Irish Side to Face England

bugler

15 - Girvan Dempsey Terenure College/Leinster 71
14 – Shane Horgan Lansdowne/Leinster 52
13 – Brian O’Driscoll Captain Blackrock College/Leinster 71
12 - Gordon D’Arcy Lansdowne/Leinster 28
11 - Denis Hickie St.Mary’s College/Leinster 55
10 - Ronan O’Gara Cork Constitution/Munster 68
9 - A.N. Other

1 - Marcus Horan Shannon/Munster 44
2 - Rory Best Belfast Harlequins/Ulster 9
3 - John Hayes Bruff/Munster 70
4 - Donncha O’Callaghan Cork Constitution/Munster 32
5 - Paul O’Connell Young Munster/Munster 41
6 - Simon Easterby Llanelli 54
7 - David Wallace Garryowen/Munster 34
8 - Denis Leamy Cork Constitution/Munster 19

Replacements:
16 - Jerry Flannery Shannon/Munster 11
17 - Simon Best Belfast Harlequins/Ulster 13
18 - Mick O’Driscoll Cork Constitution/Munster 7
19 - Neil Best Belfast Harlequins/Ulster 8
20 - Isaac Boss Ballymena/Ulster 6
or Eoin Reddan Wasps 1
21 - Paddy Wallace Ballymena/Ulster 2
22 - Andrew Trimble Ballymena/Ulster 12


I don't like the fact that N Best and Flannery are left out. The former is a superior player to Easterbunny in almost all facets of play. Flannery surely has had enough game time over the past month to start. So what if he runs out of gas at 55/60 minutes? Then bring Best on. IMO we are starting a side with two definite selection errors. I have a bad feeling about this...

WILLK1977

i agree, surely Flannery is ready for at least an hour at this stage and best had a good impact after coming off the bench against France

zAbbo

Easterby has done nothing wrong, and is having a stormer of a season, Best on the other hand, has been woeful for a poor Ulster side in the last 3-4 months, Eddie has picked on form, so Easterby stays, I'm happy with that.

Flannery, I don't think is fully fit yet, he didn't play at the weekend.

terry mac

This man Eddie O'Sullivan is making a mess of what should be the Golden Age of Irish Rugby. Now, they're just going to be remembered as the Nearly-Men of Irish Rugby. Its like one step forward, two steps back. His main job is to pick the right men and he is f***** awful at that, f***** awful.

redmca

I think the single worst mistake in the side selected is the omission of Geordan Murphy from the 22. Apart from his unique creative talents, with him on the bench, we are covered for any injury in the back 5. What do we do now if Dempsey gets injured?? Trimble is strong and direct but is still only a boy, Murphy despite his occasional lapses is world class.

thirdmantackle

well, what do you expect. Trimble plays in Ireland, Murphy doesn't

Ulster have to have one player on the team so Rory Best gets picked

typical Irish rugby bedevilled by politics

Erin Go Brath

Disappointed that N. Best and Flannery aren't starting. N. Best surely deserves his chance after putting in some big performances in the green. Flannery has never let us down either. Apart from that I'd have no major gripes!

davyjose

redmca wrote:

I think the single worst mistake in the side selected is the omission of Geordan Murphy from the 22. Apart from his unique creative talents, with him on the bench, we are covered for any injury in the back 5. What do we do now if Dempsey gets injured?? Trimble is strong and direct but is still only a boy, Murphy despite his occasional lapses is world class.

Occasional lapses that cost us a GS two years running. I will be happy to never see him wear green again.
OP agreed. Best (Hooker) is rubbish, and an uncertain Flannery would make me happier.

Diamondmaker

Well Im happy with 10-15. Surprised Flannery is not in and that may suggest he is still unfit or a deeper conspiracy theory which I have always suspected!

In all fairness Best and Flannery will make good impact subs...

Is Strings ruled out all together?? He is not listed at all.

I think DJ is firm on his Murphy call but fair, flashes of flawed brilliance or rock steady Girv?
I have said it a million times, in front of that back line you dont need an inspirational FB as much as other teams. I personnally rather the security Girv offers back there over Murphy..

Chucky the tree

They waiting till the end of the week too see if stringer will make it.

Jilm

I wonder if the lineout calls are going to be done using sign language during the match ...or maybe the crowd could adopt the Thomond Pk hush when Mr Best is about to throw in.

Sangre

I never rated Murphy in green and at the moment I don't know how anyone can.

Don't believe the Guinness Premiership hype.

redmca

davyjose wrote:

Occasional lapses that cost us a GS two years running. I will be happy to never see him wear green again.

Who turned the Welsh game more than any other incident?? Murphy's few minutes on the pitch.
You could just as soon say Steve Walsh cost us the GS this year because Murphy was in for 7 points when Walsh failed to play the advantage.

Linford

redmca wrote:

Who turned the Welsh game more than any other incident?? Murphy's few minutes on the pitch.
You could just as soon say Steve Walsh cost us the GS this year because Murphy was in for 7 points when Walsh failed to play the advantage.

Murphy produced one moment of "brilliance" in his cameo against Wales and from that we scored one of the three tries we scored that day, but remember there was still a lot of work done by the other players before that try was scored, Murphy just got us back into their 22.

Murphy pathetic attempt at a tackle cost us a try against France, added to that he did nothing else against France apart from one intercept that prevented a try. Last year Murphy cost us the game against France.

