Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread

Principal Skinner

Mr.Opti wrote: »

He hasn't a great boot and looks very shacky and doesn't inspire confidence when he goes to kick!! Zebo can kick a ball way further and gives the team another option with his left foot as he has done with Munster a few times!!

Yeah but his defense isn't great and can you afford that against the saffers?

GerM

totallegend wrote: »

He has on his bollocks

I must admit, I laughed aloud.

Mr.Opti

Principal Skinner wrote: »

Murphy..... He's consistently one of Leicesters best players. Felix jones will never be at the level of Murphy never mind Kearney. At the end of the day he looks good next to the rest of Munsters full back options

That's rubbish!! Jones is a very good player but is just injury prone because of his tackling and running style.

Hurley would be a great player if he had more pace & acceleration. He is one of the best under a high ball and has a great offload!

Principal Skinner wrote: »

Yeah but his defense isn't great and can you afford that against the saffers?

His defenses isn't as bad as everyone makes out! It has really improved this season

totallegend

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Well I thought he was very good, excellent might be overstating it. And I had gone into those games arguing that he didn't deserve to be there ahead of Murphy.

Which 15 has been producing the goods week in week out?

No-one really, but my point is that Jones hasn't really done it at any sort of high level to be deemed of international quality, yet people seem to think he's some sort of superstar.You could argue that the best-performing IQ full-back has been Madigan, I wouldn't throw him in against the Boks though.

Tox56

totallegend wrote: »

No-one really, but my point is that Jones hasn't really done it at any sort of high level to be deemed of international quality, yet people seem to think he's some sort of superstar.You could argue that the best-performing IQ full-back has been Madigan, I wouldn't throw him in against the Boks though.

Madigan wasn't bad but he wasn't that great either, didn't do much but it's not his position, he's good emergency cover but nothing more.

snow mad

Can anyone else see darcy being captain

irishbucsfan

totallegend wrote: »

No-one really, but my point is that Jones hasn't really done it at any sort of high level to be deemed of international quality, yet people seem to think he's some sort of superstar.You could argue that the best-performing IQ full-back has been Madigan, I wouldn't throw him in against the Boks though.

When he was picked he was playing well for Munster. We only had him and Kearney available and Kearney was miles off form. Murphy had injury issues all summer, so it was literally between Jones and Kearney and Jones performed well when given his chance and most people agreed he had earned his place on the plane. That's how I remember things.

I really don't see who you're saying he was picked ahead of.

No one is saying he's a superstar.. I'm saying he's a full back and we don't have many of them at the moment, I'd say he's the best available to us.

irishbucsfan

snow mad wrote: »

Can anyone else see darcy being captain

Definitely not

tolosenc

Is the new jersey colour because Kidney has killed Irish rugby?

CIARAN_BOYLE

Declan Kidney interview there on BBC

Interviewer: How far from the level of ROG and Sexton is Jackson?
Kidney: talk to me at the end of his career

molloyjh

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Declan Kidney interview there on BBC

Interviewer: How far from the level of ROG and Sexton is Jackson?
Kidney: talk to me at the end of his career

Would you say you pick on form or something else

I wouldn't like to say. Ideally you pick on form but there are times where you have to pick people based on other things.

irishbucsfan

molloyjh wrote: »

Would you say you pick on form or something else

I wouldn't like to say. Ideally you pick on form but there are times where you have to pick people based on other things.

What's wrong with that?

Ciaran-Irl

Looks like Fez is out of the SA game after injuring his ankle in the Ulster v Edinburgh game. I assume that means O'Mahony at 6, Henry at 7 and McLaughlin on the bench.

totallegend

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I really don't see who you're saying he was picked ahead of.

I'm not and I didn't; you said he has performed excellently at international level in the past. That is just not the case.


A lack of alternatives does not magically grant him an international pedigree.

irishbucsfan

totallegend wrote: »

I'm not and I didn't; you said he has performed excellently at international level in the past. That is just not the case.


A lack of alternatives does not magically grant him an international pedigree.

You sais he was elevated to the national team when others were performing week in week out!

How well he has performed in the past is subjective.

totallegend

irishbucsfan wrote: »

You sais he was elevated to the national team when others were performing week in week out!

How well he has performed in the past is subjective.

OK, if you think he has performed excellently at international level in the past, then that's OK. I disagree 100% and I would struggle to see the basis for your opinion given how little he has played, but fair enough, it's subjective.

