Ireland Six Nations / Ireland Wolfhounds squads announcement *mod warning post 1*

The Jaw

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Who do you think is better than him in the northern hemisphere?

Excuse the spelling but; Harinoraquay, Picamoles, Nick Easter, Toby Falateau (granted form not great right now), Tom Johnson ( plays 8 occassionally for Exeter), Parisse

who_me

.ak wrote: »

Do we, as Irish Rugby fans, get caught up in the Captaincy thing a little bit too much?

Does it really make that much of a difference? Surely it's about having the right amount leaders/experience on the pitch through 1 to 15.

Possibly, but one player can make an enormous difference to a side.

For instance, if BOD had been injured in '09, there isn't a chance we would have won the GS. We are such a better side when he plays. Even if he wasn't the assigned captain, I think he'd be leading on the field anyway; teams do need players leading by example, making calm decisions under pressure.

Fishooks13

The Jaw wrote: »

Excuse the spelling but; Harinoraquay, Picamoles, Nick Easter, Toby Falateau (granted form not great right now), Tom Johnson ( plays 8 occassionally for Exeter), Parisse

Ah come on now. You could make an argument for the other 3, but Easter and Johnson!?

IMO Heaslip is in better form than all of the other options too bar Picamoles, although I haven't seen much of Parisse this season

Clegg

ROG banned for 8 weeks.

That's him out of the 6 Nations.

Quint2010

Fishooks13 wrote: »

I'd like to see rotation at 11 and 14. But it's not Kidney's style sadly.

While Trimble has been in fine form this season he's never really struck me as a guy who can light it up on the international stage, same with McFadden, solid options and they won't let you down but I think Zebo, Fitz and Gilroy offer a lot more. But as Toz says, Gilroy has been sort of hot and cold, so for that reasoning I'd go with Zebo and Fitz against Wales. Zebo as the form outside back in Ireland all season, and Fitz for the simple fact that he's the best back we have bar BOD imo, and his game against the Scarlets showed a hint that time off hasn't hurt his form either.

There's no way Earls won't start against Wales

Fishooks13

Quint2010 wrote: »

There's no way Earls won't start against Wales

I don't know, I'd certainly have him in the 23 shirt though.

Tox56

Clegg wrote: »

ROG banned for 8 weeks.

That's him out of the 6 Nations.

Where did you hear that?

Otacon

Clegg wrote: »

ROG banned for 8 weeks.

That's him out of the 6 Nations.

Link? Seems harsh.

ScissorPaperRock

Otacon wrote: »

Link? Seems harsh.

Seems harsh alright. Good news though, if true.

Fishooks13

8 weeks would be very harsh considering Calum Clark only got 12 weeks for breaking someones arm intentionally. Although It's a good thing for Ireland that we'll finally have a form 10 on the bench

Clegg

Sorry lads.

I got a text from my brother telling me about the ban.

But I can't find anything online about it.

Quint2010

No way he should get 8 weeks.

justsomebloke

Until a link is posted can we please leave this as hearsay

irishbucsfan

Fishooks13 wrote: »

8 weeks would be very harsh considering Calum Clark only got 12 weeks for breaking someones arm intentionally. Although It's a good thing for Ireland that we'll finally have a form 10 on the bench

Calum Clark got 30-something weeks.

Fishooks13

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Calum Clark got 30-something weeks.

Damn my ignorance!

GerM

It would be exceptionally quick if a verdict is back already. Generally these things don't come out until after 5pm at least.

Teferi

Now that BOD is out of the captaincy will Kidney begin benching/leaving him out altogether for Earls? What do people reckon?

Tox56

GerM wrote: »

It would be exceptionally quick if a verdict is back already. Generally these things don't come out until after 5pm at least.

The verdict for the other citing was out a few hours ago?

Fishooks13

Teferi wrote: »

Now that BOD is out of the captaincy will Kidney begin benching/leaving him out altogether for Earls? What do people reckon?

Not a hope. Not this championship anyway.

In fairness I think Kidney made the right call with the captaincy. BOD has been on a bad run of injuries and it makes the position a lot more secure giving it to Heaslip

Fireball07

I assume it is hearsay as that would be incredibly harsh. Andrew Hore only got 5 weeks and his was infinitely worse.



