Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread

padraig.od

Cave out for 6 weeks, so we're down to Earls, McFadden, EOM and Bowe in The Race to Replace BOD?

leonard7

could he not conceivably lift in the lineout if he were to bulk up?

chippers

Having a guy that's 6foot10 odd lifting in the lineout?! Having your best lineout jumper as a lifter doesn't quite add up.

leonard7

hes 6'10 im just thinkin hes bound to have some reach on him

lol @ Ryan World Class.

Solid if unimpressive, going through a purple patch. Years of bench warming given him the impetus to bust balls for a change.

jacothelad

padraig.od wrote: »

Cave out for 6 weeks, so we're down to Earls, McFadden, EOM and Bowe in The Race to Replace BOD?

...and Spence who would have been in the mix but for injury earlier this year. Granted McLaughlin has shoehorned him in to 12 all season so..............

molloyjh

padraig.od wrote: »

Cave out for 6 weeks, so we're down to Earls, McFadden, EOM and Bowe in The Race to Replace BOD?

jacothelad wrote: »

...and Spence who would have been in the mix but for injury earlier this year. Granted McLaughlin has shoehorned him in to 12 all season so..............

Ah pants! Earls it is so. The only other real option is McFadden as no one else is playing there regularly enough. With Fitzy most likely fit Earls will allow Deccie to play Fitzy at 11. I'm not exactly full of confidence about this year folks....

Fireball07

And Griffin?

CIARAN_BOYLE

Fireball07 wrote: »

And Griffin?

Is he not injured?

Fireball07

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Is he not injured?

I'm not sure. I heard he'd be back before the 6N start.

irishbucsfan

I have a dream, Nevin Spence scoring 3 tries this weekend and forcing Kidney to select him!

Apart from that OMalley please.

irishbucsfan

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I have a dream, Nevin Spence scoring 3 tries this weekend and forcing Kidney to select him!

Apart from that OMalley please.

make it 4 and the BP win in Clermont!

jacothelad

Deleted User wrote: »

make it 4 and the BP win in Clermont!

That wouldn't be enough to get selected.

Actually this dilemma does highlight a forthcoming issue. Given the legions of good young backs being churned out by the provinces, if it continues at the current level, what are we going to do with all of them in a few years? Too many to keep hanging around in the various squads. Too good to ignore.

irishbucsfan

jacothelad wrote: »

That wouldn't be enough to get selected.

Actually this dilemma does highlight a forthcoming issue. Given the legions of good young backs being churned out by the provinces, if it continues at the current level, what are we going to do with all of them in a few years? Too many to keep hanging around in the various squads. Too good to ignore.

shuffol

Bollox about Cave being injured, I was looking forward to him being left out of the squad so I'd have a stick to beat Kidney with.

tolosenc

EOM, McFadden and Griffin. Stocks are dwindling fast.

Fireball07

If Griffin is injured, it has to be O'Malley.

McFadden is not a 13, he can do a job there but so can Earls. O'Malley's talented though, he should get his chance. McFadden in the centre beside him.

Cpt_Blackbeard

tolosenc wrote: »

EOM, McFadden and Griffin. Stocks are dwindling fast.

EOM hasn't established himself for Leinster so, he has no real claim to the jersey.

McFadden has shown himself to be a worse option at 13 than Earls but, already being a member of the Irish squad will help his claim.

Griffin has impressed any chance he has gotten but, his recent injury troubles and lack of experience will count against him.

Earls and Bowe are the only players we have experience at 13 at a high level (ignoring D'Arcy). We have loads of players showing form on the wing so, either Bowe or Earls could be moved inside without damaging the team. Currently playing at 13 hugely helps Earls' claim to the jersey. Provided that he shows he has over-come his yips from the weekend, he is probably the most sensible option for the 13 jersey. Be that as it may, it won't stop the throngs of posters and their pitchforks.

That said, round 6 of the HC and performances for the wolfhounds will reveal all.

