Ireland Tour to New Zealand 2012 Discussion thread

irishbucsfan

I wouldn't say Zebo had a very good season. I'd say he scored lots of tries and was a huge help to an injury ravaged Munster and still managed to look limited when the stakes were high

Fishooks12

totallegend wrote: »

That's not the point. Whatever way you slice it, Zebo has not been short of international recognition in the few months he's been in the Munster team. The Connacht and Ulster lads named above would kill for the chances he's had.

I was talking strictly in terms of those out in NZ at the moment, rightly or wrongly

I felt Zebo's performance in the first test warranted another appearance given McFadden being retained

unplayable

zebo is a bit over rated i think. great pace but thats about it. very suspect defensively see gilroys try in hc semi.

Teferi

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I wouldn't say Zebo had a very good season. I'd say he scored lots of tries and was a huge help to an injury ravaged Munster and still managed to look limited when the stakes were high

Yeah, couldn't agree more.

He may become an Irish legend but he has a long way to go yet. The lad clearly has a nose for the try line, now he should work on the rest of his game.

jm08

unplayable wrote: »

zebo is a bit over rated i think. great pace but thats about it. very suspect defensively see gilroys try in hc semi.

11 trys in 19 starts for Munster is nothing to be sneezed at particularly taking into account the injury disruption of the team he was playing for.

If he was playing for Ulster or Leinster, he'd probably have scored a lot more.

Tox56

jm08 wrote: »

unplayable wrote: »

zebo is a bit over rated i think. great pace but thats about it. very suspect defensively see gilroys try in hc semi.

11 trys in 19 starts for Munster is nothing to be sneezed at particularly taking into account the injury disruption of the team he was playing for.

If he was playing for Ulster or Leinster, he'd probably have scored a lot more.

Same as Carr eh?

Fishooks12

Fishooks12 would like to state he in no way endorses the views of Jm08 in the ensuing argument

Fishooks12

Tox56 wrote: »

Same as Carr eh?

Carr was very badly treated back then though. Should have been in the irish squad ahead of Ian Dowling

sixy

Alrite lads, pretty excited about the game after last weeks game. Shame heaslip is out but we are very strong up front and hopefully can get an edge. O' Mahony has done well when he has been on and henry will hopefully get 20 minutes to show what he can do.

Not sure why people are worried about Wallace, he has had a great season and is a good distributor so our attacking in the backs should be tasty if the forwards get some good ball out.

Very happy Read isn't playing, very strong player and i suppose Carter is a useful player as well! with all blacks blooding alot of young boys we have a great chance but i would imagine they will be very intense after last weeks close call.

Cant bloody wait

Cpt_Blackbeard

How exactly has the conversation returned to the Zebo bashing?

He has had a great break-through season, but he still has a lot of improving to do. He has been in no way worse than the other two wingers who have so far gotten game time. In fact, I'd say his performance has been better as unlike the other two, he isn't already an experienced international.

unplayable

yeah on a side note glad to see a heaslip free ireland. think moving sob to 8 may be the future. we need balance in the back row. pom, dom ryan, jennings i dont care but not 3 dynamic ball carriers. i admit heaslip does a lot of 'unseen work' but i just dont see it!!

Fishooks12

unplayable wrote: »

yeah on a side note glad to see a heaslip free ireland. think moving sob to 8 may be the future. we need balance in the back row. pom, dom ryan, jennings i dont care but not 3 dynamic ball carriers. i admit heaslip does a lot of 'unseen work' but i just dont see it!!

Look harder so. He was brilliant last week and hasn't had a bad game for Ireland this year.

We'll miss him on Saturday

SOB is not at 8 btw

unplayable

Fishooks12 wrote: »

You harder so. He was brilliant last week and hasn't had a bad game for Ireland this year.

We'll miss him on Saturday

SOB is not at 8 btw

wow

Cpt_Blackbeard

sixy wrote: »

Not sure why people are worried about Wallace, he has had a great season and is a good distributor so our attacking in the backs should be tasty if the forwards get some good ball out.

No poster here will deny that Wallace has had a good season, but that doesn't ease my worries. He is returning from holiday in Portugal to be thrown straight in against the Kiwis with only two days of training under his belt. Not only that, but he has had a very patchy career at international level and is half the size of his opposite number.

Hopefully he'll go well, but it is a risky selection decision. Ideally he'll be employed in the 2nd 5 role which Sexton filled last week, and we won't have to see more ridiculous crashball stuff we've endured with him in the team in the past.

molloyjh

jm08 wrote: »

11 trys in 19 starts for Munster is nothing to be sneezed at particularly taking into account the injury disruption of the team he was playing for.

