Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread

jamiedav2011

According to Hook, Ross doesn't deserve to start next week.

The arrival of Michael Bent did not affect the game as the visitors' scrum had lost interest but this time, the Kiwi showed a real athleticism around the pitch. It will be a big surprise if he does not start against Argentina.

I can't wait until the day that these jokers, Hook, Thornley, Ward etc are found out for the sham journalists they really are.

Hagz

It doesn't say Ross doesn't deserve to start in fairness. Just that Bent is worth a start. If I say Cave deserves to start, it doesn't mean I don't think Earls deserves to start.

CatFromHue

jamiedav2011 wrote: »

According to Hook, Ross doesn't deserve to start next week.



I can't wait until the day that these jokers, Hook, Thornley, Ward etc are found out for the sham journalists they really are.

I don't think Ward is a joker at all. I don't always agree with what he writes but I very much respect his opinion.

Actually did anyone notice Donal Lenihan (who I respect very much) looking to be getting pissed off with McGurk on the RTE panel on Sat? I can't remember what they were talking about but Lenihan did look like he was about to tell McGurk to shut up!

its_phil

CatFromHue wrote: »

I don't think Ward is a joker at all. I don't always agree with what he writes but I very much respect his opinion.

Actually did anyone notice Donal Lenihan (who I respect very much) looking to be getting pissed off with McGurk on the RTE panel on Sat? I can't remember what they were talking about but Lenihan did look like he was about to tell McGurk to shut up!

Probably about Leinhans ridiculous Movember... Oh no wait its always been like that

jamiedav2011

Hagz wrote: »

It doesn't say Ross doesn't deserve to start in fairness. Just that Bent is worth a start. If I say Cave deserves to start, it doesn't mean I don't think Earls deserves to start.

Well, paraphrasing, saying 'It will be a big surprise if he does not start against Argentina.' is pretty much the same thing tbh.

Either way it's a fecking stupid thing to say.

ray jay

Poor Muldoon is out for 10-12 weeks with a torn medial knee ligament: http://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland/27756.php

totallegend

Rhys Ruddock called up to the Ireland squad to replace Muldoon.
http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/international/2012/1119/346269-ruddock-replaces-muldoon-in-irish-squad/

Why?

POM, Henderson, McLaughlin and now Ruddock = four specialist blindsides, plus Ryan and McCarthy who have played there in the past.

Bizarre.

Edit: Four specialist blindsides and only one game to play. And Leinster with a league match on Friday night; would Ruddock not benefit more from an 80 minute run out than holding tackle bags with Ireland?

dub_skav

totallegend wrote: »

Rhys Ruddock called up to the Ireland squad to replace Muldoon.
http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/international/2012/1119/346269-ruddock-replaces-muldoon-in-irish-squad/

Why?

POM, Henderson, McLaughlin and now Ruddock = four specialist blindsides, plus Ryan and McCarthy who have played there in the past.

Bizarre.

Kidney really does have a hard on for blindsides and a hatred for opensides.
Weird really

JF100

15 Zebo
14 Bowe
13 Earls
12 Darcy
11 Gilroy
10 Sexton
9 Murray

8 Heaslip (C)
7 Henry
6 O'Mahony
5 McCarthy
4 Ryan
3 Ross
2 Strauss
1 Healy

Bench:
McFadden
O'Gara*
Reddan

Bent
Cronin
Kilcoyne
O'Callaghan*
+ 1 other back row...

(*: Not my choice)

As the song goes...
"That's just the way it is ...
Some things will never change..."

.ak

I hope Locky and Ruddock are released for the Glasgow game tbh... can't see either being used as anything other than tackle bags and cover.

jm08

dub_skav wrote: »

Kidney really does have a hard on for blindsides and a hatred for opensides.
Weird really

How many opensides do we have who are available?
Henry in camp (converted)
SOB (converted, injured)
Jennings (bus is gone there)
Ronan (coming back from injury)
Dougal (injured).
Dominic Ryan?

who_me

Hagz wrote: »

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.

By the sounds of it, it's a rugby player admitting a competitor (for the Irish jersey) is better than him. To me, that seems rare enough, without wanting cherries on top. Professional sportsmen are always competitive, furthermore it's not as if O'Gara and Sexton are bosom buddies, which makes any such public concession all the more unlikely.

Cosmo Kramer

JF100 wrote: »

15 Zebo
14 Bowe
13 Earls
12 Darcy
11 Gilroy
10 Sexton
9 Murray

8 Heaslip (C)
7 Henry
6 O'Mahony
5 McCarthy
4 Ryan
3 Ross
2 Strauss
1 Healy

Bench:
McFadden
O'Gara*
Reddan

Bent
Cronin
Kilcoyne
O'Callaghan*
+ 1 other back row...

