Ireland Team Talk/Gossip/Rumour Thread

padraig.od

trackguy wrote: »

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.

Don't think you are giving Les Kiss enough credit. He's a very smart guy I'm sure he'll have something up his sleeve. At least its something new...

NoelJ

Ireland Squad (24):
Rory Best (Banbridge – Ulster)
Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
Tom Court (Malone – Ulster)
Sean Cronin (St.Mary’s College – Leinster)
Leo Cullen (Blackrock College – Leinster)
Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne – Leinster)
Keith Earls (Young Munster – Munster)
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon – Ulster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf – Leinster)
Jamie Heaslip (Naas – Leinster)
Shane Jennings (St.Mary’s College – Leinster)
Rob Kearney (UCD – Leinster)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere – Leinster)
Conor Murray (Garryowen – Munster)
Sean O'Brien (Clontarf – Leinster)
Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution – Munster)
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster – Munster)
Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution – Munster)
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne – Leinster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf – Leinster)
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon – Munster)
Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary’s College – Leinster)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena – Ulster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena – Ulster)

its_phil

Ireland Training Squad

Rory Best (Banbridge - Ulster)
Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)
Tom Court (Malone - Ulster)
Sean Cronin (St.Mary's College - Leinster)
Leo Cullen (Blackrock College - Leinster)
Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne - Leinster)
Keith Earls (Young Munster - Munster)
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon - Ulster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf - Leinster)
Jamie Heaslip (Naas - Leinster)
Shane Jennings (St.Mary's College - Leinster)
Rob Kearney (UCD - Leinster)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere - Leinster)
Conor Murray (Garryowen - Munster)
Sean O'Brien (Clontarf - Leinster)
Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution - Munster)
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster - Munster)
Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution - Munster)
Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne - Leinster)
Mike Ross (Clontarf - Leinster)
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon - Munster)
Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary's College - Leinster)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena - Ulster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena - Ulster)

Additional Players
Ian Nagle (Cork Constitution - Munster)*
Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution - Munster)*
Tiernan O'Halloran (Galwegians - Connacht)*
Paddy McAllister (Ballynahinch - Ulster)*
Andrew Conway (Blackrock College - Leinster)*
Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution - Munster)*


O2 Ireland Wolfhounds
Stephen Archer (Cork Constitution - Munster)*
Isaac Boss (Terenure College - Leinster)
Gavin Duffy (Galwegians - Connacht)
Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College - Leinster)
Chris Henry (Belfast Harlequins - Ulster)
Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution - Munster)
David Kearney (Lansdowne - Leinster)*
Ian Keatley (Young Munster - Munster)
Ronan Loughney (Buccaneers - Connacht)*
Ian Madigan (Blackrock College - Leinster)*
Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers - Connacht)
Kevin McLaughlin (St.Mary's College - Leinster)
John Muldoon (Galwegians - Connacht)
Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin - Munster)
Eoin O'Malley (Old Belvedere - Leinster)*
Rhys Ruddock (St.Mary's College - Leinster)
Mike Sherry (Garryowen - Munster)*
Nevin Spence (Ballynahinch - Ulster)*
Devin Toner (Lansdowne - Leinster)
Dan Touhy (Ballymena - Ulster)
Damien Varley (Garryowen - Munster)
Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians - Connacht)*

Not considered due to injury:
Brian O'Driscoll, David Wallace, Darren Cave, Felix Jones, Jerry Flannery, Eoin Griffen*, Denis Leamy, Niall Ronan.

N.B. * denotes uncapped playe

MungBean

trackguy wrote: »

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.

I agree its nothing to be proud of, and hopefully they will surprise us and liven things up some. Just mean that at least theres a possibility that something may change so its not all bad. But yeah I'd agree its not exactly ideal and I wont be expecting much.

its_phil

Leo Cullen, DOC and Paddy Wallace.

While Touhy, McCarthy and O'Malley in the Wolfhounds.

Any explanations to why we have picked our WC squad again?

Epic fail for Kidney, no balls in selection whatsoever

chupacabra

Whats the purpose of announcing "Additional players"? Are they in the squad or what?

chupacabra

its_phil wrote: »

Leo Cullen, DOC and Paddy Wallace.

While Touhy, McCarthy and O'Malley in the Wolfhounds.

Any explanations to why we have picked our WC squad again?

Epic fail for Kidney, no balls in selection whatsoever

Because after the wolfhounds game against England im sure a lot of those players will be transferred into the main training squad.

MungBean

chupacabra wrote: »

Whats the purpose of announcing "Additional players"? Are they in the squad or what?

My understanding is that they are the new additions, as in uncapped.

WeeBushy

chupacabra wrote: »

Whats the purpose of announcing "Additional players"? Are they in the squad or what?

They're there to bump up the numbers while the guys that would be in the main squad are palying for the wolfhounds. It also gives them good experience of being in and around the Irish camp. They're all 'up and coming' players.

durkadurka

What the actual fcuk?

vinny chase

This is one of the most frustrating squad announcements I can remember in recent times. The inclusion of Leo Cullen, Donncha O'Callaghan and Paddy Wallace with the main squad, despite the fact Leo is injured, Wallace just returned from injury and O'Callaghan can't get in the Munster side.

No place for guys like Tuohy, McCarthy, Fitzgerald who are playing at the top of their game. How are you supposed to motivate yourself if you're one of these guys?!

No place for Paul Marshall even in the Wolfhounds, and yet Tomas O'Leary is selected.

Consistently making the same mistakes of selection over and over again.

