Ireland Tour to New Zealand 2012 Discussion thread

jacothelad

Ruairi Sweeney 1997 wrote: »

Ireland team to play NZ:
15:Kearney
14:Trimble
13:BOD
12:Cave/McFadden
11:Earles
10:Sexton
9:Reddan
8:Heaslip
7:Henry
6:O'brien (thanks to the loss of ferris heaslip remains in my squad)
5:Ryan/Tuohy
4:O'connell
3:Ross
2:Best
1:Healy

Bench:
Cronin,Archer,Fitzpatrick,Tuohy/ryan, O'mahony,Murray,O'gara, Spence/mcfadden/cave/gilroy(even though not named in squad)

Have you taken leave of your senses? This is the All Blacks not the Girl Guides Ireland are playing. Even allowing for the laughable inclusion of Archer, why have two tight head props on the bench?

jacothelad

jacothelad wrote: »

Have you taken leave of your senses? This is the All Blacks not the Girl Guides Ireland are playing. Even allowing for the laughable inclusion of Archer, why have two tight head props on the bench?

and have Darren Cave, an out and out natural 13 playing at inside centre...

Maccers55

I hear Loughney has been called up to the squad. Great news for him and well deserved after his season for Connacht.

On the downside we will have very inexperienced front row options.

freyners

according to what ive read in the irish times this morning wilkinson had a decent game but was possibly hampered by injury, loughney impressed on both sides of the scrum and our scrum looked at its best with loughney at LH and Fitz at TH

CatFromHue

I presume the squad will be finalized at lunch time today??

.ak

I hope so. They said today at some point anyway.

its_phil

freyners wrote: »

according to what ive read in the irish times this morning wilkinson had a decent game but was possibly hampered by injury, loughney impressed on both sides of the scrum and our scrum looked at its best with loughney at LH and Fitz at TH

In the loose yes but it sounds like he struggled in the scrum. He was against the excellent Afoa though.

Duncan Jones was gone off for Tialata when Loughney came on. But it's good he did well with what he came up against.

Wilkinson did contribute admirably around the pitch, demonstrating his fitness but scrum time would be a concern.

Quint2010

Chris Henry, Brett Wilkinson, @mikemccarthy6 Paul Marshall and Ronan Loughney will join squad for NZ

Does this mean POC is out?

Tox56

Does it also mean Gilroy isn't being called up?

totallegend

Quint2010 wrote: »

Chris Henry, Brett Wilkinson, @mikemccarthy6 Paul Marshall and Ronan Loughney will join squad for NZ

Does this mean POC is out?

McCarthy is precautionary cover for POC, final decision on him to be made on Friday.

http://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland/26598.php

Quint2010

Tox56 wrote: »

Does it also mean Gilroy isn't being called up?

Presume so. Amazing decision. Good ol' Deccie

fitz

Wtf does Dev Toner need to do?

fitz

fitz wrote: »

Wtf does Dev Toner need to do?

be better than Tuohy, McCarthy, Ryan (which he's not - yet)

be more DOC than DOC (which he'll never be).

leftleg

fitz wrote: »

Wtf does Dev Toner need to do?

Join Munster

thomond2006

Forwards (17):

Hookers: Best, Cronin, Sherry

Props: Healy, Loughney, Wilkinson, Ross, Fitzpatrick

Locks: O'Connell (pending fitness), Ryan, McCarthy, Tuohy, O'Callaghan

Flankers: O'Brien, McLaughlin, O'Mahony, Henry, Heaslip

Backs (13):

Scrumhalves: Murray, Reddan, Marshall

Flyhalves: Sexton, O'Gara

Centres: D'Arcy, O'Driscoll, Earls, Cave

Wingers: Trimble, McFadden, Zebo

Fullback: Kearney

A complete joke that Gilroy doesn't tour, along with Wallace, particularly after their performances last night. But there you are. We are very light in out and out wingers in that squad, Trimble has been very quiet for months, McFadden got schooled in the Rabo Final by Shane Williams and Zebo is not a complete player. Plus Earls has been playing centre this season. Bowe and Fitzgerald's absence will really hurt us.

Out of that squad, I'd like to see:
Healy, Best, Ross, POC/Ryan, Tuohy, O'Brien, O'Mahony, Heaslip;
Reddan, Sexton, Earls, D'Arcy, O'Driscoll, Trimble, Kearney

Bench: Cronin, Loughney, Ryan/McCarthy, Henry, Murray, ROG , Zebo

Zebo on the bench because I feel he's a better impact player, although with ROG on the bench you definitely need McFadden there for better cover I suppose.

