Irish Squad/Ireland XV for Six Nations?

premierstone

twinytwo wrote: »

What are u on about???.. as for dislodging humphreys you do realise that that imo was the biggest mistake irish rugby has made top date. He was an outstanding fly half if young humphs is half as good we should count our lucky stars that we finally have a new fly half

Big problem with that is he's not actually 'young' at all!!

thehighground

twinytwo wrote: »

What are u on about???.. as for dislodging humphreys you do realise that that imo was the biggest mistake irish rugby has made top date. He was an outstanding fly half if young humphs is half as good we should count our lucky stars that we finally have a new fly half

The Lions made the same mistake not picking Humphs Senior for the 2001 Lions when he was first choice OH. ROG was only about 21 but went touring.

The Lions made the same mistake in 2005 not picking Humphs. ROG went touring.

Humphs Senior was a good OH, not outstanding and definately inconsistent. Humphs Junior (at the age of 27) needs to be at least as good as Humphs Senior though - otherwise he won't get too much game time and it would be best to move onto blooding Keatley/Sexton/O'Connor.

remus808

Being entirely impractical, I'd love to see this team being tested out against Italy or somesuch.. Mixture of youth and experience

1. Healy
2. Best
3. Hayes
4. O'Connell
5. Ryan
6. Ferris
7. Pollock
8. Wallace
9. O'Leary/Reddan
10. Keatley/Humphreys
11. Fitzgerald
12. Wallace
13. Cave/Earls
14. Bowe
15. Kearney

Serenity Now!

premierstone wrote: »

Big problem with that is he's not actually 'young' at all!!

He is 26 :rolleyes:

premierstone

Serenity Now! wrote: »

He is 26 :rolleyes:

Exactly how is that young, even if he was fast tracked straight into the team now he would be 28 or so by the time he would be established, and the point I was actually making was that he has been around for quite a few years and been very very ordinary, a couple of guys seen him play well in he's last few games and have him down as international quality :rolleyes:

RugbyFanatic

premierstone wrote: »

Exactly how is that young, even if he was fast tracked straight into the team now he would be 28 or so by the time he would be established, and the point I was actually making was that he has been around for quite a few years and been very very ordinary, a couple of guys seen him play well in he's last few games and have him down as international quality :rolleyes:

Yes so establish him now he has at the very least 6 years ahead of him. He was quite ordinary in the past but this season he has been exceptional so why wouldn't you play him when hes the most in form outhalf we have right now? I wasn't aware players were selected on how they played years ago....

premierstone

RugbyFanatic wrote: »

Yes so establish him now he has at the very least 6 years ahead of him. He was quite ordinary in the past but this season he has been exceptional so why wouldn't you play him when hes the most in form outhalf we have right now? I wasn't aware players were selected on how they played years ago....

Surely if ROG is passed it at 31 and Humphreys will be 28 in April he hardly has 6 years of International rugby in him and seen that you raised the question I wasnt aware that players were selected for their country on the foot of a couple of magners league matches when up to that point to call then a journeyman would have been a compliment :rolleyes:

We're all very aware of your personal dislike of all things relating to ROG so we'll leave that aside for now, surely if we are to be blooding a new OH it has to be Keatley and also by blooding him i dont mean throwing him in at the deepend but by gradually introducing him to the set-up and have him gaining both confidence and experience

RugbyFanatic

premierstone wrote: »

Surely if ROG is passed it at 31 and Humphreys will be 28 in April he hardly has 6 years of International rugby in him and seen that you raised the question I wasnt aware that players were selected for their country on the foot of a couple of magners league matches when up to that point to call then a journeyman would have been a compliment :rolleyes:

We're all very aware of your personal dislike of all things relating to ROG so we'll leave that aside for now, surely if we are to be blooding a new OH it has to be Keatley and also by blooding him i dont mean throwing him in at the deepend but by gradually introducing him to the set-up and have him gaining both confidence and experience

O'Gara playing poorly has nothing to do with age and Humphreys will be 27 in April.

Humphreys has been excellent all season not just in a few Magners League games. If his form continues he should be number one for the 6nations shirt. No ifs and buts about it.

Also I don't know where this notion of me having a personal dislike of ROG came from. I don't have a dislike of ROG I merely just don't think his performances this season have warranted a starting place in the Irish jersey its as simple as that.

As for blooding Keatley instead well first Humphreys is playing better and secondly Keatley will be around for around 2 more World Cups after the 2011 one so he has plenty of time. Right now we should be playing the most in form outhalf in the country who whether you like it or not is Humphreys. The fact that he will be around for the 2011 world cup is just an added incentive.