If he was playing for Ulster or Leinster, he'd probably have scored a lot more.

And 4 tries in 6 starts for Ireland is pretty damn good too (would average to 12 in 18 to be more comparable). That doesn't make Fergus McFadden the best winger we have now does it!?

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

How exactly has the conversation returned to the Zebo bashing?

He has had a great break-through season, but he still has a lot of improving to do. He has been in no way worse than the other two wingers who have so far gotten game time. In fact, I'd say his performance has been better as unlike the other two, he isn't already an experienced international.

Just because people are trying to be realistic about where the guy doesn't mean he's being bashed. jm08 is using his try scoring record to big him up a bit. The rest of us are simply trying to say something not too dissimilar from what you are saying. Good prospect, but has work to do. It's the likes of jm08 that are rating him higher than he is at. The rest is mainly just reaction to that opinion.

Fishooks12

unplayable wrote: »

wow

when did he have a bad game this year?

Teferi

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

How exactly has the conversation returned to the Zebo bashing?

I see no bashing? I see posters making some good points of debate in a polite manner. No nasty little nicknames (Houdini...) or anything that I can see.

How about you attempt to join in the debate rather than trying to simply dismiss it by calling it bashing?

Teferi

unplayable wrote: »

i admit heaslip does a lot of 'unseen work' but i just dont see it!!

May I suggest you invest in a pair of glasses then?

He is part of a top class backrow with SOB and Fez.

unplayable

Fishooks12 wrote: »

when did he have a bad game this year?

didnt really play well at all in 6 nations imho

Fishooks12

unplayable wrote: »

didnt really play well at all in 6 nations imho

More turn overs than any other Irish player would suggest different

irishbucsfan

I think its quite easy to judge a person's experience within the game by hearing their views on Heaslip these days. Used to be Simon Easterby!

Can't explain George Hook though.

Fishooks12

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I think its quite easy to judge a person's experience within the game by hearing their views on Heaslip these days. Used to be Simon Easterby!

Can't explain George Hook though.

unplayable

Teferi wrote: »

May I suggest you invest in a pair of glasses then?

He is part of a top class backrow with SOB and Fez.

all 4 teams who made the semis had a world class number 7. mccaw, pocock, warburton and bonnaire. all specialist in their position. just saying its no coincidence. a back row needs balance and we dont have it.we are just picking the 3 best back row players

molloyjh

unplayable wrote: »

all 4 teams who made the semis had a world class number 7. mccaw, pocock, warburton and bonnaire. all specialist in their position. just saying its no coincidence. a back row needs balance and we dont have it.we are just picking the 3 best back row players

So I take it that you missed SOBs performances over the last 2 games then???

Clearlier

unplayable wrote: »

all 4 teams who made the semis had a world class number 7. mccaw, pocock, warburton and bonnaire. all specialist in their position. just saying its no coincidence. a back row needs balance and we dont have it.we are just picking the 3 best back row players

Take a closer look at how SOB plays now and forget how he played a year ago. He is fast developing into a top quality 7. Many believe that he outplayed McCaw in both tests.

Fishooks12

unplayable wrote: »

all 4 teams who made the semis had a world class number 7. mccaw, pocock, warburton and bonnaire. all specialist in their position. just saying its no coincidence. a back row needs balance and we dont have it.we are just picking the 3 best back row players

good god

did you not just see SOB outplay the so master 7 two weeks in a row?

He's a world class groundhog

rrpc

unplayable wrote: »

wow

You might have a read of this. Gives a very good insight into Heaslip's supposed 'drop' in form and indicates why he plays better for Leinster than Ireland and coincidentally why he's been playing so well in NZ.

unplayable

Clearlier wrote: »

Take a closer look at how SOB plays now and forget how he played a year ago. He is fast developing into a top quality 7. Many believe that he outplayed McCaw in both tests.

one swallow doesnt make a summer

unplayable

Fishooks12 wrote: »

good god

did you not just see SOB outplay the so master 7 two weeks in a row?

He's a world class groundhog

look lets not get too excited. i just think we need a specialst 7 and if sean obrien is that man then great. lets keep an eye on it. anyway so +17 is a great line for the weekend. i assume everyone is in agreement with that

Fishooks12

unplayable wrote: »

one swallow doesnt make a summer

But there's been plenty of swallows this season, both for club and country

Wait you think Heaslip's playing badly and SOB not a seven...........