Team for Italian game

lazystudent · 31-01-2006 12:58pm #1

15. Geordan Murphy (Leicester) 34

14. Shane Horgan (Lansdowne / Leinster) 40

13. Brian O'Driscoll (C) (Blackrock College / Leinster) 59

12. Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne / Leinster) 15

11. Tommy Bowe (Belfast Harlequins / Ulster) 6

10. Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution / Munster) 55

9. Peter Stringer (Shannon / Munster) 61

1. Marcus Horan (Shannon / Munster) 33

2. Jerry Flannery (Shannon / Munster) 1

3. John Hayes (Bruff/ Munster) 57

4. Malcolm O'Kelly (St. Mary's College / Leinster) 75

5. Paul O'Connell (Young Munster / Munster) 29

6. Simon Easterby (Llanelli Scarlets) 44

7. David Wallace (Garryowen / Munster) 22

8. Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution / Munster) 6

Replacements:

16. Rory Best (Belfast Harlequins / Ulster) 2

17. Simon Best (Belfast Harlequins / Ulster) 10

18. Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution / Munster) 19

19. Johnny O'Connor (Wasps) 10

20. Eoin Reddan (Wasps) 0

21. David Humphreys (Dungannon / Ulster) 72

22. Andrew Trimble (Ballymena / Ulster) 2

Nukem · 31-01-2006 1:12pm

Ya im happy with that team

Teg Veece · 31-01-2006 1:27pm

Wallace made the team! About time. I'd prefer to see Donnacha O'Callaghan instead of MOD to give a bit more fire to the pack and maybe put Trimble in D'Arcy's place and move D'Arcy to fullback and Murphy out to Bowe's wing but overall I'm happy with the selection.

Now, lets hope the gameplan has been improved..

aido123 · 31-01-2006 1:32pm

to say i am happy with wallace selection would be an under statement! About bloody time. Best number 7 in europe at the moment.

I think MOK and DOC was always 50/50 great situation to be in. One is no better or worse than the other. If MOK cant hack the pace of italtions then DOC would be a great man to come in.

Bowe my only doubt. Would have played trimble there.

Other than that a steady-eddie selection. My god is he the most boring team selector in the world? When was the last time we were shocked by a championship selection?

youcancallmeal · 31-01-2006 1:59pm

Yep a pretty standard affair, no big changes. The flanker spots are well contested so theres no big surprise in wallace starting. Would of like to have seen Reddan start but his inexperience at international is probably why.

lazystudent · 31-01-2006 2:20pm

It's not a bad team at all but I have my doubts about Bowe. However, the big question is if the game plan will utilise the attacking talents that the backline has to offer. And if any game of the campaign is the one to experiment in then surely this is it . After the debacle of the AI's EOS had better start getting inventive.

rugbug86 · 31-01-2006 2:27pm

i think its a decent squad - the best available to him anyway. but i'd pick a different team. as much as i love MOK, i think DOC would work better, against the italians anyway. and i think trimble should be in for bowe, maybe a bit of a re-shuffle in the backs.

but eddie could surprise us all and have an unbelievable game plan under his hat... alls i know is that i cant wait to see them out there on saturday! south terrace anyone?

youcancallmeal · 31-01-2006 2:31pm

Wait a minute who is replacement no.8
DOC, Johnny O Connor?

lazystudent · 31-01-2006 2:41pm

well given that we don't have an actual numer eight in the starting line up (leamy is a blindside) I don't believe there is one. Not that that seems to matter as both Wallace and Leamy can carry ball all day (particularly Wallace) but if Leamy gets injured I suppose they'll stick O'Connor at 7 and switch Wallce to 8 and vice versa

ruck-it · 31-01-2006 2:41pm

youcancallme>al wrote:

Wait a minute who is replacement no.8
DOC, Johnny O Connor?

Wallace or Easterby, there's nothing to stop putting JOC in 7 and realigning the Backrow.

Like the team but I don't think MOK should be there, I don't think he's played that well recently to disrupt the Munster tight five, that being said, DOC has only had 2 good games this season.

Other than that I don't think it makes a difference what team is picked, if they are made play conservative rugby it'll be ****e no matter what 15 is on the field.

RuggieBear · 31-01-2006 3:10pm

TBH, i don't really see the point of having joc on the bench....it's not like he will make a major impact being sprung from the sidelines.

Personally i'd have leamy wallace, heaslip...now there's a ball carrying backrow.

Crash · 31-01-2006 3:12pm

My only issue with that would've been that i'd prefer to see trimble starting instead of bowe - i think he's the superior player.

rugbug86 · 31-01-2006 3:12pm

yeah, i was surprised not to see heaslip in the squad given his recent form

lazystudent · 31-01-2006 3:14pm

Hear hear Ruggie bear. But its EOS in charge so Heaslip will be a great bet for selction come the 2011 World Cup

shmaido · 31-01-2006 3:16pm

Can I ask what is EOC's obsession with Tommy Bowe?Even before the AI's he didn't really impress me, its really starting to annoy me because EOC always says he chooses players on their form and I can list at least 4 or 5 players in his position who I'd say are on better form including Ian Dowling who is having a stormer down in munster.

aido123 · 31-01-2006 3:17pm

RuggieBear wrote:

TBH, i don't really see the point of having joc on the bench....it's not like he will make a major impact being sprung from the sidelines.

Personally i'd have leamy wallace, heaslip...now there's a ball carrying backrow.

