If NZ could pick a player from Ireland...

Tim Robbins

If NZ could pick any player from Ireland who would they pick?

I would say it's a no brainer and they would go for O'Driscoll. After that not sure, D'Arcy perhaps?

An interesting question though is if they could pick any player from any team in the world, who would they pick?

LFC5Times

Think they would pick O'Driscoll even if they could pick a player from any team in the world.

zAbbo

I think they'd take both Centres without a doubt and Paul O' Connell

They would also look at Girvan Dempsey as well and possibly Denis Leamy.

I think those are the problem positions for them, certainly Paul O'Connell at lock considering their 'crisis' and who wouldn't want the two best centres as well. I'm not convinced with Mulliana at FB or McDonald there.

If they could pick any player from any team ? I'd think Dricco at 13, thats been the problem position for them since Umaga left.

Linford

It would definitely be the Irish centres. If they were looking elsewhere in the world for players it would probably only be at 12 13 and 15. At the moment they have a few injuries at second row, but this might be resolved by the WC.

daveirl

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siochain

yeah it would be 2 centres and POC.

Tim Robbins

daveirl wrote:

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They play a game where forwards need to be able to pass and offload the ball, I don't think Leamy or POC fit the bill here.
They would much rather other 2nd rows IMO. Maybe with some intensive training and ball work they would walk onto it but right now I would say Flannery would the Munster player closest to making the All Black team.

Pride Fighter

I am surprised nobody has mentioned Shane Horgan. He is a monster wing with everything, pace, power and a good touch. They would also pick as mentioned POC, BOD and Darcy.

daveirl

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Worrytahs

Tim Robbins wrote:

They play a game where forwards need to be able to pass and offload the ball, I don't think Leamy or POC fit the bill here

Leamy has the best hands for an Irish forward I've seen in a long long time.

Pride Fighter

Pride Fighter wrote:

I am surprised nobody has mentioned Shane Horgan. He is a monster wing with everything, pace, power and a good touch.

Probably because they have better wingers in the form of Rokocoko, Sivivatu, Gear and Howlett.

Pride Fighter

Sure they have great wings but I would put Horgan on a par with their wings. I think that Horgan is our most undervalued performer. I put him on a par (in terms of importance) with BOD. POC and Darcy. He is a legend!!

P_1

Pride Fighter wrote:

Sure they have great wings but I would put Horgan on a par with their wings. I think that Horgan is our most undervalued performer. I put him on a par (in terms of importance) with BOD. POC and Darcy. He is a legend!!

True, but only if he's played on the bloody WING!

Tim Robbins

daveirl wrote:

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I would say they would go outside Ireland. Botha, Mayfield for example.
Lineout is the combination between thrower, lifter, jumper and the right call not just the jumper.

Tim Robbins

Worrytahs wrote:

Leamy has the best hands for an Irish forward I've seen in a long long time.

Are you mad?
Eric Miller could pass of either hand just as well as most backs. Keith Wood also had a good pair of hands.
Leamy is a work horse and a very powerful man but wouldn't be noted for great hands.

daveirl

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razorblunt

well at the moment theyd take any established international second row, POC is the type of player that any team would need regardless if he has "good hands" or not sometimes when the backs against the wall you'd need someone that would do the basics and excel at doing so.

Habana would be phenomenal for them and Marco Bergamasco as well I'd reckon and Traille as well.

siochain

Tim Robbins wrote:

Are you mad?
Eric Miller could pass of either hand just as well as most backs. Keith Wood also had a good pair of hands.
Leamy is a work horse and a very powerful man but wouldn't be noted for great hands.

Agree with you on that one Tim. OK he can receive a ball and take it up, but I can't remember him passing much or off loading!!

Pinetree Boy

No brainer. If it is just one player- O'Driscoll!!! It wouldn't matter who we had in the midfield (even Umanga) or who else was available.

Pinetree Boy

Who would Ireland take from the ABs?

GreenHell

Yerra their useless, take no one.

Wonder if we could convince them to take big mal..

daveirl

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Sangre

In all seriousness if we only had one I'd take Hayman. Not saying hes the best player, just I think he'd have the biggest impact on our team.

zAbbo

I'd go with Carl Hayman as well, shame he's ended up at Newcastle Falcons

Worrytahs

Tim Robbins wrote:

Are you mad?
Eric Miller could pass of either hand just as well as most backs. Keith Wood also had a good pair of hands.
Leamy is a work horse and a very powerful man but wouldn't be noted for great hands.

Well then, watch him playing a little closer.
A good example is his try vs England off the back of the lineout amongst others.

Jackz

pithater1 wrote:

True, but only if he's played on the bloody WING!

