Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread

sock puppet · 30-08-2011 3:18pm

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

What?? Both Scotland and NZ have suffered serious injuries with some key players.

Who for Scotland? New Zealand are only missing Read I thought?

Gracelessly Tom · 30-08-2011 3:52pm

sock puppet wrote: »

Who for Scotland? New Zealand are only missing Read I thought?

Nikki Walker and Hugo Southwell are both out for Scotland. Read is gone for NZ group games and Thomson is missing at least the Tonga game, possibly more depending on bruising.

NZ are left with McCaw, Vito and Kaino as the only loose forwards in their squad.

sock puppet · 30-08-2011 4:55pm

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

Nikki Walker and Hugo Southwell are both out for Scotland. Read is gone for NZ group games and Thomson is missing at least the Tonga game, possibly more depending on bruising.

NZ are left with McCaw, Vito and Kaino as the only loose forwards in their squad.

Walker and Southwell are hardly the biggest losses in the world. Not even guaranteed starters. And New Zealand are missing two players for the group stages but they both had a lot of gametime this season, while everyone else in the squad bar Woodcock returned from injury ages ago. Compare that to South Africa, France and Australia who have several players either still injured or just barely back.

Now that I think of it England are pretty well set too.

grohlisagod · 30-08-2011 5:06pm

sock puppet wrote: »

Walker and Southwell are hardly the biggest losses in the world. Not even guaranteed starters. And New Zealand are missing two players for the group stages but they both had a lot of gametime this season, while everyone else in the squad bar Woodcock returned from injury ages ago. Compare that to South Africa, France and Australia who have several players either still injured or just barely back.

Now that I think of it England are pretty well set too.

Their captain Lewis Moody is injured, Danny Care is gone, Youngs has had no game time, Tindall limped off against us (he'll probably be fine though). I'm pretty sure the game at the weekend was Ashton's first game too! Injuries effect everyone, it's just an unfortunate part of the game.

sock puppet · 30-08-2011 5:17pm

grohlisagod wrote: »

Their captain Lewis Moody is injured, Danny Care is gone, Youngs has had no game time, Tindall limped off against us (he'll probably be fine though). I'm pretty sure the game at the weekend was Ashton's first game too! Injuries effect everyone, it's just an unfortunate part of the game.

Eh that's what I've been saying. I never said everything went exactly to plan. But they're clearly in a better position than other teams

grohlisagod · 30-08-2011 5:32pm

sock puppet wrote: »

Eh that's what I've been saying. I never said everything went exactly to plan. But they're clearly in a better position than other teams

I was just pointing out the problems they have. The way you put it made it sound as if they were virtually injury free. I completely agree that they are in better shape than other sides. Could you please enlighten me in relation to who Australia are missing through injury? Can't think of any of real significance off the top of my head apart from Robinson and maybe Chisholm.

theKramer · 30-08-2011 5:35pm

Drew Mitchell was out for a while, but is back playing rugby, just not international yet...

sock puppet · 30-08-2011 5:43pm

grohlisagod wrote: »

I was just pointing out the problems they have. The way you put it made it sound as if they were virtually injury free. I completely agree that they are in better shape than other sides. Could you please enlighten me in relation to who Australia are missing through injury? Can't think of any of real significance off the top of my head apart from Robinson and maybe Chisholm.

Nah just meant they were in good shape. Only Robinson's missing the world cup but Polata-Nau, Slipper, Palu, Barnes, Horne and Mitchell are going in without any international rugby and Burgess made his first appearance at the weekend. I'd say almost all of them will be involved for the Ireland game.

Gracelessly Tom · 30-08-2011 7:58pm

sock puppet wrote: »

Walker and Southwell are hardly the biggest losses in the world. Not even guaranteed starters. And New Zealand are missing two players for the group stages but they both had a lot of gametime this season, while everyone else in the squad bar Woodcock returned from injury ages ago. Compare that to South Africa, France and Australia who have several players either still injured or just barely back.

Now that I think of it England are pretty well set too.

Walker and Southwell are decent enough players for Scotland to lose. They might not be guaranteed to start but they'd be pushing close and it also means they have to bring in guys for some games that would otherwise not have been selected so they are a loss.