Also lets not forget some players such as O'Driscoll and Kearney got thrown in the deep end and it didn't seem to do them any harm. Humphreys is 26 and is playing with huge amounts of confidence he is not some 20 year old fresh out of the academy that needs to be wrapped up in cotton wool

premierstone

RugbyFanatic wrote: »

Also I don't know where this notion of me having a personal dislike of ROG came from. I don't have a dislike of ROG I merely just don't think his performances this season have warranted a starting place in the Irish jersey its as simple as that

This is just comic genius, you should be on a stage good man, fcukin quality stuff

RuggieBear

back on topic people. debate the post not the poster.

Serenity Now!

premierstone wrote: »

Exactly how is that young, even if he was fast tracked straight into the team now he would be 28 or so by the time he would be established, and the point I was actually making was that he has been around for quite a few years and been very very ordinary, a couple of guys seen him play well in he's last few games and have him down as international quality :rolleyes:

You consider 26 yrs old for a player?? lol

premierstone

Serenity Now! wrote: »

You consider 26 yrs old for a player?? lol

Well for someone making their debut its hardly young now is it, especially when you consider what ROG (and he's own brother) had achieved at that age

RugbyFanatic

premierstone wrote: »

Well for someone making their debut its hardly young now is it, especially when you consider what ROG (and he's own brother) had achieved at that age

Were you against Reddan making his international debut aged 26?

bleg

if leamy continues to play like he did last night it would be very hard to leave him out, especially with the disappointing season heaslip is having.

ferris
wallace
leamy

very nice combinaton there i think.

remus808

bleg wrote: »

ferris
wallace
leamy

very nice combinaton there i think.

Not sure that's a very balanced backrow, too much focus on ball-carrying. If your going to play big lumps like Ferris and Leamy you really need to play a more traditional 7 like Pollock IMO. Heaslip dosen't have the power of either, but is a great link man and poacher, and is a good match for Wallace I think, in much the same way Easterby was. If he's not in form, you have to consider the balance in the backrow IMO..

Serenity Now!

karmabass wrote: »

Not sure that's a very balanced backrow, too much focus on ball-carrying. If your going to play big lumps like Ferris and Leamy you really need to play a more traditional 7 like Pollock IMO. Heaslip dosen't have the power of either, but is a great link man and poacher, and is a good match for Wallace I think, in much the same way Easterby was. If he's not in form, you have to consider the balance in the backrow IMO..

What you're looking for in a deck-player, Ferris also does very well.
Ferris, Wallace and Leamy in a combo is an excellent selection. Everything you want in the contact area in defence and attack.

chupacabra

First team almost picks itself (from Kidneys point of view) for the game against france.

1. Horan
2. Best
3. Hayes
4. DOC (would prefer to see MOK starting)
5. POC
6. Ferris
7. Wallace
8. Heaslip

9. TOL (provided he plays with the same motivation he shows in a munster jersey)
10. ROG
11. Fitzgerald
12. Darcey (If he keeps consistent form with Leinster on the run up)
13. BOD
14. Bowe
15. Kearney (Tho i bet he will probably pick Murphy and move Kearney to 11)

However definitley for the Italian and Scot games players like Humphreys, Earls, J. Murphy, Cian Healey and Devin Toner should get starts, provided we dont have a Georgia/Namibia esque fiasco.

Serenity Now!

Squad (of minimum 30 players) will be announced next wednesday at lunchtime.

Moncti48

30 man squad will probably be

Front Row
Flannery
Best
Hayes
Horan
Healy/Ross

Second Row
Cullen
POC
DOC
MOD
Ryan

Back Row
Wallace
Ferris
Leamy
Heaslip
Pollock/Obrien
Quinlan/

Scrum Half
TOL
Reddan
Boss

Fly Half
ROG
Humphs

Centres
BOD
Cave
Darcy
Wallace

Wings
Trimble
Bowe
Earls

Full Back
Kearney
Dempshey

chupacabra

Moncti48 wrote: »

30 man squad will probably be

Front Row
Flannery
Best
Hayes
Horan
Healy/Ross

Second Row
Cullen
POC
DOC
MOD
Ryan

Back Row
Wallace
Ferris
Leamy
Heaslip
Pollock/Obrien
Quinlan/

Scrum Half
TOL
Reddan
Boss

Fly Half
ROG
Humphs

Centres
BOD
Cave
Darcy
Wallace

Wings
Trimble
Bowe
Earls

Full Back
Kearney
Dempshey

No Jennings? No Toner?He wont include cullen and i'll bet my house on him including Stringer and probably Geordan Murphy.

Moncti48

Jennings/O brien/Quinlan. Two of them 3 probably

and I had toner down when i did this first but then thaught cullen would be a more influentical player in case of POC getting injured. But toner for Cullen is a astraight swap

Moncti48

chupacabra wrote: »

No Jennings? No Toner?He wont include cullen and i'll bet my house on him including Stringer and probably Geordan Murphy.