Prove the adage, it's harder to get out of this squad that it is into it.

vinny chase

MungBean wrote: »

My understanding is that they are the new additions, as in uncapped.

No, that's not what it is.

For the moment, those players are simply training with the squad and are not considered part of the Irish squad or the Wolfhounds team.

Obviously, they can be added in future in case of injury or whatever.

vinny chase

Also, Stephen Archer wtf?!

No place for Jamie Hagan, but a place for Archer?!

Clegg

Kidney has named Dan Tuohy in the Wolfhounds while DOC (a player well past his prime) is still in the senior squad. Thats an absolute farce. Luke Fitz has been in great form this season and he's also only in the Wolfhounds. Uncle Deccie strikes again.

Cullen has also been named in the squad even though he's out for 10 weeks WTF.

bm1993

Disgraceful selection from Kidney. I'm actually astonished. Simon Zebo over Luke Fitz. Ian Nagle and Leo Cullen over Dan Tuohy and Devin Toner. No Chris Henry,EOM, the list goes on. He has taken his bias towards Munster to a new level and what the hell does he have against Ulster. Lets hope he manages to fluke the Lions job so we can get a proper coach like Conor O'Shea

justsomebloke

If we moddify the new NIQ rules to include Managers, maybe we will eventually get a decent replacement for Kidney

part time punk

chupacabra wrote: »

Whats the purpose of announcing "Additional players"? Are they in the squad or what?

Extra tackle bag holders and water boys

funky penguin

Well....no prizes for guessing the number 13 now.

WeeBushy

People need to realise that those in the wolfhound squad are not necessarily behind those in the main squad. Players like fitz, O'Malley, touhy etc. are still in contention for the 6N 22. Kidney wants players to get some gametime or have a closer look at them.

Wait and see what kind of team he puts out for the 6N. In saying that, I'm not optimistic..

chupacabra

Seems to me Kidney just hasn't watched ANY rugby this season and just pulled the old world cup team sheet out at the last minute. I really cant get over the selection of DOC. I almost feel like writing to the IRFU over that.

bamboozle

chupacabra wrote: »

Seems to me Kidney just hasn't watched ANY rugby this season and just pulled the old world cup team sheet out at the last minute. I really cant get over the selection of DOC. I almost feel like writing to the IRFU over that.

+1, there is no need for the likes of DOC and Wallace near the squad.

Clegg

I've also just realised that Craig Gilroy, a starter for Ulster and probably the best young back in the country has been left out completely. He isn't even in the wolfhounds ffs.

The 22 for the opening game will probably be ok but Kidney has gotten the wider squad selection completely wrong. This is farcical.

tolosenc

I...

I just don't know.

But, how?

It should be patently obvious to everyone by now that the guy hasn't got a clue what he's doing. There are so many horrendous calls there that it isn't funny.

Is it that he's lazy and just copy and pasted?

Lievremont would be better.

conor1979

WeeBushy wrote: »

People need to realise that those in the wolfhound squad are not necessarily behind those in the main squad. Players like fitz, O'Malley, touhy etc. are still in contention for the 6N 22. Kidney wants players to get some gametime or have a closer look at them.

Wait and see what kind of team he puts out for the 6N. In saying that, I'm not optimistic..

Have a closer look at them? 18 games into the season, how much of a closer look does he need?

Everybody knows how well Fitz and Touhy are playing, there fighting for startin spots in the 15, not to make the extended squad!

This is Kidney at his best ever and I'm looking forward to seeing some exciting (one dimensional) rugby during the 6 nations with the old reliables!:rolleyes:

padraig.od

vinny chase wrote: »

Also, Stephen Archer wtf?!

No place for Jamie Hagan, but a place for Archer?!

How many games has Hagan played this year? He looks like the new Tony Buckley. Can't even make the Leinster bench.

touts

Kidney loses his job if he puts out the likes of Touhy Toner etc and they aren't ready. So of course he will stick to tried, tested and aging players. What is needed is the IRFU to give him (or someone else to keep the Leinster pirana's happy) a contract to beyond the next world cup and a mandate to develop players while accepting that this year and next year's 6 nations would be written off.

Also its split 12 Leinster, 6 Munster, 5 Ulster, 1 Ospreys, 0 Connacht. If he dropped DOC for Touhy and Zebo/Nagel for Fitzgerald/Toner as some people are calling for then the Munster reps on the IRFU would slaughter him at their next meeting.

Some people say the English Soccer manager is the worst job in the world but I would take that before the Irish Rugby Coach. At least in England you are financially set for life after being forced out and the ba****ds say it to your face so you know who your enemies are.

So the only answer is give a coach a 4 year contract and let him at it.

gally74

Folks

I think the I r f u central contracts are a problem, I.e. doc has an Ireland contract, if touthy is in the panel and plays , does the irfu not have to offer him a contract before long, while d o c sits down in cork,

I believed this for a while, very frustrating, Ross and Sean o brien literally had the media force them into the panel

Tox56

gally74 wrote: »

Folks

I think the I r f u central contracts are a problem, I.e. doc has an Ireland contract, if touthy is in the panel and plays , does the irfu not have to offer him a contract before long, while d o c sits down in cork,

I believed this for a while, very frustrating, Ross and Sean o brien literally had the media force them into the panel

I don't understand, are you saying they don't deserve to be there?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCQ7VLoY7bQ

Oh Declan, you reliable oul trout.

Otacon

Tox56 wrote: »

I don't understand, are you saying they don't deserve to be there?

He means that despite Ross and SOB being the best options, it was the media pressure that forced the change in Kidney's selection.