Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread

Fishooks12

Deleted User wrote: »

11. Earls
12. Marshall (or D'Arcy for one last grunt!)
13. Cave
14. Gilroy
15. Zebo

23. Bowe

controversial, up kerry

Podge_irl

If Bowe was a young player he would not have done enough to keep his jersey - he has had a middling season so far. I think Gilroy is more likely to replace Trimble with Earls staying at 13, but its a point worth talking about. We have a surprisingly good stock of wingers at the moment - Bowe has that poaching skill and general X factor but has gone 6 games now without scoring a try - maybe he just needs to play a bit more.

farrell2121

Fishooks12 wrote: »

tbh I don't think there is much between those two, although Kilcoyne is fit right now and playing HC rugby. The McGrath suggestion is ludicrous though. I was more raising the point because BBM feels the need to have a vague pop at a Munster player in everyone of his posts without backing it up

Have u actually seen McGrath play?

He will absolutely be 2nd choice eventually to Healy. Superb player. It is only a matter of time. Watch this space.

bamboozle

farrell2121 wrote: »

Have u actually seen McGrath play?

He will absolutely be 2nd choice eventually to Healy. Superb player. It is only a matter of time. Watch this space.

another way to look at this is after the Munster Leinster B&I semi final last season in which Kilcoyne had a stormer DK name dropped him a matter of days later in the press conferences prior to the NZ tour.

Jack McGrath is a serious international in the making, as is Martin Moore while Jack O'Connell has the ability to be a consistent HC prop. Jamie Hagan's switch to Leinster has proven to be a jolt on his progress, Buckley & Loughney are starting HC games, Fitzpatrick & Court have proven they can cut the mustard at international level - All the above are far better props than Archer who will be struggling to hold onto a provincial cntract next season.

As for the Argie team, only change i can see DK making is to bring in Gilroy or McFadden for Trimble. Maybe Jackson will make the bench.

JF100

Latest IRB ("Provisional") Rankings:

Latest provisional IRB World Rankings - top 12

1 NZL 92.91
2 RSA 86.05
3 AUS 85.94
4 FRA 84.99
5 ENG 81.96
6 ARG 79.89
7 IRE 79.04
8 WAL 78.95
9 SAM 78.79
10 SCO 77.42
11 ITA 76.61
12 TGA 74.51


... Tighter than ... something very tight indeed.
Looks like a competitive game on Saturday after all ...

Otacon

JF100 wrote: »

1 NZL 92.91
2 RSA 86.05
3 AUS 85.94
4 FRA 84.99
5 ENG 81.96
6 ARG 79.89
7 IRE 79.04
8 WAL 78.95
9 SAM 78.79
10 SCO 77.42
11 ITA 76.61
12 TGA 74.51

So who wants to be the anorak and go through the permutations?

tolosenc

Would go for the following XV next week:

Healy
Strauss
Ross
DOC
McCarthy
Henderson
Henry
Heaslip
Reddan
Sexton
Gilroy
Marshall
Cave
Bowe
Zebo

danthefan

Otacon wrote: »

So who wants to be the anorak and go through the permutations?

It's really simple. Win and we stay in the top 8, lose and we go to 9th or 10th.

Timothy Bryce

danthefan wrote: »

It's really simple. Win and we stay in the top 8, lose and we go to 9th or 10th.

According to WoC on the tweet-machine, if Scotland beat Tonga by more than 15 and we lose to Argentina....

danthefan

Timothy Bryce wrote: »

According to WoC on the tweet-machine, if Scotland beat Tonga by more than 15 and we lose to Argentina....

We'll be 10th in that scenario.

Teferi

danthefan wrote: »

It's really simple. Win and we stay in the top 8, lose and we go to 9th or 10th.

I'm pretty sure we can still go down even if we win if other results go against us and there are some upsets, right?

Tox56

Thornley with his confirmation of the team for next week:

Ironically, it’s highly conceivable that a front-line team would not have won as convincingly as a comparatively carefree side itching to showcase their abilities. Yet it would also make complete sense if Kidney were to revert to last week’s selection virtually en bloc.

Yes Gerry, complete sense.

Although it looks like Gilroy (or McFadden) could replace Trimble, which is something I suppose:

The one change might be at left wing, where Andrew Trimble came under increasing pressure by the events of Saturday

totallegend

Teferi wrote: »

I'm pretty sure we can still go down even if we win if other results go against us and there are some upsets, right?

