Irish Team vs Namibia

kevmy · 06-09-2007 11:59am #1

Irish team as reported by the Beeb

Ireland: G Dempsey: A Trimble, B O'Driscoll, capt, G D'Arcy, D Hickie; R O'Gara, P Stringer; M Horan, R Best, J Hayes, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell, S Easterby, D Leamy, D Wallace.
Replacements: J Flannery, N Best, M O'Kelly, S Best, I Boss, P Wallace, G Murphy.

Essentially the full-strength team, except for Horgan who won't return from injury till the Georgia match.

Probably a good idea to play this team. If the Italy game is anything to go by they need another run out together. Also more likely to pick up injuries in the Georgia game.

JC 2K3 · 06-09-2007 12:03pm

O'Driscoll is playing?

GreenHell · 06-09-2007 12:09pm

Disappointed we are not playing a few more of the inexperienced guys aren't namibia. Strong team, probably our starting 15 minus horgan

Spud83 · 06-09-2007 12:10pm

Confirmed on rugby.ie

15 - Girvan Dempsey - Terenure College/Leinster
14 - Andrew Trimble - Ballymena/Ulster
13 - Brian O'Driscoll Captain - UCD/Leinster
12 - Gordon D'Arcy - Lansdowne/Leinster
11 - Denis Hickie - St Mary's College/Leinster
10 - Ronan O'Gara - Cork Constitution/Munster
9 - Peter Stringer - Shannon/Munster
1 - Marcus Horan - Shannon/Munster
2 - Rory Best - Belfast Harlequins/Ulster
3 - John Hayes - Shannon/Munster
4 - Donncha O'Callaghan - Cork Constitution/Munster
5 - Paul O'Connell - Young Munster/Munster
6 - Simon Easterby - Llaneli
7 - David Wallace - Garryowen/Munster
8 - Denis Leamy - Cork Constitution/Munster

Regards O'Driscoll.

Eddie O'Sullivan said: "Brian has recovered well after his injury and was keen to get as many games under his belt from the start of the tournament, so it is a great boost for us to have him back and in the team.

O'Driscoll said: "I am delighted to get myself back on the field, especially to lead the team out in the first game in the tournament. The injury has healed very well over the last number of weeks and right on schedule, so myself and the rest of the squad can concentrate on this weekends game."

Slow Motion · 06-09-2007 12:16pm

Hopefully they'll forget about the last performance and play the complete blinder they are capable of, they need to set their stall out from the word go !

kevmy · 06-09-2007 12:21pm

Yeah I think the first team needs a good game under there belt and he can't really play the full team against Georgia as it's too close to the French game.

Great to see O'Driscoll and Wallace back.

NotWormBoy · 06-09-2007 12:24pm

Wonder why Murphy wasn't given a berth on the wing, he's more than capable of it... and its not as if he hasn't been in form.

Still, Trimble will do.

smok · 06-09-2007 12:37pm

One back to cover 5 spots is not good enough I think. It means that Murphy wont even be on the bench when we play france and argies.
Should be allowed to have the remainder of the squad on the bench during a word cup like soccer

Sangre · 06-09-2007 1:28pm

Boss, Murphy and Wallace can all play more than one position.

remus808 · 06-09-2007 1:47pm

Good squad- and good to see Wallace back. However Murphy should really be on the wing ahead of Trimble! Would like to see the bench emptied @ ~60minutes

daveirl · 06-09-2007 2:03pm

This post has been deleted.

smok · 06-09-2007 2:45pm

Sangre wrote:

Boss, Murphy and Wallace can all play more than one position.

Murphy can play in two positions. Wallace playing as Center??? gimme a break - and Boss plays where?
He is barely good enough as cover at scrum half!

BOHSBOHS · 06-09-2007 2:52pm

boss : Scrumhalf or fullback (he played there in the super14)
wallace IS A CENTRE but sometimes play outhalf
murphy: wing or fullback

marco_polo · 06-09-2007 2:52pm

smok wrote:

Murphy can play in two positions. Wallace playing as Center??? gimme a break - and Boss plays where?
He is barely good enough as cover at scrum half!

Eh Wallace plays most of his rugby at Center for Ulster? Boss has played at full back before in NZ and could concievably cover the wing in an emergency.

JuliusFranco · 06-09-2007 3:19pm

pretty sure I've seen David Wallace play centre too!

smok · 06-09-2007 3:24pm

BOHSBOHS wrote:

boss : Scrumhalf or fullback (he played there in the super14)
wallace IS A CENTRE but sometimes play outhalf
murphy: wing or fullback

Well lets be frank about it - he isnt on the bench as cover for Center is he?
he is on the bench as cover for outhalf, and as a fudge cover of center.
if he wasnt reserve out half would he even be in the squad?

marco_polo · 06-09-2007 4:00pm

smok wrote:

One back to cover 5 spots is not good enough I think. It means that Murphy wont even be on the bench when we play france and argies.
Should be allowed to have the remainder of the squad on the bench during a word cup like soccer

Have you even watched much rugby before? We need to have cover on the bench for the following positions - hooker, tighthead, lock, backrow, scrum half and outhalf. Leaving one slot on the bench for an outside back.

At a stretch you could get away without a specialist lock if you really wanted an extra back on the bench (Who exactly have you in mind btw?). However between them Boss, Wallace and Murphy are versatile enough to cover all combinations of if needed.

smok wrote:

Well lets be frank about it - he isnt on the bench as cover for Center is he?
he is on the bench as cover for outhalf, and as a fudge cover of center.
if he wasnt reserve out half would he even be in the squad?

