Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread

Hagz

Alan Quinlan is awesome. Hero.

Scioch

Hagz wrote: »

Alan Quinlan is awesome. Hero.

What he do ?

Hagz

Scioch wrote: »

What he do ?

He's on Against the Head right now, and he's the most sensible pundit I've watched for a long time now.

bleg

Hagz wrote: »

He's on Against the Head right now, and he's the most sensible pundit I've watched for a long time now.

He just said "[the Argentinians] will swarm all over your balls."

Then realised what he said and paused mid next sentence.


hahaha

irishbucsfan

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.

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?

Rhys Ruddock is one of the best lifters I've ever seen. I'd imagine Smal has him and Toner in for lineout sessions. Just my guess.

Ill eat my iPad if he plays.

JRant

bilston wrote: »

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.

That would be very interesting indeed.

The 6N's would seem to be the only chance of that happening, if at all.

Fishooks12

Brilliant ROG sketch on the Mario Rosenstock show!

yimrsg

I don't see the point in calling up Ruddock when we've so many blindsides in the squad, also he's just starting to come back from injury and I'd trust Schmidt to look after him better than DK. Ireland would be better served in calling up a youngster like Jordi Murphy who could benefit from the experience or Jennings but Kidney's in charge and common sense is alien to him.

jamiedav2011

How many blindsides can you fit into the one squad?!

mfceiling

jamiedav2011 wrote: »

How many blindsides can you fit into the one squad?!

I don't know............how many blindsides can you fit in the one squad? (shíte attempt at joke)

ray jay

99% certainty he's there to hold tackle bags and nothing else.

jacothelad

Demented Mole doesn't think much of Luke Marshall.

http://dementedmole.com/2012/11/19/when-the-music-stops/#comment-2243

" I feel that Marshall makes too many handling errors for a centre who lacks top quality pace and that his kicking game is loose."

"There are doubts about Marshall’s pace and his error count......."

Now, Marshall has started 8 games for Ulster and I can't remember errors or loose kicking and his handling has been superb so he must be playing for someone else in secret.

Tox56

He made a few silly errors in the 2nd half of the Fiji game but considering he was laughing and joking coming out of the tunnel it's possible probable his concentration had dipped because the game was won at half-time.

Fishooks12

I'd be more concerned about some of the odd positions he got himself in defensively during the game

His pace seems fine too, not that you need huge pace to be a top level 12 anyway

shuffol

Wouldn't have thought "top quality pace" is a prerequisite for a good 12, not sure if Marshall lacks it either, he does have an unpredictable burst of acceleration thats very effective though. At least he advocates starting him against Argentina, not sure I agree with his idea of starting Henderson in the 2nd row.

Fishooks12

shuffol wrote: »

Wouldn't have thought "top quality pace" is a prerequisite for a good 12, not sure if Marshall lacks it either, he does have an unpredictable burst of acceleration thats very effective though. At least he advocates starting him against Argentina, not sure I agree with his idea of starting Henderson in the 2nd row.

A ridiculous call considering he's never started a senior game there and second row is currently a position we have no problems in

durkadurka

Fishooks12 wrote: »

A ridiculous call considering he's never started a senior game there and second row is currently a position we have no problems in

We have big problems at second row in 18 months though. Not saying play him there next week(that would be nuts) but we need to seriously look at options there.

It's an area we've had great players for years now with POC DOC big Mal, Cullen but in a year they'll all be gone -lets face it.

We're talking Ryan, McCarthy, toner ........sheesh!
Let's convert Henderson. Sure we're out the door with blindsides!

geekington

Just to bring a but if fun back here, anyone on twitter may have noticed Jamie tweeting a picture of Rala the kitmans lust for Saturday. On the list there is a note to bring a "Honor Cap - one only". So who is reaching a mikestone or is there a new cap?

Hype710

Questioning Marshall's pace is odd to me, he's certainly got a great burst of acceleration which he showed for the first try and it's rare to find lightning fast 12s. Yes he made a couple of sloppy errors in the second half when maybe his concentration diminished but in the first half he was exemplary and has the perfect set of skills for the position IMO.

DM is without question the best rugby writer in the country but I find his views on some of the Ulster youngsters curious. Has been quite critical of Jackson at times this year when it's pretty clear to most what an exceptionally good 10 he is, especially considering his age. Worth remembering he's 4 years younger than Sexton was playing against Fiji in 09.