I don't think so. If we beat Argentina, we should go ahead of them, and I'd imagine if Samoa beat France and Wales beat either Australia or New Zealand, then they would also be in the top 8, but whatever happens we'd be ahead of Argentina and Scotland.

The Scots have missed their chance, beating Tonga won't give them enough points to close the gap.

ray jay

Tox56 wrote: »

Thornley with his confirmation of the team for next week:

Ironically, it’s highly conceivable that a front-line team would not have won as convincingly as a comparatively carefree side itching to showcase their abilities. Yet it would also make complete sense if Kidney were to revert to last week’s selection virtually en bloc.

Yes Gerry, complete sense.

Christ I hate that equivocating style of writing, he may as well have said nothing at all.

JRant

Tox56 wrote: »

Thornley with his confirmation of the team for next week:



Yes Gerry, complete sense.

Although it looks like Gilroy (or McFadden) could replace Trimble, which is something I suppose:

It's ridiculous the way Trimble is always pretty much the only player under pressure to keep his place on the team despite being a superb player.
There where a few poor performers against SA but they are untouchable.
Earls doesn't look quite right at the moment so i can see no reason not to start Cave and Marshall together.
It's not as if the team is winning at the moment, time to change it up.

molloyjh

I think it's fair to say that 13, 14 and 15 are not up for debate this week. Earls, Bowe and Zebo are nailed on starters.

Looking at the players who impressed in the back line against Fiji: Gilroy, McFadden, Marshall and Cave. 1 of these will lose out (on the assumption, which is a big one, that both Darce and Trimble are not guaranteed). It will most likely be Cave given that Earls is BODs heir apparent. It looked like the Fiji game was an audition for the 11 jersey seeing as Ferg and Gilroy switched sides at half time. Both impressed, with Gilroy winning out overall.

But has Marshall started against many big physically sides like the Pumas ahead of Wallace? How big a step up is this for him? I'm wondering would it make more sense to have 11. Gilroy 12. McFadden 13. Earls 14. Bowe 15. Zebo 23. Marshall? Ferg is a more physical player who won't get caught out defensively at 12 the way he can be at 13. Send him out to go hell for leather for 50 mins and bring in Marshall then. We get to see 2 options at 12 and evaluate both, and they'll both (hopefully) be outside players they are familiar with in Sexton and Jackson respectively for te majority if their time on-field.

Deano7788

molloyjh wrote: »

I think it's fair to say that 13, 14 and 15 are not up for debate this week. Earls, Bowe and Zebo are nailed on starters.

Looking at the players who impressed in the back line against Fiji: Gilroy, McFadden, Marshall and Cave. 1 of these will lose out (on the assumption, which is a big one, that both Darce and Trimble are not guaranteed). It will most likely be Cave given that Earls is BODs heir apparent. It looked like the Fiji game was an audition for the 11 jersey seeing as Ferg and Gilroy switched sides at half time. Both impressed, with Gilroy winning out overall.

But has Marshall started against many big physically sides like the Pumas ahead of Wallace? How big a step up is this for him? I'm wondering would it make more sense to have 11. Gilroy 12. McFadden 13. Earls 14. Bowe 15. Zebo 23. Marshall? Ferg is a more physical player who won't get caught out defensively at 12 the way he can be at 13. Send him out to go hell for leather for 50 mins and bring in Marshall then. We get to see 2 options at 12 and evaluate both, and they'll both (hopefully) be outside players they are familiar with in Sexton and Jackson respectively for te majority if their time on-field.

That's assuming Jackson's on the bench, so pretty unlikely unfortunately.
Maybe they'll say he's needed by Ulster.

Some of the articles on the Indo site today are absolutely laughable.

It's as if the journalists hadn't heard or seen Darren Cave or Craig Gilroy play such a game for Ulster before. As if they'd ignored the representative game at Lansdowne Road when Paddy Jackson was solid and efficient and Luke Marshall absolutely stole the show.

All of them missed Henderson outperforming the rest of the pack in every U20 game this season.

It's outrageous how little some of our pundits / journalists actually know or care to find out about our players.

Embarrassing stuff.

molloyjh

Deano7788 wrote: »

That's assuming Jackson's on the bench, so pretty unlikely unfortunately.
Maybe they'll say he's needed by Ulster.