RuggieBear are you perhaps from leinster? The reason i say this is because Heaslip IMHO is not worthy of a place in the top 22. I think he is a decent player and a good ball carrier but i doubt his international ability just yet.

O'Connor is there so he can cover at 7. He also acts as cover for 8, if leamy gets injured wallace will go to 8 and JOC to 7

RuggieBear · 31-01-2006 3:19pm

it's not bias. tell me a better no 8 in the country than heaslip at the moment?

lazystudent · 31-01-2006 3:26pm

Ruggiebear you're just trying to provoke the Munster fans into making cases for Foley's selection. And Heaslip is more than just a good player, he has been outstanding for Leinster this season and is actually a number eight. As for his international ability he will never get the chance to prove it if he never gets picked.

RuggieBear · 31-01-2006 3:26pm

lazystudent wrote:

As for his international ability he will never get the chance to prove it if he never gets picked.

And therein lies the rub...:(

Sangre · 31-01-2006 3:31pm

Think Trimble is the better player than Bowe but I guess Eddie doesn't want to mix up the backline positions with the first 6 nations match.

Hopefully Trimble will come on as an impact sub for wing to see how he fairs.
Think I would have gone with MOK to start with aswell as DOC will make a great and much needed fresh pair of legs as a sub.

Crash · 31-01-2006 3:39pm

The subs bench is pretty good if its properly used - O'Callaghan, Humphreys and Trimble i can see making hella good impact subs.

still would've preferred a switch between bowe and trimble though.

Hippo · 31-01-2006 4:31pm

Team's ok, though maybe DOC for MOK would have been better. It's all over to EOS now, unfortunately.

btw, Heaslip should get his chance in time for the 1916 centenary celebration international.

colster · 31-01-2006 4:41pm

The teams pretty good.
I think it's right to have Trimble on the bench. He'll definitely sub in for O'Driscoll during the game. Remember O'Driscoll is only getting back to full match fitness.

lazystudent · 31-01-2006 4:50pm

I think the big issue is not team selection but the approach and the game plan. Will EOS allow the players free rein to use their skills or will it be boot to ball stuff. The image of Geordan Murphy in the game against Wales kicking posession away in acres of space keeps coming back to haunt me. I really hope the game plan is to spin it wide and release the runners we have. With ball carriers like Wallace and Leamy able to get us over the gainline we should be able to launch attacks. I say 'should' advisedly of course. This is all pretty obvious but the coaching staff seem to be terrified to take chance with out style of play

Hippo · 31-01-2006 4:53pm

Nail on the head, lazy. We can but hope he has learned something. Beware though his definition of a break-even season, ie winning the home matches; it doesn't smack of a exciting approach.....

pred racer · 31-01-2006 7:43pm

I agree with most of the comments DOC vs MOC etc but the game plan is going to have to start out conservative, we are going to have to out muscle the italians first before we unleash the boys behind. and thats not easy.
The only way Ill be happy is if we dominate this match completly, not just running in a few tries when the italians get tired!
Leinster have shown that IF THERE IS SPACE they can score easy, Munster have shown that if you dominate up front even a mediocre back line can look good, so if we play correctly and to our potential I can see us scaring the Sh*t outta the rest of the rugby playing world on sat, or we can look lifeless and one dimensional like last year and win nothing.

This has the potential to be the best Six nations for years!

daveirl · 31-01-2006 10:22pm

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RuggieBear · 31-01-2006 10:26pm

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

i quite like that back row too

daveirl · 31-01-2006 10:35pm

This post has been deleted.

Sangre · 31-01-2006 11:00pm

Someone told me Gleeson retired from international rugby

RuggieBear · 31-01-2006 11:03pm

Sangre wrote:

Someone told me Gleeson retired from international rugby

That's news to me

Teg Veece · 01-02-2006 8:59am

For anyone wondering what kind of a game plan Ireland are going to adopt, I found this on the IRFU website, filed yesterday.

Brian O'Driscoll practices his line-kicking on the back pitch.

:rolleyes:

JuliusFranco · 01-02-2006 6:40pm

that looks more like BOD standing on one leg while using is magical powers to hover the ball in mid air

asking to be intercepted if you ask me, i hope the italians don't have much pace out wide...

Nukem · 02-02-2006 10:33pm

Stoica is playing at 10?

Sangre · 03-02-2006 12:20am

Italy:
15 Cristian Stoica (Montpellier),
14 Pablo Canavosio (Ghial Calvisano),
13 Gonzalo Canale (Clermont-Auvergne),
12 Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais),
11 Ludovico Nitoglia (Ghial Calvisano),
10 Ramiro Pez (Perpignan),
9 Paul Griffen (Ghial Calvisano),
8 Sergio Parisse,
7 Mauro Bergamasco (both Stade Francais),
6 Josh Sole (Arix Viadana),
5 Marco Bortolami (Narbonne, captain),
4 Santiago Dellape (Agen),
3 Carlos Nieto (Arix Viadana),
2 Fabio Ongaro (Benetton Treviso),
1 Salvatore Perugini (both Ghial Calvisano).

Replacements: 16 Carlo Antonio Festuccia (SKG Gran Parma), 17 Andrea Lo Cicero (Conad L'Aquila), 18 Martin Castrogiovanni (Ghial Calvisano), 19 Carlos Del Fava (Bourgoin), 20 Aaron Persico (Agen), 21 Simon Picone (Benetton Treviso), 22 Rima Wakarua (SKG Gran Parma).

Team for Italian game

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