Now, I did say that I thought Jones got an armchair ride to national selection while other players have struggled despite months/years of strong showings. Did you see Craig Gilroy tonight? But nowhere did I say that other FBs were overlooked for RWC 2011 to favour Jones.

irishbucsfan

totallegend wrote: »

OK, if you think he has performed excellently at international level in the past, then that's OK. I disagree 100% and I would struggle to see the basis for your opinion given how little he has played, but fair enough, it's subjective.

Honestly I dont remember the games well enough. I remember expecting very little of him and being very impressed by what I saw.

Now, I did say that I thought Jones got an armchair ride to national selection while other players have struggled despite months/years of strong showings. Did you see Craig Gilroy tonight? But nowhere did I say that other FBs were overlooked for RWC 2011 to favour Jones.

Craig Gilroy is in the Irish squad. There are certainly players who should have been selected and werent... I don't see how other players being ignored should affect Jones' selection criteria. Two wrongs don't make a right.

I don't see how Jones got an armchair ride either, you agree he was the right selection! What do you mean?

totallegend

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Craig Gilroy is in the Irish squad. There are certainly players who should have been selected and werent... I don't see how other players being ignored should affect Jones' selection criteria. Two wrongs don't make a right.



I don't see how Jones got an armchair ride either, you agree he was the right selection! What do you mean?

OK, we'll be here all night. Listen, my only objection with anything you've said is that Jones has no international pedigree. He just doesn't.

Anything else is tangential.

totallegend

In other news, and if anyone else is as sad and decrepit as me; the Late Late will have three members of the Irish squad on tonight.

darragh_haven

totallegend wrote: »

OK, we'll be here all night. Listen, my only objection with anything you've said is that Jones has no international pedigree. He just doesn't.

Anything else is tangential.

And who made you lord of all things rugby. It your opinion, and to dismiss some one else's opinion is "school yard bully" -ish

Foxtrol

darragh_haven wrote: »

And who made you lord of all things rugby. It your opinion, and to dismiss some one else's opinion is "school yard bully" -ish

He has 3 friendly games for a total of 120 minutes. No one can judge that as international pedigree (well they can but there would be a lot of players in that bracket).

irishbucsfan

I don't think anyone said he has an international pedigree. The point was he has played well at that level in the past. Excellent may be a stretch.

.ak

Hrmm, well, just to get back to your point about horses for courses IBF, I would've thought the likes of a back three of Bowe, Trimble and Earls would suit an SA game who are likely to kick the ball to us all day long? All three of them are good in the air, and regardless of how good Jones is I still think Earls has proven to be a better FB whenever he's covered there.

Tox hit the nail on the head with the Cave thing. Apart from a cameo in NZ we just don't know how good Cave is, and if he'd be up for it, but for me he's a more intelligent tackler than Earls, and is one of those OC's that blurs the line between being a centre and a wing forward. To say D'Arcy and Earls is our best defense option doesn't sit with me, but fair enough that's just my opinion. Earls can cut a side open from anywhere, but I still wouldn't rate him as a 'defensive' 13 (although he is a handy tackler for his size, but there's more to it than that imo)

.ak

Mr.Opti wrote: »

He hasn't a great boot and looks very shacky and doesn't inspire confidence when he goes to kick!! Zebo can kick a ball way further and gives the team another option with his left foot as he has done with Munster a few times!!

Okay, that's your opinion, but Trimble is regularly used for Ireland as a line-clearing option. His stats speak for him, he has got a massive boot on him when he's clearing defensively.

He has the odd dodgy one too mind you.

I am pie

Earls can cut a side open from anywhere? I just have not seen any evidence of that at all in a green shirt. He is a good, intelligent finisher given his stature, but I really think saying he can cut a side open from anywhere is verging towards hyperbole.

.ak

I am pie wrote: »

Earls can cut a side open from anywhere? I just have not seen any evidence of that at all in a green shirt. He is a good, intelligent finisher given his stature, but I really think saying he can cut a side open from anywhere is verging towards hyperbole.

Okay, maybe I stretched that a little, but he is a danger man. In fairness he was our only player to make ground against England in this year's 6N.

thebaz

Ferris picked up an ankle injury for Ulster - doesn't sound good

.ak

Heaslip kinda hinted towards Sexton when mentioning the captains role. Having said that, Heaslip was fairly reserved, so I've a feeling it'll defo be either Sexton or Heaslip.

CoDy1

totallegend wrote: »

In other news, and if anyone else is as sad and decrepit as me; the Late Late will have three members of the Irish squad on tonight.

Just watched it, O'Callaghan nailed on starter so? Captain even?

ray jay

CoDy1 wrote: »

Just watched it, O'Callaghan nailed on starter so? Captain even?

You tell us.