I'd hope after that display (and all other evidence we've seen so far this season) that he'd finally be elevated above ROG. But I suppose with such a crucial game we don't want to be selecting form over experience do we!

jm08

Deleted User wrote: »

All of them missed Henderson outperforming the rest of the pack in every U20 game this season.

I think that going on the U20s pack, Gilsenan & Coghlan were also very impressive. Size matters for the next step up though.

jacothelad

JRant wrote: »

It's ridiculous the way Trimble is always pretty much the only player under pressure to keep his place on the team despite being a superb player.
There where a few poor performers against SA but they are untouchable.
Earls doesn't look quite right at the moment so i can see no reason not to start Cave and Marshall together.
It's not as if the team is winning at the moment, time to change it up.

You are quite right. What was Trimble supposed to do? The problem was that the ball was never fast enough for the backs to do anything. It seems to me that a lot of unthinking observers see what they want to see and actually ignore the reality of the game. What back played any better? None as far as I could see. The ball we won, such as it was, mostly very slow and often fumbled, frequently died either with the 9 or in midfield. How many passes did Trimble get - apart from one panic stricken, hospital pass in his own 22 that he hoofed into touch. I've heard criticism of him for touching a bouncing ball that went in to touch. As it was on Bowe's wing and Trimble had to track across the park to even attempt it, why is there no criticism of Bowe and Zebo - everyone's blue eyed boys it seems - for being out of position? About 8 or 9 phases later, after that lineout, a penalty was awarded against Ireland. I've read on here that it was Trimble's fault, not the idiot who gave it away. Go figure. Trimble is very big, very strong and very fast. I'm sure it wouldn't be beyond the wit of a coach to come up with ways to use him. BTW, he is a right wing always played out of position to accomodate Bowe.

jacothelad

molloyjh wrote: »

I'd hope after that display (and all other evidence we've seen so far this season) that he'd finally be elevated above ROG. But I suppose with such a crucial game we don't want to be selecting form over experience do we!

ROG has a nice article in the Indo today doing a a bit more self serving.

jacothelad

jacothelad wrote: »

ROG has a nice article in the Indo today doing a a bit more self serving.

2

totallegend

jacothelad wrote: »

ROG has a nice article in the Indo today doing a a bit more self serving.

Ah in fairness to ROG I think it's OK.

The Indo wrote:

"I understand it, absolutely," said O'Gara. "Since the World Cup there's been a decision that it's Jonny's time. And I agree with that. But I don't accept it. If you accept that situation you're no good to the squad.

He's saying that yeah, Sexton is the number one but he has to keep pushing and keep Sexton on his toes, don't see a whole lot wrong with it.

goreyguy

yeah O'Gara wasn't that bad in the indo today...

molloyjh

jacothelad wrote: »

ROG has a nice article in the Indo today doing a a bit more self serving.

I don't think that article is too bad. He's right, he should never accept that his time is past. He should be hungry for the jersey. It's up to the coach to call it a day on his career. Until he does ROG should have the desire to start and the belief that he's still able, regardless of how true or not that may be.

What I do find crazy though is that it apparently wasn't until after the RWC that it was "agreed" that it was Sextons time. Now I don't know who agreed that, or of it was a squad thing or what, but it seems like a truly outrageous call to me.

thomond2006

goreyguy wrote: »

yeah O'Gara wasn't that bad in the indo today...

Maybe he knows Sexton is doping*



*too far, I'll get my coat...

totallegend

Deleted User wrote: »

Some of the articles on the Indo site today are absolutely laughable.

Today:

Tony Ward wrote:

Whatever else may be going wrong, at present this country's still got serious talent.

Last week:

Tony Ward wrote:

It may not be the popular line but the problem is not with who runs the asylum, but with the quality of the inmates.

I'm confused; either the players are sh*t and the coach can't be expected to do anything with them, or the players are great but for some reason they're failing to perform. Two mutually exclusive positions, no?

mfceiling

goreyguy wrote: »

yeah O'Gara wasn't that bad in the indo today...

Apparently his writing is above international standard...

Hagz

It's not really that bad. But the wording of - 'It was agreed it's Sexton's time' is like nails on a chalkboard. What? So it was agreed that the better fly-half play?.......Well thank god everyone was able to come to that agreement.

TBH it grates me when the succession of Sexton is discusses as a step towards the future, or passing of the mantle kind of thing. More like the mantle was rightfully taken.