Irish Squad/Ireland XV for Six Nations?

RuggieBear

toomevara wrote: »

Any idea what time Ruggie?

lunchtime is all the IrishTimes says....

yes...only an opinion. Ihave absolutely no inside track! lol

Noopti

Serenity Now! wrote: »

As for the new captaincy thing, I think Ruggie was just voicing an opinion.

Pretty sure most people realised that!

Not expecting any surprises in the squad. Biggest announcement will be captaincy. Boss for Captain! :P

Goose81

Will he even announce the captain?
I always thought they wait until the team announcement.

I dont believe there will be a change in Captain tbh.

Twin-go

BOD is Kidney's captain. This was anounced a few weeks after he took the job. Why do people think this is going to change?

IMHO I think the captain should come from the forwards. POC should be the captain. Maybe he'll get the chance when BOD does his usual trick of hobbling off when he is having a poor game.

The current Irish teams needs somebody that will through a few f**ks into them in the dressing room. BOD is not the person to do this.

Noopti

Goose81 wrote: »

Will he even announce the captain?
I always thought they wait until the team announcement.

I dont believe there will be a change in Captain tbh.

You're probably right. I just hope we aren't in a situation where Kidney feels he can't drop O'Driscoll or remove his captaincy.
Although, Kidney made some tough calls throughout his time at Munster (eg: dropping Foley), so I would hope he would have the same attitude with Ireland. No player should be above being dropped if their form isn't up to scratch, or there are better players in the same position.

(I'm not trying to ignite a BOD debate, just speculating on whether Kidney has the balls to make the hard decisions. I think he does)

BOD is Kidney's captain. This was anounced a few weeks after he took the job. Why do people think this is going to change?

A player isn't tied by contract to be captain. The manager can change the captain as he pleases. I think the reason people are speculating it because a lot of people feel there should be a change, and maybe Kidney feels the same.

twinytwo

Twin-go wrote: »

BOD is Kidney's captain. This was anounced a few weeks after he took the job. Why do people think this is going to change?

IMHO I think the captain should come from the forwards. POC should be the captain. Maybe he'll get the chance when BOD does his usual trick of hobbling off when he is having a poor game.

The current Irish teams needs somebody that will through a few f**ks into them in the dressing room. BOD is not the person to do this.

Thats a bit of a retarded comment. Even if his attacking abilities arnt what the used to be you cant doubt the man for his level of commitment and bravery

Goose81

Well if Kidney had any balls he would make the captain Rory Best,who is young and has a long future.

Imo Bod,Poc and Rog are all not suitable and a man like Best could be just the right guy.

Twin-go wrote: »

BOD is Kidney's captain. This was anounced a few weeks after he took the job. Why do people think this is going to change?



IMHO I think the captain should come from the forwards. POC should be the captain. Maybe he'll get the chance when BOD does his usual trick of hobbling off when he is having a poor game.



The current Irish teams needs somebody that will through a few f**ks into them in the dressing room. BOD is not the person to do this.

That is insane talk.
I think even the most anti Bod fan would never question his commitment or heart and you saying that he hobbles off when he is having a bad match is bollox.He has shown over the years that there is no one more willing to throw their body on the line than him and you can see the result when as you say "he hobbles off"


Also throwing a few ****s into the dressing room is not being a captain,thats why I feel the 3 of them arent suitable
If you are going to post ****e like then,then dont bother.

Brewster

Best for captain is a good shout. He will, bar some unknown hooker coming on scene, be Ireland's hooker at RWC in 2011. He is currently Ireland's best hooker and will only get better. Great to have FLA as backup for another year or two, but need to get behind Best now.

zAbbo

For those advocating POC as captain, what more will POC offer if he is made captain compared to over the past few years when he hasn't been captain.

I agree on Rory Best being a good choice, but I don't think the captaincy will change from BOD.

Amazotheamazing

Brewster wrote: »

Best for captain is a good shout. He will, bar some unknown hooker coming on scene, be Ireland's hooker at RWC in 2011. He is currently Ireland's best hooker and will only get better. Great to have FLA as backup for another year or two, but need to get behind Best now.

Sean Cronin.

Goose81

The other thing I like about making Best captain is that apart from as someone said being the logical choice if we take into account 2011.
The amount of players Ulster are bringing through is huge,so it would be a good way of uniting the dressing room I feel.

I also think Best would value it alot more than others,he would be the first northern Irish man in a while to captain the Irish rugby team and I think he would be humbled and honoured to be captain.

Noopti

Goose81 wrote: »

The other thing I like about making Best captain is that apart from as someone said being the logical choice if we take into account 2011.
The amount of players Ulster are bringing through is huge,so it would be a good way of uniting the dressing room I feel.

I also think Best would value it alot more than others,he would be the first northern Irish man in a while to captain the Irish rugby team and I think he would be humbled and honoured to be captain.

Yup, I'd have no opposition to Best being made captain.

RuggieBear

problem with Best is that Flannery is not that far behind him (if even) and when he's in form is potentially better

Brewster

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

Sean Cronin.

Great propest, however will have to go some to be get ahead of Best all things being equal. You never know in sport whats around corner though, just ask Rory's brother Simon...

