Who would you most like to see Eddie drop?

tHE vAGGABOND

What we need is someone who can defend and is capable under the high ball.

Agreed....

We need someone at 15 who is not afraid to tackle..

Murphy has had a shocking season. He was excellent a few seasons back, but like stringer, if we are to do well in the world cup and later in 6 nations we cant pick our team based on reputation or on who good somone used to be several season ago can we?

Tim Robbins

tHE vAGGABOND wrote:

Agreed....

We need someone at 15 who is not afraid to tackle..

Murphy has had a shocking season. He was excellent a few seasons back, but like stringer, if we are to do well in the world cup and later in 6 nations we cant pick our team based on reputation or on who good somone used to be several season ago can we?

So who for full back?
Fitzgerald, Duffy, Kearney?

RonBonJovi

Trojan wrote:

Why isn't POC on this list?!

Because he is one of the best Locks in the world ATM

[Jackass]

I think Murphy is a talented footballer, but I just don't trust him enough at FB. IMO we have enough fire power from 11 - 14 to take a safe option at 15. Also, Girv has his share of important tries for Ireland...it's not as if he's usless going forward, but he's as solid as they come at the back, where as Murphy has had some shocking defensive displays in the past and can be very indesicive. I'd consider him more of a versatile backup.

As for stringer, he's had his ups and downs over the last couple of sesons, but I just think we have other options there that we need to bring in. Reddan is a top-class player, and on club form I think most would rate him above stringer so there's no reason why he wouldn't exceed him at international level. Week in week out he plays against international standard oppisition and nobody is straight up to the pace in their first one or two starts. Fair enough he wasn't spectacular, but I wouldn't have said he was poor either but I'd like to see him start in a warm up game with strings to come on and vice versa and give them both a start in the WC in the early games and that gives a good look at form to decide who starts for the big two group games

Plus, it's about time stringer felt a bit of heat and felt like he had to play for his position, might make him up his game a couple of levels. Nothing wrong with allowing a bit of competition for places in the starting 15 at all.

O'Kelly/O'Callaghan is a tough call too. Both have the experience and ability for this level, but when seperating them you have to look at the pros and cons.

O'Callaghans work rate is better imo and he carrys better around the field. You also have to question O'Kellys fitness to last a full WC campaign from starting. Also, O'Callaghans discipline is very poor and can be a liability. Can cost you 3 or 6 points in a game. In a group as tight as ours and the games as tight as they will be, that's easily giving away a winning margin.

I can't make a call on the back row, there's so many options and it's so tight I don't think I've seen enough of everyone this season to give an answer. I think Leamy has got to be one, but I can't call the other two.

As for the rest of the team...keep the usual suspects and Hickie to retain 11 and Flannery at 2.

quagmire69

if mal is fit and ready, it should be a no-brainer. as much as i like o'callaghan's enthusiasm and energy, he can't stop giving away penalties. He just doesnt think sometimes.

Sin bins are something we cannot afford to happen. Look at the tri nations, some of those games were turned on their heads when one player got sin binned. SA vs NZ (1st game), Aust vs NZ.

i would guess that referees are gonna be extra vigilant at the WC.

Saying all that, i'm not sure mal has enough left in him to perform at the top level. I hope i'm wrong tho. Rotation could be the key, give mal the france game, donnacha the argentina.

Teg Veece

Tim Robbins wrote:

If you want fast ball from the breakdown, it's actually far more to do with your rucking speed when you can make a difference of 2 - 5 seconds. The scrum half pass you will get a difference of between 0.1 - 0.3 seconds. The interpretation of the referee is also a bigger variant than difference in time between a pass of Stringer and Boss / Reddan.

The problem with Boss isn't that it takes him a bit longer to get the ball out, it's that he takes a step before he passes. As soon as he touches the ball, the opposition's defence can blitz forward and so the backline have a lot less room to manuever.
A scrumhalf that takes a step before he passes is like a full back that lets the ball bounce before he catches it.

Saying all that, i'm not sure mal has enough left in him to perform at the top level. I hope i'm wrong tho.

Unfortunately, you're right. I wouldn't even play Mal at provincial level anymore.

remus808

Nick wrote:

decide who starts for the big two group games

Noone other than Stringer will be starting in either of those unless he loses a limb or something. Sad truth..

Sandwich

karmabass wrote:

Noone other than Stringer will be starting in either of those unless he loses a limb or something. Sad truth..

Yes, no doubt that Stringer will start. Eddie's just too cautious not pick him at this stage. Its now too late to change him, and despite being critical of Stringer for years, I think its probably the right thing to do. The last spring tour down under, or from last Autumn was the time to give someone a proper multimatch run in the position - but each time Eddie had his eye on history rather than improving the team for the future. He smelled a long awaited victory away to a Sanza team, and this year the grand slam. He couldnt resist.

Sandwich

Come to think of it. Does Eddie actually drop players anyway (other than ones who are just getting on too much for international rugby) ? Geordan Murphy recently of course, (and there seems to be a bit of personality problem there) but Im struggling to name others.

It used to be said in the old days of cosy selection committees and provinces horse trading that it was harder to play yourself off the team than on to it. Seems even truer today.

Luckycharm

I would like to see Yellow belly turnstyles murphy booted out of the squad
Bar his non defence, Garbajosa style tackling or lack of it. Bar ibanez, has jumped out of the way of Rougerie and Latham in the last couple of seasons for Ireland that is. How many intercepts does he give away? He seems to throw one nearly every game imagine he was playing against the Boks rush defense
How many times in the last couple of seasons has he simply not been able to execute a simple 2 on 1 where he has passed behind the wingers back- did in the AI's a couple of years ago. I kak myself every time I see that showpony lining up for Ireland.

dulpit

Went with Easterby, Ireland have a more than adequate backup in Neil Best... Of the others there, the only other one i would have considered was Girve the Swerve but seen as how Geordan Murphy is clinically inept at playing for Ireland (and girve is quite handy) i skipped him.

Surprised to see Stringer so high, at the moment i can't see anybody else who could replace him full time, in my mind as long as O'Gara plays then Stringer will play, their partnership is too good to break up...

Erin Go Brath

Voted for Easterby to be dropped, mostly because I prefer both Quinlan and Best. We have some good options at 6, if we do drop Easterby it certainly wouldnt be detrimental to our chances.

Strings is a man for the big occasion, wouldn't drop him. Class act in the Heine Final, and not just for the sneaky try either. The partnership with ROG can't be underestimated too.