Ireland V Samoa team announcement and build up thread.

bilston

Tox56 wrote: »

Hmm, original rumours were Healy + Fitzpatrick, Ross starts but so does Jack McGrath. I think I prefer this in the sense that Fitzpatrick is not young and is injury ridden anyway, McGrath is more looking towards the future. Not sure if he's ready for this test but I can't believe they would send him out there if they didn't trust him

Well on one hand yes but on the other hand they are two different positions so we need to get both McGrath and Fitzpatrick out there, but you know I have a feeling that very few players are going to start all three games.

Spud83

shuffol wrote: »

Are the media required at these things to field really soft questions or is it that they're very Leinster centred. Surely Marshalls omission deserved at least a mention.

Not surprising if they want to keep some of the harder questions off the broadcast so they can be put in the papers for later / tomorrow. There job is to get stories for their papers.

OldRio

shuffol wrote: »

Are the media required at these things to field really soft questions or is it that they're very Leinster centred.

83 posts in and it begins

Buer

awec wrote: »

McGrath showing his inexperience being interviewed.

How does it feel Jack?

Yea, it's a great honour for me and my family.

*awkward silence as the room awaits the rest of his answer*

Don't journalists know that props only have a lexicon of 200 words?

"Prop happy go Ireland team. Prop smash. Prop scrum. Prop no want egg".

bilston

awec wrote: »

"Chris Henry is a pest at the breakdown who is hard to get rid of"

It's good to see Henry's abilities finally being noticed.

I was saying earlier in the week that Leinster always namechecked him in the build up to Ulster Leinster games, I think he's a player that Joe rates and he could do well under Schmidt...obviously there is the small matter of the best O/S in Europe being ahead of him...but it would give Ireland the option to move SOB around if needs be from time to time.

Clegg

Absolutely delighted for Jack Mc Grath. He has been brilliant over the last 18 months and thoroughly deserves his start.

In have to disagree with the above comment on Chris Henry though. He's a good player, but when SOB is ready to play he'll be straight in to the team with Henry dropping to the bench. O'Brien is the best 7 in Europe atm and that's where he should play.

launish116

no marshall or touhy,

can understand for some experience outside jackson but regular playing with marshall should of been an advantage

molloyjh

OldRio wrote: »

83 posts in and it begins

He's questioning the media though. So far everything about the actual team itself has been, well, reasonable. I could get used to this.

Rightwing

I'd have thought Ulster would have more starters.

Tox56

bilston wrote: »

Well on one hand yes but on the other hand they are two different positions so we need to get both McGrath and Fitzpatrick out there, but you know I have a feeling that very few players are going to start all three games.

They were probably thinking it's a big gamble to start both, if you're going to start one pair them with a more solid experienced international in Healy/Ross.

I suppose it's hard to say whether at this stage Fitzpatrick is a gamble but he does only have the 5 international caps, so although he did well when selected he is largely an unknown at this level. I'm not certain really whether McGrath is up to this test, presumably they were happy with what they've seen in training so I'll trust their judgement

its_phil

Swiwi. wrote: »

Seriously? More 2 fingers given to Samoa. I understand the need for rest but leaving Sexton POC Healy & SOB out of the starting XV is not showing the Pacific team that much respect. I guess if Ireland win handily enough it will be justified. IT (GT) >> Indo for the guess this morning.

Sexton, POC and SOB have completed shag all training sessions this week. If you can't recognise that is a very good team, well that's a massive pity. That team is definitely not disrespectful.

bilston

shuffol wrote: »

Are the media required at these things to field really soft questions or is it that they're very Leinster centred. Surely Marshalls omission deserved at least a mention.

Not trying to make a rugby political point but the truth is if an Ulster player misses out it is less likely to rise the interest of the southern based media. You might find a few questions on Marshall from BBC NI and UTV later in the day.

I hope Marshall gets a start against Australia but as I said yesterday with Jackson starting at 10 having the most experienced midfield in world rugby outside of him is no bad thing.

I still want to see a Sexton/Marshall/BOD midfield at some stage though, preferably next week.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

Rightwing wrote: »

I'd have thought Ulster would have more starters.

Didn't you also think the IRFU "probably" made Schmidt pick Heaslip as captain

Looks like you thought wrong

Jaggo

I bet we will see a healy/Fitzpatrick combination against Aus. Allows Fitzpatrick time to bed in to the international set up.

And it will be Sexton/Marshall too.

its_phil

awec wrote: »

McGrath showing his inexperience being interviewed.

How does it feel Jack?

Yea, it's a great honour for me and my family.

*awkward silence as the room awaits the rest of his answer*

Jack McGrath's answer reminds me of someone...


A former coach in a big big disguise???

.ak

Swiwi. wrote: »

Seriously? More 2 fingers given to Samoa. I understand the need for rest but leaving Sexton POC Healy & SOB out of the starting XV is not showing the Pacific team that much respect. I guess if Ireland win handily enough it will be justified. IT (GT) >> Indo for the guess this morning.