.ak

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

EOM hasn't established himself for Leinster so, he has no real claim to the jersey.

McFadden has shown himself to be a worse option at 13 than Earls but, already being a member of the Irish squad will help his claim.

Griffin has impressed any chance he has gotten but, his recent injury troubles and lack of experience will count against him.

Earls and Bowe are the only players we have experience at 13 at a high level (ignoring D'Arcy). We have loads of players showing form on the wing so, either Bowe or Earls could be moved inside without damaging the team. Currently playing at 13 hugely helps Earls' claim to the jersey. Provided that he shows he has over-come his yips from the weekend, he is probably the most sensible option for the 13 jersey. Be that as it may, it won't stop the throngs of posters and their pitchforks.

That said, round 6 of the HC and performances for the wolfhounds will reveal all.

Hahahah, classic Captain, always good for a laugh! ;D


But seriously, unfortunately experience at a 'high level' doesn't make you good in that position. True, Earls has actually played most of his games at center in the H-cup, but that doesn't change the fact he is a terrible, terrible center...

Also regarding your McFadden statement, it all depends on what you mean by 'worse'. By 'worse' in attack? You may be right. But his ability to off-load is mirrored by Earls and his defense is more solid... and unfortunately his defense is actually quite questionable at times, so what does that say about Earls?

EoM hasn't been given the shirt at an advanced level, yes, but he's a more natural center than Earls, far better step, better off-load, great kicker, and has bags of potential in that area of the field.

The point I'm trying to make is Earls shouldn't even be in the running here. It's gotta be Cave*, EoM or at push Bowe (but why move our BEST winger off the wing into a position he's barely played?) with McFadden as cover.

EDIT: Just read that he's injured. I'd hope for EoM then, and maybe Griffin against Scotland.

trackguy

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

Currently playing at 13 hugely helps Earls' claim to the jersey. Provided that he shows he has over-come his yips from the weekend, he is probably the most sensible option for the 13 jersey.

Playing at 13 does help Earls' claim. The lack of any out-and-out 13's putting their hands up helps his claims too.

McFadden has been good but looks fairly limited in an attacking sense. Earls offers obvious talents in attack, bar passing, but is not a good enough defender to protect the 13 channel at international level.

'Yips from the weekend' has nothing to do with it. He lacks some of the necessary tools to be an outstanding 13.

That said, he'll probably get the shirt through the lack of other options. Kidney has previously shown alot of faith in Earls also.

tolosenc

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

Currently playing at 13 hugely helps Earls' claim to the jersey.

Except he's playing it really, really badly.

The only huge help Earls is getting is that Ireland have a clueless dinosaur for a coach.

riddik

mcfadden has pace and a lot of skill, but i think the fact that he plays so many positions hurts his game. we'v seen him out of place a few times for leinster, and not only when he was playing 13. i believe he could be a superb 12 if he focused on that position, with darcy moving to 13. i dont no if that would happen, certainly in time for this 6N

oh lord, the hype surrounding earls annoys me. its generated by blind [not all of you now!!] munster fans. i once had a classmate in college argue with me for over 20 minutes about how BOD was an inferior 13 selection to earls, it was non sensical to say the least. earls is a fantastically average player, a great man for warming the bench. i agree with previous posters, experience does not necessarily equate to good.

I dont believe EOM to be up to scratch just yet, he looks good, but i dont think hes ready to slot into the starting team, nor the bench. calls for bowe at 13 dont make sense to me, for me hes not impressive at 13 as he is on the wing. he breaks away and hes gone, thats his game, i dont see him a natural centre

shuffol

.ak wrote: »

Hahahah, classic Captain, always good for a laugh! ;D


But seriously, unfortunately experience at a 'high level' doesn't make you good in that position. True, Earls has actually played most of his games at center in the H-cup, but that doesn't change the fact he is a terrible, terrible center...

Also regarding your McFadden statement, it all depends on what you mean by 'worse'. By 'worse' in attack? You may be right. But his ability to off-load is mirrored by Earls and his defense is more solid... and unfortunately his defense is actually quite questionable at times, so what does that say about Earls?