(*: Not my choice)

As the song goes...
"That's just the way it is ...
Some things will never change..."

+ 1 other back row...will be Henderson

Will be shocked if that's not the 23 he picks.

tbm

ray jay wrote: »

Poor Muldoon is out for 10-12 weeks with a torn medial knee ligament: http://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland/27756.php

poor fecker

jm08

Hagz wrote: »

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.

ROG was playing very well coming into the 6Ns last season. His form did warrant one or two starts at least. Sexton (& Ireland) played some of their best rugby at 12 with ROG at 10.

blops

The best 15 available 4 ARGENTINA me thinks

15 Zebo
14 Bowe
13 Earls
12 L.Marshall
11 Gilroy
10 Sexton
9 Murray

8 Heaslip (C)
7 Henry
6 O'Mahony
5 McCarthy
4 Ryan
3 Ross
2 Strauss
1 Healy

Hon Ireland

totallegend

jm08 wrote: »

ROG was playing very well coming into the 6Ns last season. His form did warrant one or two starts at least. Sexton (& Ireland) played some of their best rugby at 12 with ROG at 10.

I am begging the entire posting community not to respond to this.

justsomebloke

totallegend wrote: »

I am begging the entire posting community not to respond to this.

ye pretty much

_GoldenBoy_

blops wrote: »

The best 15 available 4 ARGENTINA me thinks

15 Zebo
14 Bowe
13 Earls
12 L.Marshall
11 Gilroy
10 Sexton
9 Murray

8 Heaslip (C)
7 Henry
6 O'Mahony
5 McCarthy
4 Ryan
3 Ross
2 Strauss
1 Healy

Hon Ireland

Completely agree but would have no problem if Henderson started at 6!!

blops

am a big fan ov POM but wouldnt mind young HENDERSON given a go against Argentina.
L. Marshall aswell instead ov darcy,marshalls playmaking ability with earls outside wud b exciting 2 watch.

JF100

But you have to admit "Total L" ... JM08 is just trying to elicit a response from you.
And it is soooooo tempting...

JF100

South African second row in eye-gouging shocker...
Hold the Front (or Back) page!!!

JRant

jacothelad wrote: »

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.

Spot on, a lot of our attacking problems seem to arise from the inability to link our forward play to our back play. Our pack have actually performed quite well in some games but we haven't had the right players in the right positions in the backs to trouble teams.
Rob howley in a recent interview made a very interesting point. He said that when stepping up to International level players need to be playing in their natural postions. The intensity is such that players have no time to make decisions and it needs to be automatic. This would seem to explain alot about us lately, we've been playing a 12 @ 14 & 13, a winger @ 13, a winger @ 15, a 10 @ 12, a backrower @ 9. No wonder we can't even put 1 backline move together.

shuffol

It's pretty much a given that he will be offered a new central contract.

Dont know if anybodys seen it but this was in one of the articles about ROG in the indo today by Conor George. Couldnt possibly be right could it.

danthefan

shuffol wrote: »

Dont know if anybodys seen it but this was in one of the articles about ROG in the indo today by Conor George. Couldnt possibly be right could it.

Conor George is a complete farce of a journalist. I have no idea why the Indo have taken him on.

jm08

JF100 wrote: »

But you have to admit "Total L" ... JM08 is just trying to elicit a response from you.
And it is soooooo tempting...

I have a different recall of O'Gara's form up to the 6Ns last year (bear in mind Munster had won 6/6 in the pool stages of the HCup).

He also got shortlisted for an IRUPA Award, so some of his fellow playing pros must have thought his form was ok.

JRant

blops wrote: »

am a big fan ov POM but wouldnt mind young HENDERSON given a go against Argentina.
L. Marshall aswell instead ov darcy,marshalls playmaking ability with earls outside wud b exciting 2 watch.

If L Marshall plays I'd have the in-form Cave beside him. Earls is coming back from injury and doesn't look as sharp as he normally is.
Be nice to see Sexton, Marshall and Cave creating a bit of space for our much maligned back 3.

Tomtom364

Hope to see anyone not involved in the argies match to be free to play for their clubs at the weekend.

bilston

JRant wrote: »

If L Marshall plays I'd have the in-form Cave beside him. Earls is coming back from injury and doesn't look as sharp as he normally is.
Be nice to see Sexton, Marshall and Cave creating a bit of space for our much maligned back 3.

Thinking ahead it would be nice to see a midfield of Sexton, Marshall and BOD...we'll not see much of it (if we ever see it at all) for obvious reasons but it could be an exciting axis.

molloyjh

Tomtom364 wrote: »

Hope to see anyone not involved in the argies match to be free to play for their clubs at the weekend.

I'd say only Munster will as Leinster and Ulster have away games on the Friday, meaning their players would have to be released on the Thursday at the latest. Can't see that happening tbh.