Noopti

RuggieBear wrote: »

problem with Best is that Flannery is not that far behind him (if even) and when he's in form is potentially better

Flannery on top form is a better hooker than Best for sure. But Best is definitely more consistent.

Any Captain should really be far and away the best in their position, that is, they should be selectable almost all the time for them to be an effective Captain. Right now Flannery and Best are in and out as 1st choice a lot. This is also the reason I don't think BOD should be captain, to inconsistent and he could easily (doubt it will happen though) be dropped.
I can't see anyone replacing POC in the Ireland 2nd row right now. So while I wouldn't be against someone like Best, I still feel POC should be right up there as a major choice.

Goose81

Jackman is performing better than both,so form means nothing in irish rugby as no one is even considering him.

If Johne Murphy is not included I will not be pleased.

Brewster

RuggieBear wrote: »

problem with Best is that Flannery is not that far behind him (if even) and when he's in form is potentially better

I take your point to a degree, I just feel Best has his peak years ahead of him, Flannery should be peaking now. Flannery has to be so dynamic around the pitch in terms of ball carrying to warrent his place ahead of Best, as most other facets of the game Best is currently better- tackling, leadership, scrummaging, throwing...

Flannery has not been as dynamic since his debut season when he was phenonemal, he has never really reached those heights since IMHO

Twin-go

Relax people its only my opinion.

Ok maybe I'm being a bit harsh with the BOD comments. But it is true that since he stepped down as Leinster capt. the team and himself are much improved for it.

Best for capt. is a good call. Maybe vice captain for now with a look to been full captain for RWC 2011.

figs86

Goose81 wrote: »

Jackman is performing better than both,so form means nothing in irish rugby as no one is even considering him.

as a big jackman fan i hate to disagree and say he isn't playing better than flannery and while i didn't think so before, his lineout throwing has been poor enough of late to rule him out

ireland simply cannot afford to lose their lineouts on the international stage if they have any hope of beating higher ranked teams

though jackman should be in the squad and should have been for the last season or 2, i can see why he isn't currently top choice

Goose81

Twin-go wrote: »

Relax people its only my opinion.

Ok maybe I'm being a bit harsh with the BOD comments. But it is true that since he stepped down as Leinster capt. the team and himself are much improved for it.

Best for capt. is a good call. Maybe vice captain for now with a look to been full captain for RWC 2011.

I would argue that the team are much worse for it tbh.

Pshan

Twin-go wrote: »

Relax people its only my opinion.

Ok maybe I'm being a bit harsh with the BOD comments. But it is true that since he stepped down as Leinster capt. the team and himself are much improved for it.

Best for capt. is a good call. Maybe vice captain for now with a look to been full captain for RWC 2011.

Are really serious by saying Leinster have improved since BOD gave up the captaincy? Have you seen them play recently? Poor at best, they're not a patch on where they were in the last few seasons. BTW, I'm not balming the captain for their current form.

mickyt

It is due out today isn't it?

Goose81

Did you even look at the thread right below this?

bamboozle

Pshan wrote: »

Are really serious by saying Leinster have improved since BOD gave up the captaincy? Have you seen them play recently? Poor at best, they're not a patch on where they were in the last few seasons. BTW, I'm not balming the captain for their current form.

i think the main reason for Leinster's poor form this season has been the loss of Keith Gleeson.....his contribution to Leinster for the last 7 years has been to ensure quick release of ruck ball & continuity of ball play, whereas this season we've seen slow ruck ball (plus ponderous scrum half) and poor link play at 7 between forwards & backs.

mickyt

Goose81 wrote: »

Did you even look at the thread right below this?

Do you not think it would of been easier to answer the question with one word yes or no, instead of being a twonk about it?

And the one below talks about what people think the squad will be. I looked at the first page to see what the thread was about.

It was about what people think the squad will be. Excuse me for presuming that somewhere in the 18 pages of posts, that someone might come off topic and mention that it is or isn't out wednesday.

Good talk

Goose81

The last 3 pages of the thread below are about the team being named today.

Twin-go

I did not say they were playing better. I said the team are better off as is BOD without him as captain. TBH I haven't had much opportunity to see Leinster this year just highlights. I did however see the game on Saturday. For a team that lost 3 forwards in the first half they did well to get a loosing bonus point considering the O'Kelly sinbin also. Leinster of a few years ago would have got nothing out of that game. The heads would have dropped.

I'm going to lay my cards on the table here.

There is something wrong in the Ireland dressing room. Has been since RWC 2007. I think BOD maybe at the centre of it along with one or two others. Its nothing to do with his commitment or ability on the pitch but maybe he is not getting the full respect a captain needs. If he was to relinquish the captaincy and get sombody in that can bring the squad together we have the players to challenge for Six Nations and World Cups.

mickyt

Goose81 wrote: »

The last 3 pages of the thread below are about the team being named today.

Well I do apologize for that, but as I said. When I looked at the first page, The thread was nothing to do with Dates of the squad announcement, so I would have had no reason to score through the pages.

Goose81

If you can take the qestion mark out of the thread's title,then we can use this thread to list the squad when its announced in about 25 mins.

chupacabra

Dont suppose the press conference will be live on the radio anywhere?