Stringer i doubt hel get on the squad. and geordan murphy for cave would be the only one he could replace

DonkeyPokerTour

Moncti48 wrote: »

30 man squad will probably be

Front Row
Flannery
Best
Hayes
Horan
Healy/Ross

Second Row
Cullen
POC
DOC
MOD
Ryan

Back Row
Wallace
Ferris
Leamy
Heaslip
Pollock/Obrien
Quinlan/

Scrum Half
TOL
Reddan
Boss

Fly Half
ROG
Humphs

Centres
BOD
Cave
Darcy
Wallace

Wings
Trimble
Bowe
Earls

Full Back
Kearney
Dempshey

No fitzgerald, No Murphy (Johne or Gordan), No Jennings, No Buckley (i dont think he should be in the squad however it appears that kidney likes him), No Stringer, No Toner, No Caldwell, No MOK?? Hmmm i think we'll see the majority of those called in!

Moncti48

DonkeyPokerTour wrote: »

No fitzgerald, No Murphy (Johne or Gordan), No Jennings, No Buckley (i dont think he should be in the squad however it appears that kidney likes him), No Stringer, No Toner, No Caldwell, No MOK?? Hmmm i think we'll see the majority of those called in!

**** i had fitzgearld in!! hes a definate. Johne Murphy wont get in. Said Gordan Murphy will probably be in for CAve.

As for Buckley..I hope not. went with ross or healy instead. For a 30 man a squad there is alot of people who cant make it. Toner/ Ryan/ MOK/ MOD/ Cullen three of the five to get in

Think Stringer isnt going to get in. I know he is always there but TOL definate then Reddan is second choice,

bleg

kearney
bowe
o driscoll
earls
fitzgerald
o gara
o leary
horan
flannery
hayes
o connell
o callaghan
ferris
wallace
leamy

outwest

Moncti48 wrote: »

30 man squad will probably be

Front Row
Flannery
Best
Hayes
Horan, add him to the backs that all he seems to do these days
Healy/Ross, again healy, jerry,ross shud play together agaisnt italy.

Second Row
Cullen
POC
DOC
MOD, ur having a laugh,
Ryan, no caldwell, he playing very well, wud like to see him and paul partner in second row against italy

Back Row
Wallace have him as captain player of the year
Ferris
Leamy,
Heaslip, last chance get the finger out
Pollock/Obrien, on of the two to be the sub backrow,
Quinlan/
no quinlan to old and gives away to many mens

Scrum Half
TOL,
Reddan, wud like to see frank instead
Boss

Fly Half
ROG, wud want to start playing well for ireland
Humphs, wud like to see him start italy and scotland, and get 20 mins in other games,

Centres
BOD
Cave
Darcy
Wallace

Wings
Trimble
Bowe
Earls
luke will be on a wing after today

Full Back
Kearney
Dempshey

nope, murphy

twinytwo

Its a bit sad that wallace is going to be played at 7 considering he is the best 8 in the country

Moncti48

Just seen a team from sunday tribune

15 Kearney

14. Horgan
13 BOD
12 Darcy
11 Fitzgearld

10 ROG
9 TOL

1Horan
2Flannery
3Hayes
4 POc
5 DOc
6 Ferris
7 Wallace
8 Leamy

Interesting team. Wouldnt even have Horgan in the 30man squad!!

DonkeyPokerTour

Moncti48 wrote: »

Just seen a team from sunday tribune

15 Kearney

14. Horgan
13 BOD
12 Darcy
11 Fitzgearld

10 ROG
9 TOL

1Horan
2Flannery
3Hayes
4 POc
5 DOc
6 Ferris
7 Wallace
8 Leamy

Interesting team. Wouldnt even have Horgan in the 30man squad!!

Hmmm, replace Ferris with Quinlin and its 1-10munster 11-15 Leinster. There are arguments for and against this. For is that the players will know each other, against is there is little to no new ideas there. We need to bring in people from Ulster, England and Connaght.

Also we need leaders, ideal pack (in terms of leadership), would be something like:

Horan
Best
Hayes
POC
Cullen
Ferris
O'Brien/Jennings/Pollock
Wallace

With that pack (although probably not our best pack on form etc) you have 3 captins in there, plenty to keep people motivated.

Regards
Ian

DonkeyPokerTour

This may or may not be of interest to people, I have prepared a Depth Chart for the Irish team. For any of you who follow American Football you'll know what a depth chart is, for anyone who's unsure it basically shows the starters in each position and then lists possible replacements below them.

What I have done is taken the Irish Team vs Argentina and used that as the "Starters" then listed alternatives below them. FYI I'm never sure of the difference between 11 & 14, so If i've listed a 14 under the 11 column or vice versa please excuse me. Also I have assumed 4 & 5 are interchangeable.

If i've left someone out please let me know and I'll Update it.