Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread

bamboozle

Deleted User wrote: »

wouldn't have Cullen anywhere near the starting 15!

Cullen is struggling to reach Rabo level these days. He's past it i'm afraid.

One thing we'll have tomorrow is plenty of intensity at the breakdown, with Strauss, Henry, Heaslip all excellent at nicking ball on the ground, add in the intensity that McCarthy & Ryan should bring to broken play and i can see us doing well in this aspect.

Lelantos

frabz-Zebo-at-fb-Rog-on-the-bench-boards-will-go-ape-5a1b55.jpg

Tox56

Have a feeling Strauss will have a really good game, he's been in great form for Leinster recently and you would think he'll be fired up to show the Saffers what they're missing

chippers

LeftBase wrote: »

I think it is obvious now that Kidney takes too much account of opinions and thoughts from Munster. Playing Reddan and Sexton would mean that Ireland could move the ball quick and play in space like Leinster do. That is what most of the Nation and half of Europe know we should be doing. However playing that game would mean retiring the old warhorses like DOC and to a slightly lesser extent POC in favour of more dynamic second rows. We have the players to play the Leinster game...the game that has conquered Europe...hell a lot of the conquers are Irish qualified, BUT old biad wins through and so we have electric outside backs and dynamic forwards tied into this muck wrestling Munster play of the last decade.

I don't understand the logic of what you are saying. Playing reddan and sexton together has an impact on the speed of the ball getting out to the backs. Okay. But what has this got to do with the second rows that are being played. I would hardly describe the Leinster second rows as very dynamic players.

Mr.Opti

Larbre34 wrote: »

Too soon for Kilcoyne and Henderson, Fiji game is ideal for them

I would change:

4. McCarthy Leo Cullen 6. O'Mahony K McLaughlin 9. Murray Reddan

17. Kilcoyne Court 19. O'Callaghan McCarthy 20. Henderson O'Mahony 21. Reddan Murray

Leo Cullen isn't even in the top 5 second rows in Ireland, lucky to be starting for Leinster!
McLaughlin is being overrated by a lot of supporters and is rightfully outside the 23 man squad.
Murray Reddan has been done to death

chippers

I haven't been watching all Rabo games this year but had Zebo been getting any time at full back? If so, how did he get one? I know Bowe lined up their recently with Ulster. I thought he might have got the nod.

ssaye

Mr.Opti wrote: »

Leo Cullen isn't even in the top 5 second rows in Ireland, lucky to be starting for Leinster!
McLaughlin is being overrated by a lot of supporters and is rightfully outside the 23 man squad.
Murray Reddan has been done to death

BS imo, Opinions are one thing but that is ridiculous. Heineken cup winner and a consistent tackler, good on lineout. He is a fantastic player when he plays. POM/KmcL is very close and good luck to POM.

jamiedav2011

Mr.Opti wrote: »

Leo Cullen isn't even in the top 5 second rows in Ireland, lucky to be starting for Leinster!
McLaughlin is being overrated by a lot of supporters and is rightfully outside the 23 man squad.
Murray Reddan has been done to death

I still haven't seen you backing up your claims on Luke Fitz last night?!

Larbre34

ssaye wrote: »

BS imo. Heineken cup winner and a consistent tackler, good on lineout. He is a fantastic player when he plays. POM/KmcL is very close and good luck to POM.

Precisely, just the horse for this particular course. At a push he should be on the bench in such a crucial game, not Henderson

K McL isnt overrated, he's underrated by many. He's a grafter who gets on top of his opposition and like Simon Easterby you'd miss him from your side. Ireland works better with a 6 in the Ferris / D Ryan mode and McLaughlin is it, I think we'll struggle for clean escapes from set pieces.

Mr.Opti

ssaye wrote: »

BS imo, Opinions are one thing but that is ridiculous. Heineken cup winner and a consistent tackler, good on lineout. He is a fantastic player when he plays.

Completely Leinster bias!!

POC, DOC, Touhy, Ryan & McCarthy are all better players than Cullen. No he is not fantastic when he plays, completely average at best. Just because he is a Heineken Cup winner doesn't make him a good player - look at Toner.


ssaye was talking about McLaughlin, thank god!! haha

Larbre34

Mr.Opti wrote: »

Completely Leinster bias!!

POC, DOC, Touhy, Ryan & McCarthy are all better players than Cullen. No he is not fantastic when he plays, completely average at best. Just because he is a Heineken Cup winner doesn't make him a good player - look at Toner.

Unclench, he's talking about McLaughlin

Mr.Opti

jamiedav2011 wrote: »

I still haven't seen you backing up your claims on Luke Fitz last night?!

