RWC Squad Discussion

zAbbo

Ok, the last real opportunities to lay down a marker for inclusion are over.

Key Dates:
June 15 - Submit 50 man list to be involved in RWC preparations
August 7 - Submit 30 man squad for RWC
August 11 - Warmup v Scotland
August 24 - Warmup Ireland V Italy

My RWC 30 Man Squad

Props (4)
John Hayes
Marcus Horan
Simon Best
Bryan Young

Hookers (2)
Rory Best
Jerry Flannery

Locks (4)
Paul O'Connell
Donacha O'Callaghan
Malcolm O'Kelly
Trevor Hogan

Back Row (6)
Neil Best
Simon Easterby
Denis Leamy
Jamie Heaslip
David Wallace
Stephen Ferris

Scrum Halves (2)
Peter Stringer
Eoin Reddan

Fly Halves (2)
Ronan O'Gara
David Humphreys

Centres(4)
Brian O'Driscoll
Gordon D'Arcy
Andrew Trimble
Paddy Wallace

Wings (4)
Shane Horgan
Brian Carney
Dennis Hickie
Luke Fitzpatrick

Fullbacks (2)
Girvan Dempsey
Robert Kearney

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So there we go, that's what I'd choose, I'm not sure if you have to include 3 hookers or not.

Key choices were Humph at FH, and Paddy Wallace as cover for IC, while including the likes of Kearney, and Luke Fitz. The backs have enough interchange to allow many different combos.

Neither Cullen or Mick O'D showed enough to suggest a certain inclusion, so I've put in Trevor Hogan.

Notable players not making it would be Geordan Murphy, he just hasn't been good enough and last night shown he is incapable of doing even simple things at this level.

Your thoughts?

RuggieBear

David Humphreys? not Ian?

zAbbo

We need David ! judging from the previous few games, and the fact that Wallace has played more as a 12 all season.

If the rumours are true, If Eddie requires David, he'll come down and play some rugby in September.

Diamondmaker

Jennings has got to be assessed on an impressive season a bit more than one game?
Quinlan surlely in there though. Who ever is most versatile of these 3 may get the nod. Probably Quinlan, more biased Irish based game time, plus had a good game. I dont see 3 no 8s going, is Ferris useful in other backrow positionds? May come down to this. Leamy and Ferris/Heaslip

Locks look OK only guess would be Cullen/Hogan.

Props: agred

Hookers: there is a lot of talk of 3 berths, is this really necesary? 2 agreed.

Bossll go. You (EOS) dont persist on a guy for a year and drop him in 1 game.

Fly halves to FBs. I would have RK in for both wing and FB and leave LF/Bowe at home, frees up one extra place. Allowing DH @ OH cover Duffy in centre and Wallace as both! Dont forget Trimble can play wing.

I some how dont see Murphy beinf left at home, could Eddie really cut him, he prob deserves it.

zAbbo

Ferris has the versatility, with Best/Easterby as Blindsides, and Heaslip/Leamy as 8's, essentially it's just a backup openside.

Double guessing Eddie, he might drop Heaslip and take Ferris, freeing up another spot which might go to a 3rd Hooker.

Reddan is in form, he has the benefit of quick to the ruck, good passsing, and the ability to break, so he has the plus points of both Stringer and Boss. I'd take Reddan.

daveirl

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jrd

Italy and Scotland are meant to be games to allow the final 30 play, coming as they do after the deadlines. But we have unresolved issues.

Quinlan will go. As I think will Gavin Duffy. Rob Kearney probably blew it last night. Boss may go too.

Backs (definite) - 10: Darcy, Dempsey, Hickie, Horgan, BOD, ROG, Reddan, Stringer, Trimble, Wallace.

Probably 3 places for grabs - Boss, Duffy, Carney (Despite the effort the last try last night)


Forwards (definite) - 15 : Best x3, Easterby, Ferris, Flannery, Hayes, Heaslip, HOran, Leamy, Donnacha, POC, Mal, Quinlan, Wallace,

Probables - Buckley, and Young.


Baby Humph will be the medium term replacement for ROG. Shame he has not got more game time to prove this ahead of the RWC

Trojan

dave, honestly, is it Munster bias that has you picking MOD? He's dire. And that's leaving out all the cursing I'd like to use.

maxi-twist

zabbo wrote:

Luke Fitzpatrick

You mean Fitzgerald,not a hope id bring him in my 30 man squad. Its a RWC,not some training ground. Id bring Geordan Murphy,at least he has match practice. He didnt even get on in the Argentina tour.