Quint2010

fitz wrote: »

Wtf does Dev Toner need to do?

sign for Munster...:)

(plagiarised from leftleg)

fitz

Deleted User wrote: »

be better than Tuohy, McCarthy, Ryan (which he's not - yet)

be more DOC than DOC (which he'll never be).

I would have him ahead of McCarthy tbh.

Tox56

Two Trimble's? Is that Trimble the openside we saw yesterday?

leftleg

Quint2010 wrote: »

sign for Munster...:)

How dare you, i got there first, i demand you remove this post and the thanks you got should be awarded to me.

Quint2010

thomond2006 wrote: »

Forwards (17):

Hookers: Best, Cronin, Sherry

Props: Healy, Loughney, Wilkinson, Ross, Fitzpatrick

Locks: O'Connell (pending fitness), Ryan, McCarthy, Tuohy, O'Callaghan

Flankers: O'Brien, McLaughlin, O'Mahony, Henry, Heaslip

Backs (13):

Scrumhalves: Murray, Reddan, Marshall

Flyhalves: Sexton, O'Gara

Centres: D'Arcy, O'Driscoll, Earls, Cave

Wingers: Trimble, McFadden, Trimble

Fullback: Kearney

You forgot the man who in terms of ability is at best third behind Gilroy and D Kearney

Quint2010

leftleg wrote: »

How dare you, i got there first, i demand you remove this post and the thanks you got should be awarded to me.

Fixed for you now..:)

its_phil

fitz wrote: »

I would have him ahead of McCarthy tbh.

Can't agree. McCarthy has probably been one of the most consistent players in the country this year, similar to Toner, but he edges it for me. He's probably the best implementer of the choke tackle in this country too. Ball carrying is better than Toner, but to be fair to Toner he has improved that facet of his game.

fitz

fitz wrote: »

I would have him ahead of McCarthy tbh.

I wouldn't. Toner couldn't play 6 with any degree of power.

They're very different players.

Scioch

I dont know why I am still surprised at this stage. The Irish management have been nothing but incompetent for the last few years.

3 defeats in NZ (one of which will be hard fought) and it all ticks over. Nothing ventured nothing lost seems to be their motto.

Why did Gilroy play last night at all if he had no chance of going and the game was only played for game time ? Why didnt Marshall get on if he was going and needed game time ? Its all a bit of a shambles really.

bilston

Just going back to Gilroy, it shouldn't even be a case of him versus Zebo, Zebo is a young player so I'm happy he's touring but I'd actually have Gilroy ahead of Trimble and McFadden at the moment never Simon!

Anyway it's done now, good luck to the boys in NZ, I fear they'll need it, especially if POC doesn't make it and Ross misses even the 1st test.

.ak

Gilroy, Madigan, baby Kearns and Paddy Wallace were shafted.

I'll be the first to admit I'm not a Paddy Wallace fan, but he's seriously upped his game this season and does everything you want a 12 to do. His line breaks and passing have been superb. Absolute joke that he isn't going. I'd still start D'Arcy to be honest, but Wallace should be on the bench wearing the 21 shirt instead of ROG.

Hagz

That is mental. How must Gilroy feel.
Kidney's basically saying, "yes there are a lot of exciting young wingers at the moment aren't there......I'll take the one in red".

totallegend

Deleted User wrote: »

I wouldn't. Toner couldn't play 6 with any degree of power.

They're very different players.

McCarthy is being brought as cover for O'Connell, not for six; with O'Mahony, McLaughlin and O'Brien in the squad (and Ryan as emergency), we're OK for sixes.

Toner is a better long-term prospect for international rugby than McCarthy; on that basis alone, he should be going.

Tox56

McCarthy is more versatile and is a better player now, but I think if Toner works on his grunt and "unseen work", he definitely could turn out to be the better player.

For a second row he is uniquely visible due to his spectacular catches and ridiculous height, but he needs more 'Thorn' in his game, although he has clearly been working on it and is improving.

Gilroy has been better than Trimble this season (and last tbh). But Trimble in green is usually a different beast than in White.

Still, got to be tough to play better than a squad favourite for two years and not get time, only to see another player get their shot ahead of you...

Familiar story up North tbh, Tuohy in a similar position until this very squad naming. Wallace, the incumbent "wasted man" of Irish Rugby another candidate for sympathy.