Anyway, as for the Heaslip captaincy..... dare I go there?

I'm on record of saying that I think Heaslip would be a good captain. Maybe not the best captain...but you grow into the role. I wouldn't have picked him this time, I probably would have picked Best.

But maybe it suggests that Kidney is looking at Strauss as a starter? Best can't be guaranteed a starting spot, but Heaslip can. No problems with it really.

I wouldn't have Sexton as captain, for reasons already mentioned. I wouldn't have Ryan, don't think he's ever captained Munster yet, definitely wouldn't have Kearney. Heaslip is a logical choice (obviously there's BOD but I suppose we have to prepare for life without him at some stage)

thomond2006

Eight weeks would be harsh in the context of other bans handed out alright.

totallegend

thomond2006 wrote: »

Eight weeks would be harsh in the context of other bans handed out alright.

Google "O'gara suspension" and one of the first hits is "O'Gara accepts eight-week ban"

... except it's talking about Dublin footballer Eoghan O'Gara.

clsmooth

There's no way the would give him 8 weeks for that maybe 2 I reckon

CIARAN_BOYLE

They can have results up for Guillemain and Estebanez but we are still waiting for word on ROG

Are there any others that we are still waiting on

Quint2010

It's official-The Irish Independent are THE newspaper of Munster rugby..

http://www.balls.ie/rugby/the-indo-make-it-official-theyre-the-official-paper-of-munster-rugby/?utm_campaign=twitter&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitter#sthash.fG8ryl00.dpbs

Lelantos

Rog gets 1 week say Munster rugby

Clegg

So we'll have to suffer through ROG for another 6 Nations.

Lovely.

TheGoldenAges

GerM wrote: »

I love it when a plan comes together.

Declan Kidney?

enda1

Yeah 1 week.

http://www.thescore.ie/ronan-ogara-cited-758310-Jan2013/

Grimebox

One week for ROG. I love the picture they went with it. Makes him look like a dodgy gangster who got away with murder

heybaby

Cant say I agree at all with the latest madcap idea from Kidney regarding removing the captaincy from the greatest Irish rugby player ever.

Nobody deserves the captaincy by right, but where in the absence of POC , no other top quality alternative exists then BOD by virtue of his pedigree and experience as a player and as a longstanding captain should be the automatic choice.

But we have to remember we are talking about Kidney, a man who for me, who should have been fired 2 years ago and has overseen a dramatic decline in this golden generation culminating with the most humiliating defeat in our rugby history to the all blacks last year.

I was heartened to see that one of the questions at todays squad announcement was prefaced by the suggestion that this was probably Kidney's last squad announcement ,lets hope it is so. Kidney's disrespectful treatment of one of the finest players ever to grace the game is the typical approach of out of touch of a coach who's best days are long gone.

Podge_irl

I want Kidney gone as much as the next person (possibly more!) but complaining about a forward looking choice of captaincy is an odd stick to beat him with.

ROG aside there is nothing to complain about in that absurdly large squad. His match day 22 (23?) will be the relevant criteria to judge him on.

Fireball07

Think that's a bit harsh... I think most people recognise that Kidney has underachieved and probably should go but I don't think he's disrespecting BOD here, and it's not a reason to sack him (unless Heaslip turns out to be an absolutely terrible captain).


BOD is not Leinster's captain, should Schmidt be fired for disrespecting BOD? Very unfair imo.

ed7890

Thought Keatley might have made it. I think he's been doing very good this season, and more consistent then last year. Plus he's the top kicker in the Pro12. I suppose ROG being picked over him for big games is affecting his chance. Hopefully he'll do well at the weekend and the management will keep him as the starting 10.

Dont mind heaslip being captain, but i wonder why Best didn't get it. Maybe Best's position on the team is not as secure as it used to be, now that Strauss is involved.

P.Walnuts

Does anyone record the decision calls into question BOD's automatic starting position?

Genuine question here, but when was BOD's last top class performance in an Ireland shirt? And I mean complete performance, not just defence.

justsomebloke

Yes it is questioning whether he is a guaranteed starter but only in relation to injury. I would be massively surprised if we got a full 6 nations out of him

enda1

heybaby wrote: »

Cant say I agree at all with the latest madcap idea from Kidney regarding removing the captaincy from the greatest Irish rugby player ever.