EoM hasn't been given the shirt at an advanced level, yes, but he's a more natural center than Earls, far better step, better off-load, great kicker, and has bags of potential in that area of the field.

The point I'm trying to make is Earls shouldn't even be in the running here. It's gotta be Cave*, EoM or at push Bowe (but why move our BEST winger off the wing into a position he's barely played?) with McFadden as cover.

EDIT: Just read that he's injured. I'd hope for EoM then, and maybe Griffin against Scotland.

1. Because he moves himself off it 10 times a game just to get the ball, he's a 13 trapped in a 14s jersey.

2. If Earls or Mcfadden plays 13 he's never going to see the ball anyway, unless Sexton kicks it to him.

3. All his best work is in the 13 channel, suggesting he might be quite effective there.

4. Gets Trimble a spot in the team and lord knows he deserves it.

5. We're in a bit of a bind

totallegend

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

Currently playing at 13 hugely helps Earls' claim to the jersey. Provided that he shows he has over-come his yips from the weekend, he is probably the most sensible option for the 13 jersey. Be that as it may, it won't stop the throngs of posters and their pitchforks.

Ted, I'm hugely confused.

Earls got his chance at 13 in the World Cup warm-ups and was not good. He's playing there for Munster and is not good. This is not the yips, this is a guy playing out of position. I'm not sticking the boot in on Earls, I just don't think McGahan is doing him any favours by playing him in the centre when wing is clearly his best position IMO.

I hope he proves me wrong this weekend because I'm not enamoured with the idea of EOM playing there for Ireland (yet). If it came to playing a winger out of position, I'd sooner put Bowe or Trimble in there and leave Earls on the wing.