Personal shots?!? Actually I have so get your facts straight

pappyodaniel

Tox56 wrote: »

Have a feeling Strauss will have a really good game, he's been in great form for Leinster recently and you would think he'll be fired up to show the Saffers what they're missing

He's absolute quality, I hope he plays so well that R Best will have to earn back that jersey away from him, if at all. Glad to see M McCarthy in the 2nd row, he's exactly the type of character needed to face up to a huge SA pack.

I'm in equal parts excited and nervous to see S Zebo starting at full back. He has all the attributes needed to flourish in that position barring actual experience in playing there so we'll have to wait and see.

Outside of that I don't think our backline have anything to fear from the South Africans. I just hope our set-piece is good and solid. A strong scrum and efficient lineout is needed if we are to put scores on the Springboks.



*edit
Why does the internationals bring out all the crazies onto this forum??

Fireball07

Mr.Opti wrote: »

Completely Leinster bias!!

POC, DOC, Touhy, Ryan & McCarthy are all better players than Cullen. No he is not fantastic when he plays, completely average at best. Just because he is a Heineken Cup winner doesn't make him a good player - look at Toner.

He's talking about McLaughlin...who is an excellent player. Works really hard, makes the hard yards, puts in a huge amount of tackles. Performs a vital role in the team...I do rate POM slightly higher than him, POM is more dynamic/more skilful but I wouldn't have been unhappy to see McLaughlin brough in for this game, could suit him.

Tox56

If anything McLaughlin has been very underrated by many people, including by me. I thought he was a really good club player, but I didn't think he had the ability for international rugby, but when he got the chance vs the AB's he was really good, so fair play to him.

yimrsg

The team selection is nearly irrelevant as they're going to be hamstrung playing Kidney's tactics.

If it's a kicking contest I reckon we'll lose out as the Boks have Hougaard, Pienaar, Taute, Lambie and Kirchner; all able kickers from hand. They're bound to target Zebo, so hopefully he'll start well. Targeting Kirchner is pointless, he's a pretty fine fielder of the ball (about the only thing he's good at), though if he's very one footed so maybe we can box him in on his weaker foot. The only kick I want us to try is a crossfield one to Bowe against the much smaller Hougaard.

Looking at the Bokke pack they've gone for muscle from the outset and have Brits and Coetzee who will certainly add impetus. Alberts looked spent in the Currie cup final and many in their pack have had long seasons, so hopefully fitness will be on our side. If our forwards play at a high tempo we'll sap their strength.

Looking at our pack we're loaded with players who can nick turnovers and spoil possession. The one area I'm a little worried are the set pieces, there are plenty of unknowns. In the lineouts we've so many fresh faces in there and we've little to no clue just how good Kilcoyne and Bent willl be if/when they're called upon in the scrums.

I'm dying to see Henderson and the other newcomers to the side get on and how if our new captain's success carries over to the international stage. I really hope Henderson manages to put a big Saffa forward on his arse the first chance he gets.

Mr.Opti

Fireball07 wrote: »

He's talking about McLaughlin...who is an excellent player. Works really hard, makes the hard yards, puts in a huge amount of tackles. Performs a vital role in the team...I do rate POM slightly higher than him, POM is more dynamic/more skilful but I wouldn't have been unhappy to see McLaughlin brought in for this game, could suit him.

Yup made the change!! :P

McLaughlin is a good player but will never be an International player as a 6. He has way to much competition and isn't as good as Ferris (world class), Henderson and POM (agree with the above).

wp_rathead

Interesting that out of our young exciting wingers, he has gone for the one winger who hasn't ever played FB in senior game
Gilroy, TOH, Dave Kearney and Conway all have had game time in that position (I know Dave just back from injury so understandable he not considered)

The pack is as strong as it could be considering injuries- delighted for Macca getting his deserved start although it is only due to POC being injured. Also Iain Henderson on the bench is fantastic to see! Henry Heaslip and O'Mahony is a decent back row

Been gone over to death in this thread already, but Murray/Sexton still seems odd when Reddan available on bench. DOC has actually been playing good rugby so far this year, performing better than Tuohy so he deserves his place on bench on merit (last year was a joke how Tuohy wasn't playing). Not gonna bother getting into the ROG issue- think it is fairly unanimous here that he shouldn't be on the panel..

Plus, those asking for Cullen to be in the team.. seriously?

jamiedav2011

Mr.Opti wrote: »

Personal shots?!? Actually I have so get your facts straight

Hah that's not a personal shot!

Link me up?