Brief moments of brilliance do not compensate for long periods of ineptitude.

GreenHell

Disappointed N.Best isn't starting, I guess we can only hope that EOS uses him as an impact sub.

LFC5Times

O'Driscoll must fancy himself as a footballer.

As today i saw his picture in the Irish Times kicking around a football.

Im always seeing him in the paper or on the news kicking soccer balls around in training with Leinster/Ireland.

Maybe Arsenal might want him.

Nukem

Flannery should be on IMO and for sure N.Best deserves a run as well. Would also like to see Eoin Reddan make it into the side. Think he deserves it. EOS is goin on form? Reddan is easily the most form SH at the moment.

Hermy

Diamondmaker wrote:

In all fairness Best and Flannery will make good impact subs...

Never mind the impact substitutions! How about making a real impact at the start of the game.

Gingervitis

I think people are being a bit harsh on Murphy, granted that with the quality of attacking players we have in the back line we would be better off with a proven defensive fullback than another potentially brilliant attacking player, but people are only focussing on Murphy's one missed tackle. Maybe some forgot, but in the first half he also saved a certain try, when he blocked the pass with a four man overlap. Added to the try that wasn't, and also taking a few missed tackles by Girv in the match which no one seems to notice, (although in fairness, not that critical), what the real issue is that unfortunately it is not Muphy's flaws that are preventing him from getting the team, it is the make up of the backline with its reputation built on excellent attack and superb defence in the centres that ensures that this team doesn't need an attacking fullback, just a solid team.
We're not NZ, able to counter attack from anywhere on the pitch. Our strength is off set pieces, able to score within 4 phases if we make a line break. Thus, we have a gameplan, and unluckily for Geordan, he doesn't quite fit it. Still a better player than people give him credit for, he would make any other backline in the Northern Hemisphere. Just my €0.02...

terry mac

Gingervitis wrote:

I think people are being a bit harsh on Murphy, granted that with the quality of attacking players we have in the back line we would be better off with a proven defensive fullback than another potentially brilliant attacking player, but people are only focussing on Murphy's one missed tackle.

Especially seeing as how many tackles were missed for Clerc to score the decisive try, with a particularly bad missed tackle by Hickie. This wasn't touched on in the press at all, with one journalist writing that Hickie and O'Connell arrived too late to do anything. Clerc was over the line by the time O'Connell arrived, but Hickie's was a blatant missed tackle about 6 yards out. And they're lumped in together as arriving too late. Murphy's attempted tackle was awful, but the press have it in for him just coz he's with Leicester.

Diamondmaker

Hermy wrote:

Never mind the impact substitutions! How about making a real impact at the start of the game.

I meant that from the point of view that the team is picked nought we can do but at least the bench is good.

Also I think EOS ahs a little more insight into Flannerys fitness than we do and this is perhaps why he is on the bench.

The Best/Easterby scenario has been done to death.

Diaspora

Murphy is the best Fullback when in form; he is not in form and O'Sullivan is right to exclude him until he hits the type of form he is capable of.

The fact that he plays for Leicester has no bearing on it as any mistake made will be criticised these days.

Pighead

Great news for Irelad today. Stringer fit and it looks like Johnnys injury curse may have struck again.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/6386745.stm

bugler

Debatable whether Stringer being fit is a good thing or not. Obviously it's a good thing to have as many players available as possible, but Boss would have brought different skills to the game. Stringer better pass well!

I'm sceptical about the Wilko injury. I think he'll play. Terrible for him if he is genuinely injured again.

smackbunnybaby

Robinson is definitely out for England, but I'm not sure is Wilko actually injured. i think its Englands attempt to draw attention away from the whole croke park thing

nacho libre

terry mac wrote:

Especially seeing as how many tackles were missed for Clerc to score the decisive try, with a particularly bad missed tackle by Hickie. This wasn't touched on in the press at all, with one journalist writing that Hickie and O'Connell arrived too late to do anything. Clerc was over the line by the time O'Connell arrived, but Hickie's was a blatant missed tackle about 6 yards out. And they're lumped in together as arriving too late. Murphy's attempted tackle was awful, but the press have it in for him just coz he's with Leicester.

no. It's because he repeatedly has missed tackles when playing for Ireland that have lead to tries for the opposition. Murphy has a history of ineptitude when playing for Ireland. Hickie hasn't.

themarcus

nacho libre wrote:

no. It's because he repeatedly has missed tackles when playing for Ireland that have lead to tries for the opposition. Murphy has a history of ineptitude when playing for Ireland. Hickie hasn't.

Damn straight! Hickie has generally been in amazing form for Ireland and Leinster this season. Dempsey is much more reliable in defence and we already have plenty of attacking power in the backline. Don't get me wrong, Murphy is a great player - but Dempsey and Hickie make more sense for Ireland.

LFC5Times

themarcus wrote:

Damn straight! Hickie has generally been in amazing form for Ireland and Leinster this season. Dempsey is much more reliable in defence and we already have plenty of attacking power in the backline. Don't get me wrong, Murphy is a great player - but Dempsey and Hickie make more sense for Ireland.

Agree 100 %

zAbbo

There's also the factor 11-15 play for the same team, and generally have an amazing understanding of what each other is doing.

themarcus

zabbo wrote:

There's also the factor 11-15 play for the same team, and generally have an amazing understanding of what each other is doing.

Good point.