Utopia Parkway

jacothelad wrote: »

Demented Mole doesn't think much of Luke Marshall.

http://dementedmole.com/2012/11/19/when-the-music-stops/#comment-2243

" I feel that Marshall makes too many handling errors for a centre who lacks top quality pace and that his kicking game is loose."

"There are doubts about Marshall’s pace and his error count......."

Now, Marshall has started 8 games for Ulster and I can't remember errors or loose kicking and his handling has been superb so he must be playing for someone else in secret.

Marshall seems to have relatively decent pace for his position. He's a 12. While pace is always handy you don't exactly need to be a speedster at 12. I would have zero worries in that regard.

Probably have to see more of him defensively though. Not that he's looked weak in that area. Just haven't seen him properly tested yet.

slievenamon fella

what do ye think would be irelands best 15 atm provived every was fit??

errlloyd

The article on O Brien's return in todays times has an interesting aside about the hip injuries. I know there were a lot of posters on this board (I was one of them) who were worried about the increasing amount of hip injuries. I guess this sheds some light into a dark dark place.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/1120/1224326839614.html

bilston

jacothelad wrote: »

Demented Mole doesn't think much of Luke Marshall.

http://dementedmole.com/2012/11/19/when-the-music-stops/#comment-2243

" I feel that Marshall makes too many handling errors for a centre who lacks top quality pace and that his kicking game is loose."

"There are doubts about Marshall’s pace and his error count......."

Now, Marshall has started 8 games for Ulster and I can't remember errors or loose kicking and his handling has been superb so he must be playing for someone else in secret.

He also praises him in fairness for his physicality.

His level did drop a bit in the second half and there were one or two mistakes. In saying that he was unplayable in the first to an extent I haven't seen from an Irish centre other than BOD since maybe D'Arcy at Twickenham in 2004.

Although I'm not sure what part of his kicking game is loose though, he kicked it three times from memory, one was a booming 60 or 70 metre kick I. The first minute behind the Fijians, another was a sink in behind for Henderson to chase (maybe he'd have been better keeping ball in hand though) and he may have kicked it once in the second half for position to the edge of the Fijian 22 IIRC, none of the kicks were loose though.

He also looks perfectly quick to me but as someone else said 12s aren't usually the quickest guys on the team anyway.

totallegend

slievenamon fella wrote: »

what do ye think would be irelands best 15 atm provived every was fit??

Kearney
Bowe
BOD
AN Other - still think D'Arcy is the best option until Marshall is more proven
Earls
Sexton
Reddan
Healy
Best
Ross
POC - but he's played so little in the last two years that it's hard to know
McCarthy
Ferris
O'Brien
Heaslip

goreyguy

Marshall's biggest question marks are defensively.. has enough pace IMO
Then just needs to be more consistent with handling etc. He is raw but talented like most young Irish players

CatFromHue

Does anyone know when the team is announced?

I'm guessing Thursday as they seem to be getting later in the week these days.

danthefan

CatFromHue wrote: »

Does anyone know when the team is announced?

I'm guessing Thursday as they seem to be getting later in the week these days.

Thornley has already been dropping hints, expect the same team with possibly Trimble dropped.

bilston

slievenamon fella wrote: »

what do ye think would be irelands best 15 atm provived every was fit??

Well the traditional XV would be:

Kearney, Bowe, O'Driscoll, D'Arcy, Earls, Sexton, Reddan
Healy, Best, Ross, Ryan, O'Connell, Ferris, O'Brien, Heaslip

That team wouldn't go far wrong, if only we could actually get them on the pitch, but come the 6Ns it could be hard to ignore the likes of Henderson, Zebo, Marshall, and Gilroy, but a lot depends on how they go for their provinces. Also Mike McCarthy's form is impossible to ignore.

Clegg

Has anyone read the article on Peter O'Mahony in the Irish Times. He's a decent player but he's being built up as a pillar of the team.

He's a squad player at best for us and I just don't understand where all the hype is coming from.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/1120/1224326839345.html

goreyguy

Ridiculous article by Conor George on POM today in the indie.

he has gone on to establish himself as one of Ireland's go-to players. At full tilt and in possession he is harder to stop than a toppling red oak and no less devastating.

:rolleyes::rolleyes: