Ireland Team Talk XII: Farrell's First Fifteen

Oh ****, you don’t have anything to say back to that lol. Have a good one.

Ball in hand isn’t just passing. Kleyn is the find a player and run hard at him type lock. He doesn’t use footwork and he doesn’t cause any confusion for defenses. Good for making hard yards in traffic I guess but not for quick recycles.

I totally agree with this. I’ve never rated him.

The questions about Kleyn that make this different to me is that we are losing someone on a very shallow depth chart when almost every other irish depth chart (except loosehead maybe) is quite deep. This seems like an obvious mistake just from that pov.

I'm surprised that the conversation about this is dominating conversation on the Ireland thread. I expected to see a couple of dozen posts on the Munster thread worried about whether he would get another Munster contract after his contract expires in 23/24. Snyman and Kleyn having expiring contracts at the same time and the IRFU administration could create problems.

As to the topic under discussion in thread (the selection of Kleyn for Ireland) I feel that Kleyn is better than 2 of the locks who made the extended Ireland training squad. He is better than Joe McCarthy (who I feel isn't in with a hope of the RWC and is just for the future) and he is certainly more consistent that Treadwell (who can have an amazing day and can disappear on other days).

The RWC squad will be Beirne Ryan and Henderson with Baird as a utility player covering lock and backrow.

I do feel that Kleyn missed out on a number of 50/50 calls for making the Ireland squad at different times over the years he probably made the decision to accept the Springboks call before this training squad happened.

I also feel that he fits the South African style of lock play more than he does the Irish one. We don't have the same desire for a massive tight head lock (James Ryan usually plays tight head lock for Ireland while he plays loosehead lock for Leinster usually). That says something about our preferences.

I initially posted it on the Munster thread in an effort to avoid a sh1t storm but then someone posted it here and WUMs took over.

I'll repeat for those down the back with their hands over their ears, I think Kleyn & Haley are unlucky not to be in this squad or in previous squads but I am in no way sh1tting all over the Irish squad or management in holding that view. For posters to think that not to mind post it an effort to get a rise says more about them then they think.

Just my opinion.

No it's not but to say it you'll be accused of sh1tting all over the thread/team/coaches or whatever takes their fancy at the time.

Mister Munster mod, please attack the post, not the poster.

Cunning innuendo of my previous post about play makers. I stand by them.

Want to insulst my love of Irish rugby/ rugby any more?