Maybe bring an other front row instead ,prop to be exact,although we dont have any,so thats out the window.

Diamondmaker

maxi-twist wrote:

You mean Fitzgerald,not a hope id bring him in my 30 man squad. Its a RWC,not some training ground. Id bring Geordan Murphy,at least he has match practice. He didnt even get on in the Argentina tour.

Maybe bring an other front row instead ,prop to be exact,although we dont have any,so thats out the window.

For sure, no way Luke will go thats maddness and a lamb to the slaughter in all fairness.

Its between Murphy G, Carney, Kearney.
Murphy having experience and versatility, Kearney versatility and Carney a bit of a wild card.

Dave: 3 hookers, 3 SHs and 5 props? At least one of those 3 positons is too much cover I feel. How often was Strings subbed out of neccesity in last few years, once?

Real concern is of course centre and OH, must start no shaggy at 12/13 campaign prior to WC.
Id like Trimble to get centre game time in the last 2 games.

il gatto

Luke Fitzgerald has done nothing to warrant getting into the squad. The RWC is not the place to blood inexpirienced players who have not done anything spectacular in their few appearances.
Reddan is a great player, but not having played with O'Gara or Wallace (or Humphries?) I think it'd be a bit of a risk. Boss hasn't set the world alight for Ireland, but he's a quality player who's formed some sort of working relationship with O'Gara.
I'd also include Quinlan. He's a fantastic player with a real work ethic. He rarely puts in anything other than a good performance and was unlucky to miss out on the Six Nations.

daveirl

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zAbbo

It could be worse

England coach Brian Ashton reckons he has only five "definites" inked into his favoured World Cup starting line-up, with 20 others competing for the other 10 spots.

redmca

You'll probably see 17 forwards and 13 backs. And I'd also bet on 3 scrum halves, 5 props and 3 hookers

Why do we need 5 props??? Our best tactic (when the going gets tough) is to run out of props and have uncontested scrums, particularly if and when we meet the ABs !!!!

I agree with the overall 17 / 13 split tho.

And Jennings is a must...... we have to play it wide at every oportunity.

Sundy

il gatto wrote:

I'd also include Quinlan. He's a fantastic player with a real work ethic. He rarely puts in anything other than a good performance and was unlucky to miss out on the Six Nations.

I agree Quinlan is a good palyer who puts in the performances but he was NOT unlucky to miss the six nations, he was banned in the lead up so he lost his squad place. Therefore its his own fault due to a moment of indisciple which unfortunately seem to have been a feature in his rugby career. Its a shame really because he is an excellent backrow.

LeeroyJones

Zabbo-I agree with the core of the squad you chose but there are a few eyebrow raisers!

Personally I would take Jennings ahead of Ferris, while Gleeson and Quinlan would be ahead of Ferris in the pecking order in my books. Jennings has proven his class in the premiership and with Gleeson is the only out-and-out 7 at our disposal. so I would debate Gleeson -v- Jennings for the 6th back row spot. Gleeson has experience at internationals but Jennings has the quality and in the past he has proven his adaptibility through captaining Leinster at a young age and filled a void admiraly left by Neil Back at Leicester.

Also I would have Carney and Kearney on my squad also but both on the wings while Fitzgerald stays at home and Murphy battles Dempsey for 15. Why? because I don't know about anyone else but if we find ourselves 4 points ahead of the All Blacks with 10 minutes to go and Dempsey limps off with an injury, who do you trust to play solidly and not drop a high ball or get sidestepped? Murphy of course. the world cup is no place to nurture young talent. However is Murphys relationship with EOS healthy? I dnt think so, Duffys move to Connacht may have got him the 30th place on this years squad.

your selection of 2 scrum halves would have me on edge during the world cup! I would Throw Boss in there and mull over Wallace -v- Humphreys for O'Garas no.2. Then I only have 3 real centres, but If the WORST case scenario occured Horgan can go 12 and trimble 13 the Hickie and Caney on wings.

redmca

Looks like Jennings is 80% out of the World Cup squad.
He's out for the next 6 weeks with a thumb injury.
Probably saves EOS a choice he was going to find difficult anyway

Jackz

No Horgan at 12 please!

razorblunt

Sundy wrote:

I agree Quinlan is a good palyer who puts in the performances but he was NOT unlucky to miss the six nations, he was banned in the lead up so he lost his squad place. Therefore its his own fault due to a moment of indisciple which unfortunately seem to have been a feature in his rugby career. Its a shame really because he is an excellent backrow.

I agree Quinlan is worth anywhere between 3 and 9 points to the opposition and with tight games against Argentina and France he's a liability.