Nobody deserves the captaincy by right, but where in the absence of POC , no other top quality alternative exists then BOD by virtue of his pedigree and experience as a player and as a longstanding captain should be the automatic choice.

But we have to remember we are talking about Kidney, a man who for me, who should have been fired 2 years ago and has overseen a dramatic decline in this golden generation culminating with the most humiliating defeat in our rugby history to the all blacks last year.

I was heartened to see that one of the questions at todays squad announcement was prefaced by the suggestion that this was probably Kidney's last squad announcement ,lets hope it is so. Kidney's disrespectful treatment of one of the finest players ever to grace the game is the typical approach of out of touch of a coach who's best days are long gone.

No man's bigger than a team.
I think it was the right team decision looking forward to the RWC.
And this comes from a Leinster man (if that matters).

totallegend

Fireball07 wrote: »

Think that's a bit harsh... I think most people recognise that Kidney has underachieved and probably should go but I don't think he's disrespecting BOD here, and it's not a reason to sack him (unless Heaslip turns out to be an absolutely terrible captain).


BOD is not Leinster's captain, should Schmidt be fired for disrespecting BOD? Very unfair imo.

I know it's not the point but BOD lost the Leinster captaincy long before Schmidt arrived.

Of all the reasons to sack Kidney, and there are many, this is fairly low on the list.

jk86

What's the length of Heaslip's contract? I wonder if the captaincy will keep him away from France next negotiation time

Fireball07

totallegend wrote: »

I know it's not the point but BOD lost the Leinster captaincy long before Schmidt arrived.

Of all the reasons to sack Kidney, and there are many, this is fairly low on the list.

Fair enough


but yeah, I wouldn't say this is even on the list of reasons to sack Kidney.

P.Walnuts

P.Walnuts wrote: »

Does anyone record the decision calls into question BOD's automatic starting position?

Genuine question here, but when was BOD's last top class performance in an Ireland shirt? And I mean complete performance, not just defence.

scary question, and I'd like nobody to answer!

TheGoldenAges

Fireball07 wrote: »

Fair enough


but yeah, I wouldn't say this is even on the list of reasons to sack Kidney.

Well considering the list is so long already :pac:

ScissorPaperRock

Some interviews with the coaching staff here.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/player/#!/clip/816/

Banbridgeman2

Kace Young Killer wrote: »

scary question, and I'd like nobody to answer!

True but he's still the best option at 13. Cave might be but it's not certain. Earls clearly isn't though.

Almaviva

Teferi wrote: »

I have to be honest lads - the last thing I thought we would be arguing about today was Heaslip as captain.

Sounds like the last thing BOD though as well.

Probably merits starting the BOD career obit thread, even if it will probably drag on painfully for a few years.
Just feels like the end of an era.

Almaviva

Teferi wrote: »

Now that BOD is out of the captaincy will Kidney begin benching/leaving him out altogether for Earls? What do people reckon?

Its just not fitting to start doing that kind of thing to such Great. A solution to this issue must be found or the Legend of BOD will start to tarnish before the story is even finished.

Post Lions (tourist no test I'm guessing) retirement from the international scene being pondered by his Greatness ?

Fishooks13

Banbridgeman2 wrote: »

True but he's still the best option at 13. Cave might be but it's not certain. Earls clearly isn't though.

Earls does a perfectly functional job at 13. Cave might do it better, and he should get a chance. But Earls is fine cover for BOD

Suasdaguna1

Quint2010 wrote: »

It's official-The Irish Independent are THE newspaper of Munster rugby..

http://www.balls.ie/rugby/the-indo-make-it-official-theyre-the-official-paper-of-munster-rugby/?utm_campaign=twitter&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitter#sthash.fG8ryl00.dpbs

Vomit

Higher

Fishooks13 wrote: »

Earls does a perfectly functional job at 13. Cave might do it better, and he should get a chance. But Earls is fine cover for BOD

Earls is defensively suspect. Last week case in point. Responsible for the first try and definitely played a role in the second try by not bringing down the player a lot sooner. And that was against Edinburgh :eek:

Also has a habit of throwing passes into touch for some reason!?

Quint2010

Apparently Shaggy has ripped into Kidney on OTB..:eek: