Argentina Tour

Diamondmaker

I have heard that the Argie tour may be scrapped. I also note that the tour is not on the IRFU web site fixtures list either.
Only shows away to Scotland and Italy in ravenhill.

I dont think the tour is a very good idea, we could not possibly field any of our 1st choice players for fear of over zealous or deliberate injuries.

I can see a 15 man pack being fielded by the Argies targetting or crucial and smaller guys.

Any one else see any benefit in this tour unless it is to be used purely for fringe players?

That is what the CH cup is for though so is there any need for this tour?

Will iit do ( potentially) more harm than good?

thebaz

agree fully - i'm all for integrating Argentina into world rugby , get them in the tri nations -- but for Ireland to tour so close to world cup, when they are a serious threat is crazy -- i'd bring out an Ireland B team, ensuring no one including key squad members gets injured .

thebaz

thebaz wrote:

i'd bring out an Ireland B team, ensuring no one including key squad members gets injured .

Thats exactly what I'd do. Its a win/win situation. Our top 22 stay injury free and we get to see what sort of up and coming talent we have.

youcancallmeal

From reading this article it seems Argentina are the ones who are throwing a spanner in works and Ireland are all for it. Anyway I think the summer tours are great opportunities to give all the fringe and up and coming players a run out, even if the opposotion are doing the same thing.

mikedragon32

youcancallme>al wrote:

I think the summer tours are great opportunities to give all the fringe and up and coming players a run out, even if the opposotion are doing the same thing.

Fully agree with you on the benefits of summer tours but perhaps not this year and definitely not to Argentina.

The fringe and up-and-coming players can all play in the Churchill Cup.

Linford

I heard last week that it had already been decided that the first choice players wouldn't be traveling to Argentina in order to give them a decent summer break and enable them to start pre-season training with Ireland a little earlier.

Sangre

Its slightly retarded that we've a tour to a team in our group.

LostinBlanch

Looks like the tour is going ahead, with the first test being played in Santa Fe.

ekevosu

I agree that its a bad idea but in fairness to the irfu, there are only about 8 teams from which to choose and even less when the politics is taken out it. This game was probably organised long before the draw was made as Argentina played in landsdowne a few years ago so the irfu are probably obliged to play them away...maybe I'm totally wrong here.

Even if it was a second string Irish side, they would still be playing the Eddie style albeit with reduced moves, skills so it would give the argentinians a chance to gauge us up close. This works both ways however remember. they might be saying the exact same thing

padser

If we ended up with one extra cover player emerging from the tour it would be worth it.