ormond lad

The Irish Times - Wednesday, January 18, 2012 Smal to stay on as forwards coach

GERRY THORNLEY, Rugby Correspondent

AFTER MONTHS of speculation linking him with the vacant position of Springboks’ head coach, which is to be filled in the next fortnight,
Gert Smal is set to remain part of the Irish management rather than return to his native country.
The Irish forwards’ coach has been strongly linked with the Springboks job, with several South African media outlets describing him as the overwhelming favourite to succeed Pieter de Villiers, but Smal is intent on seeing out the remainder of his contract which expires at the end of the 2012-13 season.
The normally porous South African Rugby Union have maintained there will be no comment until the process is completed, and the only name known to be on their short-list at present is outgoing head coach Pieter de Villiers.
SARU’s 12-man executive council, whose chief executive Jurie Roux has been empowered to headhunt the preferred candidates, will meet on January 26th to finalise the selection process before their recommendation is expected to be ratified by SARU’s Special General Council meeting 24 hours later – Friday week.
Initial speculation was that Western Province coach Allister Coetzee would be appointed and that he would be assisted by Rassie Erasmus. However, Erasmus has revealed that he will leave Western Province later this month, with some of the South African media speculating that he is set to join Nick Mallett as technical assistant with England after the Six Nations.
It’s been suggested that Roux has been to Dublin to interview Smal, who also returned to Cape Town with his family on leave over Christmas, but IRFU sources have said there has been no indication Smal would be leaving, certainly not before the upcoming Six Nations.
Sources in South African rugby say that ideally the newly installed head coach would start work “asap”, even though the Springboks squad won’t get together until June 3rd in readiness for the first of a dozen matches in 2012, in Durban against England on June 9th. As to whether the new man mightn’t start until, say, after the Six Nations, that “wouldn’t necessarily be a disaster”.
However, it is believed that Smal is not of a mind to break his contract nor, with his son and daughter happily placed in schools here, move his family.
With Alan Gaffney’s duties as backs’ coach being inherited by defensive coach Les Kiss and kicking coach Mark Tainton, and Declan Kidney in the frame for the Lions’ job in 2013 along with Warren Gatland and Andy Robinson (and the Lions are again grandiosely insisting that whoever is chosen cannot be otherwise employed for the preceding season), losing the highly regarded Smal would have been a big blow.
The IRFU have also interviewed a shortlist of four to succeed the departing Paul McNaughton as Irish team manager, with an announcement expected to be made this week.
However, it is understood that one of the quartet, former Munster manager Jerry Holland, will not be taking up the role due to work commitments.
The vacancy for the position of strength and conditioning coach to the Irish team is unlikely to be filled before the Six Nations.
As the union’s head of fitness, Philip Morrow had also filled in that role during the World Cup before departing to Saracens, and pending the appointment of a new head of fitness, the strength and conditioning duties during the Six Nations are likely to be shared by the provincial fitness coaches.
Kidney will today announce a squad of 30 or so for a five-day training camp in Limerick from next Monday, as well as a 22-man squad for the Irish Wolfhounds’ game against the English Saxons in Exeter on Saturday week.
However, as the latter is a quasi trial there is liable to be some fluidity between those squads come the opening match against Wales at the Aviva on Sunday, January 12th, so unlike his counterparts Kidney will not be unveiling a Six Nations’ squad per se today.
The composition of the backs is liable to be very similar to the World Cup, with Luke Fitzgerald’s form set to earn him a recall although, sidelined since St Stephen’s Day, he again missed training yesterday.
In the absence of Brian O’Driscoll, the only specialist contender for that vacancy, Darren Cave, was yesterday ruled out for up to six weeks with a cruelly timed ligament injury in his foot which he sustained in Ulster’s stunning 41-7 win over Leicester last Friday, thus sidelining him for their stand-out shoot-out in Clermont next Saturday. Thus, the odds that Keith Earls or Tommy Bowe will wear number 13 against Wales have hardened.
With Denis Leamy joining David Wallace on the sidelines, the established trio of Stephen Ferris, Seán O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip will need back-up, be it from Shane Jennings again and, perhaps, one of the young players emerging who can cover the back-row, namely Munster’s Peter O’Mahony, Leinster’s Rhys Ruddock and Ulster’s Chris Henry.
The second-row contenders have been strengthened by the form of Mike McCarthy, Dan Tuohy and Ryan Caldwell at Bath, but the propping cupboard is, once again, not exactly over-flowing.

trackguy

ormond lad wrote: »

The Irish Times - Wednesday, January 18, 2012 Smal to stay on as forwards coach

GERRY THORNLEY, Rugby Correspondent

With Alan Gaffney’s duties as backs’ coach being inherited by defensive coach Les Kiss and kicking coach Mark Tainton,

I know this was set in stone, but it's not good is it? :mad:

bamboozle

shuffol wrote: »

1. Because he moves himself off it 10 times a game just to get the ball, he's a 13 trapped in a 14s jersey.

2. If Earls or Mcfadden plays 13 he's never going to see the ball anyway, unless Sexton kicks it to him.

3. All his best work is in the 13 channel, suggesting he might be quite effective there.

4. Gets Trimble a spot in the team and lord knows he deserves it.

5. We're in a bit of a bind

i'd be quiet happy to see Bowe at 13 with a back three of fitz, kearney and trimble, on form these guys deserve to be starting. Mcfadden showed against Bath he's well able to distribute the ball. Earls needs to pull a strop and demand to be played on the wing for munster, he sould be developed there rather than at 13 where he is just not at the races.

thomond2006

What time is the squad announced?

MungBean

trackguy wrote: »

I know this was set in stone, but it's not good is it? :mad:

Seeing as they did a great job in their areas while Gaffney did shag all I dont see it as a bad thing. Could be a hell of a lot better but probably isnt a step down.

trackguy

MungBean wrote: »

Seeing as they did a great job in their areas while Gaffney did shag all I dont see it as a bad thing. Could be a hell of a lot better but probably isnt a step down.

Not being a step down from Gaffney isn't exactly something to be proud of.

I hope they can inject some freshness into the backline. There's no evidence to suggest they will though.