As for the two Kiwis, they didn't play that much Tri-nations and they could now have another 6 weeks on the sidelines before they play again, Thomson could be back sooner mind you. If they are injured they can't train and will be coming in cold after long enough on the sidelines. Not ideal for NZ with only 3 backrows as they run the risk of injury through over exposure. Also the fact that Read is only behind Carter and McCaw in importance to NZ he's a big enough loss.

JustinDee · 30-08-2011 9:51pm

sock puppet wrote: »

Walker and Southwell are hardly the biggest losses in the world. Not even guaranteed starters. And New Zealand are missing two players for the group stages but they both had a lot of gametime this season, while everyone else in the squad bar Woodcock returned from injury ages ago. Compare that to South Africa, France and Australia who have several players either still injured or just barely back.

Now that I think of it England are pretty well set too.

???
England have injuries at lock, backrow x 3, halfback, 10 and 12.
Scotland also have no Beattie and Walker is a definite starter. Their depth of choice is particularly thin.
Don't forget RWC squads are of only 30 players.

jayteecork · 30-08-2011 10:30pm

What's the deal with the red and white shirts the team were wearing at the airport?

Where did the red come from?

The NI flag? seriously?

ambid · 30-08-2011 10:40pm

jayteecork wrote: »

What's the deal with the red and white shirts the team were wearing at the airport?

Where did the red come from?

The NI flag? seriously?

Didn't see them but the latest merchandise seems to use a very broad range of colours. There are training jerseys in red & white, blue, grey, as well as green. As somebody else said they're probably trying to tap into provincial loyalties, so maybe they're trying to do that with the shirts you saw.

I'm not a huge fan myself, they don't look like Ireland to me.

irishbucsfan · 30-08-2011 10:49pm

jayteecork wrote: »

What's the deal with the red and white shirts the team were wearing at the airport?

Where did the red come from?

The NI flag? seriously?

Someone from Cork asking where the red comes from?

Are you soft in the head or something?

profitius · 30-08-2011 10:59pm

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Someone from Cork asking where the red comes from?

Are you soft in the head or something?

Deccie has a bigger influence than you think!

justsomebloke · 31-08-2011 8:58am

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Are you soft in the head or something?

less of that please

CatFromHue · 31-08-2011 9:01am

jayteecork wrote: »

What's the deal with the red and white shirts the team were wearing at the airport?

Where did the red come from?

The NI flag? seriously?

I didn't see the shirts but if they are like the red training shirt I think it's to do with red being a nice colour and not have any real significance.

JustinDee · 31-08-2011 10:09am

jayteecork wrote: »

What's the deal with the red and white shirts the team were wearing at the airport?

Where did the red come from?
The NI flag? seriously?

Its actually Maroon (similar to NRL side, Manly, for example). Just a change of squad leisure and training gear each year. The players like it.

phog · 31-08-2011 11:06pm

Professional Game - A culture of success through winning teams
• National Team:
- Reach the semi-final of the Rugby World Cup 2011 & win a 6 Nations Championship
• Provincial Teams:
- An Irish province to win the Heineken Cup
- An Irish province in the semi-final of the Heineken Cup each year
- Irish provinces to win 2 Magners Leagues
• Provide world class medical support at national and provincial level
• Refereeing: achieve and maintain three referees in the top level of the international game

Just saw this report and had a quick glance at it's main hopes/aspirations and whatever one might think of the Irish team at the moment, the IRFU must surely be happy with the current state of professional rugby in Ireland.

W/C - we'll have to wait and see, I'm still hopeful that we can reach a S/F

6Ns - not alone have we won it but we've won the Grand Slam
H/C - we've won it 3 times since 2008 by two different provinces
H/C S/finals - achieved by one or both provinces (Leinster & Munster) each year
M/L win it twice - Done and dusted

Medical - haven't really enough knowledge about the medical but my guess is yes, it's world class.

Refereering, well we are one of 3 nations with two refs at the W/C, so I suppose we cant be too far off the mark.

