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No more small opensides for E O'Sullivan?

  • 23-12-2006 9:07am
    #1
    Sandwich
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,253 ✭✭✭


    Are the days over for 'small' openside wingforwards playing for Ireland?
    EOS seems to have a policy of playing 3 blindsides in the backrow . Gleeson,OConnor dropped off the radar. No room for a traditional openside who is half centre3/4, half ground ball winner(Slattery,Carr).
    Or has rugby just changed ?


Comments

  • #2
    Amazotheamazing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,048 ✭✭✭Amazotheamazing


    Sandwich wrote:
    Are the days over for 'small' openside wingforwards playing for Ireland?
    EOS seems to have a policy of playing 3 blindsides in the backrow . Gleeson,OConnor dropped off the radar. No room for a traditional openside who is half centre3/4, half ground ball winner(Slattery,Carr).
    Or has rugby just changed ?

    Sadly the days of small players anywhere on an International pitch are coming to an end, time was Shane Horgan would have been the size of a second row (if not even bigger than plenty of amatuer era second rows).

    However, I think people underrate Wallace's ability as an out and out 7, prior to the semi last year, he had better out and out 7 stats than Gleeson (ie balls won at breakdown, turnovers forced, tackles etc) in the HEC, people think he can't do it becuase usually he doesn't have to do it for Munster, since Foley and Quinlain are just as effective as groundhogs and he is better used in taking the ball forward from the 10/12 channel. Similarly with Ireland, Easterby is better than most traditional 6's on the ground. With Leamy now carrying the ball better, we've seen Wallace revert to playing out and out 7 for both Munster and Ireland.

    Why would EOS sacrafice a player who was both better on the ground and bringing the ball forward than Gleeson? I don't think Gleeson has been dropped due to his stature, he's just behind a more complete player. O'Connor is probably the purest 7 we have , but I can't forgive his showboating when scoring against Romania, and he lacks Wallace's pace and strenght or Gleeson's frequently excellant link-play.


  • #3
    zAbbo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,987 ✭✭✭✭zAbbo


    Amazotheamazing wrote:
    O'Connor is probably the purest 7 we have , but I can't forgive his showboating when scoring against Romania, and he lacks Wallace's pace and strenght or Gleeson's frequently excellant link-play.
    Or his tendency to give away needless fouls.


  • #4
    Amazotheamazing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,048 ✭✭✭Amazotheamazing


    I dunno Zabbo, O'Connor does concede fouls but a number 7 has to live on the edge of the law, sometimes he gets cuaght, often he doesn't.

    However, at Int level virtually every top team has a kicker who'll punish any penalty with 3 points so in that sense O'Connor is more costly at int level than at club level.


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