Not even sure what you are complaining about now, the number of subs allowed, or the squad selection or is it just for the sake of it? Well Wallace is outhalf cover like it or not but probably would have gone ahead of Duffy as the utillity back regardless.

Most likely the center cover is on the pitch already in Trimble. If BOD or D'arce get taken off he will switch inside with Murphy coming on.

Linford · 06-09-2007 4:05pm

marco_polo wrote:

Most likely the center cover is on the pitch already in Trimble. If BOD or D'arce get taken off he will switch inside with Murphy coming on.

Not most likely, definitely...

smok · 06-09-2007 4:30pm

marco_polo wrote:

Have you even watched much rugby before? We need to have cover on the bench for the following positions - hooker, tighthead, lock, backrow, scrum half and outhalf. Leaving one slot on the bench for an outside back.

At a stretch you could get away without a specialist lock if you really wanted an extra back on the bench (Who exactly have you in mind btw?). However between them Boss, Wallace and Murphy are versatile enough to cover all combinations of if needed.

Not even sure what you are complaining about now, the number of subs allowed, or the squad selection or is it just for the sake of it? Well Wallace is outhalf cover like it or not but probably would have gone ahead of Duffy as the utillity back regardless.

Most likely the center cover is on the pitch already in Trimble. If BOD or D'arce get taken off he will switch inside with Murphy coming on.

Im complaining about plenty my friend - thats for sure.
I completely understand the need for such cover, but I feel Ireland have for quite a while been lacking impact subs.
To me there is little that can be done to change a game from the bench, Murphy aside .... but the kicker is that when Horgan returns Trimble returns to the bench and Murphy doesnt make the squad. It happened in the six nations and will happen again. EOS seems to pick replacements soley as cover from injuries but Id like to see just a little more risk risk from that point of view.

My second cause for complaint is the rules around the replacement setup at this world cup. Its a lot of games in a short space of time for such a physical sport. Why not allow a replacement bench from the entire squad?

marco_polo · 06-09-2007 4:59pm

smok wrote:

Im complaining about plenty my friend - thats for sure.
I completely understand the need for such cover, but I feel Ireland have for quite a while been lacking impact subs.
To me there is little that can be done to change a game from the bench, Murphy aside .... but the kicker is that when Horgan returns Trimble returns to the bench and Murphy doesnt make the squad. It happened in the six nations and will happen again. EOS seems to pick replacements soley as cover from injuries but Id like to see just a little more risk risk from that point of view.

My second cause for complaint is the rules around the replacement setup at this world cup. Its a lot of games in a short space of time for such a physical sport. Why not allow a replacement bench from the entire squad?

We will hardly need the impact subs for Namiba though

. Seriously though ideally the entire squad would be on the bench but the rules are the same for everyone I suppose and in any case that would benefit the stronger nations such as the All Blacks moreso than Ireland.

To enable both Trimble and Murphy to be on the bench there are only two possible way that I could see this happening.

1) Use Murphy as the cover for OH, which I would not like to see at all, because of his limited experience there and also because his place kicking is not up to the same standard as Wallaces.

2) To drop MOK and use quinlan as cover for both lock and backrow, this is far from ideal when facing big abrasive packs such as Argentian and France. It is not inconcievable that we could lose a lock and a backrow in the same game and then we would be rightly screwed. Such a scenario would be far more serious than not having an extra back as an impact sub.

Given then that it is a straight choice between Murphy and Trimble as the outside back cover I have little preference over which EOS would select on the bench tbh. (I don't think trimble is nescessarly the shoe-in you think he is)

jameshayes · 06-09-2007 5:04pm

I think it's the best squad we could have put out.. I also believe that we could use Boss as an impact sub. He's young, energetic and is not afraid to make a run or two.. most of them come to nothing but every once and a while they should pay off.. I think he will do well when he comes on..

smok · 06-09-2007 5:28pm

marco_polo wrote:

We will hardly need the impact subs for Namiba though . Seriously though ideally the entire squad would be on the bench but the rules are the same for everyone I suppose and in any case that would benefit the stronger nations such as the All Blacks moreso than Ireland.

To enable both Trimble and Murphy to be on the bench there are only two possible way that I could see this happening.

1) Use Murphy as the cover for OH, which I would not like to see at all, because of his limited experience there and also because his place kicking is not up to the same standard as Wallaces.

2) To drop MOK and use quinlan as cover for both lock and backrow, this is far from ideal when facing big abrasive packs such as Argentian and France. It is not inconcievable that we could lose a lock and a backrow in the same game and then we would be rightly screwed. Such a scenario would be far more serious than not having an extra back as an impact sub.

Given then that it is a straight choice between Murphy and Trimble as the outside back cover I have little preference over which EOS would select on the bench tbh. (I don't think trimble is nescessarly the shoe-in you think he is)

I suppose you could also let Flannery start and use Rory Best as cover for prop and hooker?
also didnt Simon BEst come on as hooker against SA?

marco_polo · 06-09-2007 5:35pm

smok wrote:

I suppose you could also let Flannery start and use Rory Best as cover for prop and hooker?
also didnt Simon BEst come on as hooker against SA?

As far as I know the rules require that you have at least one specialist prop on the bench. Was at the SA game myself but can't remember the subs that were made but surely it must have been Rory that came on?

Irish Team vs Namibia

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