CiaranMT · 31-08-2011 11:14pm

Joe the Santa wrote: »

less of that please

Had to be said really. Some people will get their goat up about anything.

CiaranMT · 31-08-2011 11:17pm

phog wrote: »

Refereering, well we are one of 3 nations with two refs at the W/C, so I suppose we cant be too far off the mark.

It's something we're pretty strong in at the minute. Clancy coming through, John Lacey coming up, a few more whose names escape me atm.

Lewis not being included in the WC was a joke.

phog · 31-08-2011 11:19pm

CiaranMT wrote: »

Lewis not being included in the WC was a joke.

Fitness wise I really think he's past it, he couldnt keep up with the game. I really cant see how so many thought he was a cert for the W/C.

Podge_irl · 31-08-2011 11:23pm

Think Lewis is retiring is he? He's a very good ref, but he's just getting a bit on in years unfortunately.

phog · 31-08-2011 11:32pm

Podge_irl wrote: »

Think Lewis is retiring is he? He's a very good ref, but he's just getting a bit on in years unfortunately.

I think he announced his retirement after not getting a slot in the W/C.

GerM · 01-09-2011 8:06am

CiaranMT wrote: »

It's something we're pretty strong in at the minute. Clancy coming through, John Lacey coming up, a few more whose names escape me atm.

Lewis not being included in the WC was a joke.

I'll hold fire on Clancy. I'm pretty sure he must have dirt on someone. His handling of the closing minutes of the Challenge Cup final in particular was nightmarish.

01-09-2011 8:33am

GerM wrote: »

CiaranMT wrote: »

It's something we're pretty strong in at the minute. Clancy coming through, John Lacey coming up, a few more whose names escape me atm.

Lewis not being included in the WC was a joke.

I'll hold fire on Clancy. I'm pretty sure he must have dirt on someone. His handling of the closing minutes of the Challenge Cup final in particular was nightmarish.

Agreed. Clancy can be a disaster at times.

Getting better though, which is encouraging. That being said I've no idea how he was included in the WC panel

JustinDee · 01-09-2011 8:43am

Deleted User wrote: »

Agreed. Clancy can be a disaster at times

Ref talent or potential is spotted good and early.
Our best and best known refs (even Alan Lewis and Alain Rolland) have had absolute howlers during the beginning of their careers. They only improved with experience.

fitz · 01-09-2011 8:51am

JustinDee wrote: »

Ref talent or potential is spotted good and early.
Our best and best known refs (even Alan Lewis and Alain Rolland) have had absolute howlers during the beginning of their careers. They only improved with experience.

Spot on...Clancy may have the occasional howler, but when I've been really impressed with him in general over the last year, and he'll only get better.

01-09-2011 8:51am

JustinDee wrote: »

Deleted User wrote: »

Agreed. Clancy can be a disaster at times

Ref talent or potential is spotted good and early.
Our best and best known refs (even Alan Lewis and Alain Rolland) have had absolute howlers during the beginning of their careers. They only improved with experience.

Yeah Clancy is definitely improving alright. Obviously experience plays a huge part in these things, and maybe that's all he's missing from being a top ref. I'll admit I've changed from being horrified to seeing his name on the match day programme to being ambivalent towards it. If he can keep learning and develop a bit more steel a la Rolland (The Boss IMO), he might be a useful referee at some stage in the future.

fitz · 01-09-2011 8:55am

There was one game in particular (can't recall which) that it struck me how well he was calling the scrum. His timing was far more natural than the likes of Poite. There was no huge pauses, it had a rhythm, and there was bugger all resets throughout the match, resulting in a more fluid game overall. I remember thinking to myself "why can't they all call the scrum like that?"

phog · 01-09-2011 9:11am

GerM wrote: »

I'll hold fire on Clancy. I'm pretty sure he must have dirt on someone. His handling of the closing minutes of the Challenge Cup final in particular was nightmarish.

Most posters would have Nigel Owens up there with the best of the world but I've seen him have howlers too, sometimes refs can have bad days, be blind spotted or have poor assistants that can have a knock-on effect on the poor guy in the middle.

Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread

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