A DIFFICULT TASK TO SELECT LEINSTER SCHOOLS TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT

LAST Thursday, the Irish Independent announced its Leinster Schools Senior Cup Team of the Tournament.

It is the third year in which the outstanding individuals over the course of the competition have received specially commissioned jerseys.

Needless to say given the quality and spread it was again an difficult task for the panel of judges (including myself).

The end product is not the Leinster Representative XV in disguise (although some will have made that too) but a reflection of those boys who most made their mark in the intense pressure of the tournament. It contains two players – Ruadhan Byron (left) and James Kenny – selected out of position and two more in Max Kearney (2016) and Hugh O’Sullivan (2015, and back then at scrum-half) making the dream team for the second time. The 2017 Irish Independent Munster Team of the Tournament will be announced in the coming days.

2017 TEAM: Hugh O’Sullivan (Belvedere); James Kenny (Gonzaga); Tom Roche (Blackrock), Ben O’Shea (Clongowes), David Heavey (Blackrock); David Hawkshaw (Belvedere), Patrick Patterson (Blackrock); Niall McEniff (St Mary’s), Stephen McLoughlin (Blackrock), Jack Aungier (St Fintan’s High School); Andrew Murphy (Blackrock), Oran O’Brien (Belvedere); Ruadhan Byron (Belvedere), Max Kearney (Belvedere), Sean McCrohan (Clongowes).