Foxtrol

Mr.Opti wrote: »

Yup made the change!! :P

McLaughlin is a good player but will never be an International player as a 6. He has way to much competition and isn't as good as Ferris (world class), Henderson and POM (agree with the above).

Locky outshone POM as a 6 down in NZ so to say he'll never be an international player is just wrong. He'll never really do anything flashy but he will consistently make "hard yards", has a massive workrate and solid fundamentals and is extremely reliable in the line out. POM is much more flashy - making line breaks in open field and will get himself on camera in the middle of a fight or two but I think he can go missing in high profile physical games. They both are different types of 6 with POM definitely having a bright future ahead of him but I think when missing the physicality of Ferris/SOB I'd rather the more physical Locky in this game (not to try to beat them in collisions but we cant get blown away). As said before - good luck to POM and this will be a great test of whether he is physical enough at this point in his career to hang with the big boys.

irishbucsfan

Mr.Opti wrote: »

Personal shots?!? Actually I have so get your facts straight

When were his two sinbinnings?

leonard7

15 is just a number on Zebos back i fully expect to see bowe playing that area just as much as zebo

wp_rathead

05/02/12 SIN Ireland 21 - 23 Wales
25/02/12 SIN Ireland 42 - 10 Italy
04/03/12 SIN France 17 - 17 Ireland
10/03/12 SIN Ireland 32 - 14 Scotland
17/03/12 SIN England 30 - 9 Ireland
29/05/12 TES Barbarians 29 - 28 Ireland
09/06/12 TES New Zealand 42 - 10 Ireland
16/06/12 TES New Zealand 22 - 19 Ireland
23/06/12 TES New Zealand 60 - 0 Ireland

Jaysus I forgot our form was so bad
could really do with a win...

chippers

leonard7 wrote: »

15 is just a number on Zebos back i fully expect to see bowe playing that area just as much as zebo

Really?! In open play when their kicking back and forth their might be some overlap. But defensively off set piece they'll be in totally different positions.

Fishooks12

leonard7 wrote: »

15 is just a number on Zebos back i fully expect to see bowe playing that area just as much as zebo

Jesus I hope that isn't happening

Very complicated to pull off

Quint2010

wprathead wrote: »

05/02/12 SIN Ireland 21 - 23 Wales
25/02/12 SIN Ireland 42 - 10 Italy
04/03/12 SIN France 17 - 17 Ireland
10/03/12 SIN Ireland 32 - 14 Scotland
17/03/12 SIN England 30 - 9 Ireland
29/05/12 TES Barbarians 29 - 28 Ireland
09/06/12 TES New Zealand 42 - 10 Ireland
16/06/12 TES New Zealand 22 - 19 Ireland
23/06/12 TES New Zealand 60 - 0 Ireland

Jaysus I forgot our form was so bad
could really do with a win...

That you Declan?..

JF100

I have spent some time reading today's hysterical provincial myopia.
The depths plummeted to, defy belief.
For this month we are all green ... (perhaps with envy of other Rugby-playing nations); but we are green nonetheless. A proper level of assessment is required by you all from Monday onwards... I look forward to the improvement in postings; almost as much as I look forward to the improvement in the performances of the Irish Team itself.

Grimebox

JF100 wrote: »

I have spent some time reading today's hysterical provincial myopia.
The depths plummeted to, defy belief.
For this month we are all green ... (perhaps with envy of other Rugby-playing nations); but we are green nonetheless. A proper level of assessment is required by you all from Monday onwards... I look forward to the improvement in postings; almost as much as I look forward to the improvement in the performances of the Irish Team itself.

Actually were going to be black this weekend, can't you Munster/Leinster/Ulster/Connacht fans get anything right?

Reloc8

C'mon Ireland.

I don't have very positive vibes about this one however. I think SA are pretty well set up to beat the Irish selection (not taking huge issue with the team in the circumstances).

I just think that the Saffers when not booting the bejasus out of it will look to alternate between beating us up around the fringes and then steaming into our underpowered midfield channels. There's no real wreckers/enforcers on the Irish side - think we could get run over. And we lack a bit of power ball carrying ability ourselves (Healy, Heaslip, anyone else ? Strauss is a linker).

The hope might be that we make hay out of any loose kicks through our back 3 and try to deny SA possession. I suspect its all a bit reactive though, and they have the better set pieces. Not a good basis on which to approach SA.

Hope I'm wrong though.

Ardillaun

Re Zebo vs Kearney et al, I would say Zebo increases the chance of a massive loss
- but also the small chance of a win. I would like to see us risking a shellacking and going for it.