Aside from all the reasons the other posters gave (i.e; training and injuries), Joe has a habbit of keeping 'the best till last' in physical games. Let McGrath, McCarthy and Henry do all the arm wrestling, and when Somoa start to look a little tired you've got a load of lions to release onto them and blitz them. Classic Schmidt. Massive leap of faith given to the starting guys - but that's what a good team is all about, faith in the guys to do a job.

thebaz

weak selection , particularly at 10 , think we might now lose this game

ps I'm a massive Schmidt fan , but think hes got some key selections wrong , and underestimated Samoa , particularly at 10

jamiedav2011

Delighted for Jack McGrath, hope he has a big game. Johstone will be a big test.

Tox56

One small thing I've noticed flicking through the training pictures this week is that the whole squad seems to be switching around, there is no set "first team" that trains against the reserves, there's nobody on the outside looking in. Maybe it's temporary while everyone gets comfortable with each other but it's a very interesting approach (presuming I'm not imagining this). It also possibly explains why none of the journalists were able to pick the team correctly

Under Kidney you simply saw the team based on who was wearing bibs and who wasn't (I'm not saying this is a terrible thing in itself), but here even on Thursday before the game I wouldn't be able to call the team looking at these pics: http://www.sportsfile.com/more-images/1311315/

As said above it's hard to see many players in the squad starting all 3 games

bilston

thebaz wrote: »

weak selection , particularly at 10 , think we might now lose this game

ps I'm a massive Schmidt fan , but think hes got some key selections wrong , and underestimated Samoa , particularly at 10

Care to elaborate? If Sexton isn't fit and Madigan hasn't been playing very much who else would you have had at 10?

jamiedav2011

thebaz wrote: »

weak selection , particularly at 10 , think we might now lose this game

ps I'm a massive Schmidt fan , but think hes got some key selections wrong , and underestimated Samoa , particularly at 10

By picking the most in form 10 available to him is it?

Jaysus.

Teferi

thebaz wrote: »

weak selection , particularly at 10 , think we might now lose this game

ps I'm a massive Schmidt fan , but think hes got some key selections wrong , and underestimated Samoa , particularly at 10

Who would you have at 10 and what selections are weak?

niallerm

bilston wrote: »

Care to elaborate? If Sexton isn't fit and Madigan hasn't been playing very much who else would you have had at 10?

RADGE

Neil3030

Will the presser be online anywhere later?

Awesomeness

Good selection but the really exciting bit is gonna be at the weekend going out and seeing this team employ a gameplan and hopefully play a style of rugby that we have not seen in a green shirt in a while

.ak

Rightwing wrote: »

I'd have thought Ulster would have more starters.

TBH I think there's a couple who will work their way into the squad. Marshall being the obvious one. But depending how the locks go Touhy may offer more impact coming off the bench.

Don't know who else deserves a start tbh. Gilroy is injured, Ross is always the better option than Fitzpatrick.

thebaz

bilston wrote: »

Care to elaborate? If Sexton isn't fit and Madigan hasn't been playing very much who else would you have had at 10?

I didnt realise Sexton was unfit , but i would have gone with Madigan in any case , Jackson has never shone on the international stage for me .

Regarding other selections , I rate Samoa very highly , and think we need to be at our bet to win - so would have SOB, POC and Healy on from the start - lose the game , and the new era falls flat.

awec

thebaz wrote: »

I didnt realise Sexton was unfit , but i would have gone with Madigan in any case , Jackson has never shone on the international stage for me .

Regarding other selections , I rate Samoa very highly , and think we need to be at our bet to win - so would have SOB, POC and Healy on from the start - lose the game , and the new era falls flat.

He has only played a few times. Played good against Scotland and France, people just can't look past the poor kicking against Scotland.

Madigan can barely get a game for Leinster at 10 this season, and when he does he has been poor.

Ugo Monye spacecraft experience

thebaz wrote: »

I didnt realise Sexton was unfit , but i would have gone with Madigan in any case , Jackson has never shone on the international stage for me .

Regarding other selections , I rate Samoa very highly , and think we need to be at our bet to win - so would have SOB, POC and Healy on from the start - lose the game , and the new era falls flat.

He has only played 3 tests for Ireland. He also has a lot more gametime and is playing better than Madigan this season

On your other issues, SOB, POC and Healy are all recently back from injury. Starting them when they're not 100% match fit with two more games in two weeks would be stupid

molloyjh

thebaz wrote: »

I didnt realise Sexton was unfit , but i would have gone with Madigan in any case , Jackson has never shone on the international stage for me .

Regarding other selections , I rate Samoa very highly , and think we need to be at our bet to win - so would have SOB, POC and Healy on from the start - lose the game , and the new era falls flat.

Most here rate Samoa highly too. But Jackson has had limited time in the green jersey and in that time I think he's done well. The only question marks are over his kicks from the tee. And it's not impossible to think that either (a) he'll be grand in that department on Saturday or (b) someone else, like say Ferg, might take the responsibility for them. Either way Jackson has shown more than Madigan this season and Joe did also mention about Madigans impact off the bench. Based on that I wouldn't be too shocked to see Sexton start against Oz with Mads on the bench there as well.

As for POC & SOB they are both coming back off injury and don't have a full 80 in them. So instead of starting them and replacing them in the final 20 he's going to bring them on for major impact against a tiring Samoan pack. That's pretty good use of resources I reckon.