I second this. Horgan wing.

RuggieBear

Worrytahs wrote:

Well then, watch him playing a little closer.
A good example is his try vs England off the back of the lineout amongst others.

he still knocked it on....even if nobody saw it:D

Jackz

pithater1 wrote:

True, but only if he's played on the bloody WING!

I second this. Horgan wing.

Linford

I think Horgan would be, along with the props, one of the last players NZ would want. They have an over abundance of big (like Horgan) fast (unlike Horgan) wingers. Horgan was good this season against England, he was vey poor (albeit out of position) against France, and very poor against Scotland. After the 6 nations he was very out of form for Leinster. I just hope the break has done him some good ahead of the WC.

Considering they've been picking McAllister out of position I think its a no brainer theyd take BOD...this thread should be titled "If they could have any OTHER Irish player"

Tim Robbins

Worrytahs wrote:

Well then, watch him playing a little closer.
A good example is his try vs England off the back of the lineout amongst others.

All he did there was catch a tricky ball.
Can you give some exampes of him giving a good pass? Jerrry Collins plays in the middle of the line sometimes and teams expect him to bash up the middle but he can throw sublime skip passes when he wants to. NZ forwards generally are all very comfortable passing the ball of either hand.
I've never seen Leamey throw a pass that U14 player couldn't.

nacho libre

Worrytahs wrote:

Leamy has the best hands for an Irish forward I've seen in a long long time.

Edit
Actually Wallace has the best hands of any Irish forward right now.

Tim Robbins

nacho libre wrote:

Edit
Actually Wallace has the best hands of any Irish forward right now.

In the Irish team, I would say Horan followed by Flannery, after that Easterbunny.

If you are talking any Irish forward player, i.e. not in the team, I would say Heaslip has the best hands.

nacho libre

Tim Robbins wrote:

In the Irish team, I would say Horan followed by Flannery, after that Easterbunny.

If you are talking any Irish forward player, i.e. not in the team, I would say Heaslip has the best hands.

I agree about Heaslip. Wallace has given great passes, and caught some tricky passes that Irish forwards in the past would have knocked-on, during the last Six Nations. I think his hands are as good as the other three players you mentioned.

Diamondmaker

heaslip and wallace by far the best out of the fwds for sure......

Big mal the worst!!

Sangre

POC is a bit of a donkey with the hands as well.

NotWormBoy

First choice O'Driscoll.

Second... toss up between D'Arcy and O'Connell. Probably O'Connell.

Who's their 2nd choice fly-half?

quagmire69

they would take o'driscoll or darcy, they have no need for o'connell when their other 2nd rows get fit.

we would take one of mccaw/jack/haymans/kelleher IMO.

daveirl

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siochain

the style of rugby that NZ play would really suit Geordan Murphy at FB.

cgarvey

Nonsense, Broc has to be first choice. BOD et al, after that then.

Tim Robbins

siochain wrote:

the style of rugby that NZ play would really suit Geordan Murphy at FB.

That's an excellant point, it does as well. Total open Rugby, with big emphasis on running the right support lines.

nacho libre

siochain wrote:

the style of rugby that NZ play would really suit Geordan Murphy at FB.

Offensively he would suit their style, but I'm not sure his penchant for missing tackles and passing to the invisible man would suit NZ play overall.

Linford

The NZ style of rugby would suit Geordan Murphy, but his style certainly wouldn't suit NZ...

quagmire69

daveirl wrote:

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Jack and williams are 2 very competent players and would certainly not be considered a weakness.

IMO keith robinson is a very good player too but doesnt get much of a shout over there.


On the geordan murphy issue, henry would never pick him at full back.

daveirl

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Pinetree Boy

There is no way in the world that NZ would take any Irish outside back over BOD and O'Connell. We simply don't have a problem on the wing or at fullback but lack a centre of BODs quality. The same goes for loose forward- we don't need any more than we have. I would rank O'Connel ahead of Williams because he consistently does his job as a lock BUT if we can only have one it must be BOD.

Tim Robbins

daveirl wrote:

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Fair enough but Williams and Jack made O'Connell look very ordinary on the Lions tour. And before everybody blaims that on Woodward some players Jones, Peel played well and looked the part on that tour.
In the one of the tests against NZ last year O'Connell lost the match for us throwing a poor pass which lead to an intercept a break and a scrum under our posts. He then tried to catch a ball with one hand after that scrum as far as I remember.
He can have all the passion and athletism but sometimes basic Rugby skills can be pertinent.

daveirl

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RuggieBear

daveirl wrote:

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So do you reckon (a la Paddy Johns) that allen Clarke was a better hooker than Keith Wood?

daveirl

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