes for and absolutely, hopefully, he'll get game time and do really well. 'He's such a promising player, I've no doubt he can do that.' The Georgia fixture is the first of two Tests on the road for Ireland this summer with the squad transferring to Lisbon following Saturday's match to prepare for a meeting with Portugal seven days later. Leamy outlined the expectations placed on the inexperienced tourists, with Jacob Stockdale the most experienced player in the party on 38 caps and only six other players with more than 10 international caps. 'I think it's about implementing old and new into the Irish gameplan and playing the Irish way and seeing how players do in this environment and how they can produce big efforts and big performances. 'So it's about building, I suppose, that catalogue of experience with those players and giving them a feel of what Test rugby looks like.' Despite the turnover in players and the secondment of four of Ireland's full-time assistants to the Lions, with just O'Connell remaining in-post backed by Leamy, attack coach Mike Prendergast, and scrum coach Cullie Tucker, the defence coach said there would be little variation in Ireland's play from that produced by a Farrell team. 'Exactly. It will be very, very similar if not the same. So that's the plan, to play the really Irish way and to try and do it as well as we can. 'Obviously we're missing a big chunk of the players who have gone to Australia with the Lions but it's a great opportunity for the boys coming in to show what they can do and just build on some of the things that have (been) done to date.' Also on Tuesday, Virgin Media Television announced they would be providing exclusive live coverage of Ireland's two Test matches this month.
Irish Independent
21-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Proud Cork students celebrate graduation from esteemed education programme
The graduates completed their QQI level 4, which is equivalent to the Leaving Certificate, as part of the Cork College of Further Education and Training's (CCFET) collaboration with Youthreach. Family, friends and Youthreach staff were there to celebrate the students' qualification, which will allow them to progress into further education or directly into the work force. During the academic year CCFET and Youthreach centres provided students with opportunities to sample potential courses and access to open days and year-long support. The main objective of the collaboration is to familiarise Youthreach students with CCFET resources and campuses to make transitioning to further education and training campuses easier. Mr Denis Leamy, chief executive of Cork Education and Training Board, said the student's graduation was not just about academic achievement. "It is a powerful reflection of the resilience, talent, and determination of our Youthreach graduates,' Mr Leamy stated. 'Your success demonstrates the transformative impact of Further Education and Training in opening up real-world opportunities, whether in apprenticeships, college, or the workforce. 'We are immensely proud of these young people and of the dedicated staff and partners who support them on their journey to lifelong learning and meaningful careers.'
