Ireland Squad Announced For RWC Sevens

chupacabra

www.irishrugby.ie wrote:

IRELAND RUGBY WORLD CUP SEVENS SQUAD (Dubai, March 5-7):

Gary Brown (Blackrock College - Leinster)
Kieran Campbell ( Galwegians - Connacht) (capt)
Brian Carney (Clonakilty - Munster)
James Coughlan (Dolphin - Munster)
Conan Doyle (Garryowen - Munster)
Tom Gleeson (Cork Constitution - Munster)
Eoghan Grace (Shannon - Munster)
Felix Jones (Old Belvedere - Leinster)
Paul Marshall (Belfast Harlequins - Ulster)
Daniel Riordan (Buccaneers - Connacht)
Kyle Tonetti (Blackrock College - Leinster)
Brian Tuohy (Cornish Pirates)

In addition to this, the Ireland squad, along with three extra players - Max Rantz McDonald (Clontarf), Mark McCrea (Malone - Ulster) and Cian Aherne (UCD - Leinster) - will take part in a warm-up tournament in Portugal this coming weekend.

I thought Keatley was supposed to be in the squad? This kid NEEDS a chance at international level, its ridiculous to think he isnt even in consideration for the 'A' squad, not to mention the sevens squad where it was reported he would continue with into the world cup.

I'm not angry, just dissapointed.

http://www.irishrugby.ie/283_16171.php

Absolutely stupid.I wanted to do well in the 7's.

We should have sent cave,Earls and Keatley.

chupacabra

Scott Massive Pocketful wrote: »

Absolutely stupid.I wanted to do well in the 7's.

We should have sent cave,Earls and Keatley.

I agree, most of these lads in the squad arent even close to the starting XV of their relative provinces, it looks like the IRFU just dont really rate the RWC sevens at all.

Sparky14

chupacabra wrote: »

I agree, most of these lads in the squad arent even close to the starting XV of their relative provinces, it looks like the IRFU just dont really rate the RWC sevens at all.

Why would they want to send any of their provincial starting players, 7s is hardly gonna do a lot for someone like Keatley. Its more an opportunity for wingers etc. to show their pace and backrowers to show all round athleticism.

DonkeyPokerTour

Gary Brown (Blackrock College - Leinster)
Kieran Campbell ( Galwegians - Connacht) (capt)
Brian Carney (Clonakilty - Munster)
James Coughlan (Dolphin - Munster)
Conan Doyle (Garryowen - Munster)
Tom Gleeson (Cork Constitution - Munster)
Eoghan Grace (Shannon - Munster)
Felix Jones (Old Belvedere - Leinster)
Paul Marshall (Belfast Harlequins - Ulster)
Daniel Riordan (Buccaneers - Connacht)
Kyle Tonetti (Blackrock College - Leinster)
Brian Tuohy (Cornish Pirates)

Am I the only one reading those names and scratching my head saying "Who?". With the exception of Brian Carney and Conan Doyle I have not heard of any of them! I'll admit that I've never seen Ireland playing 7's but I watch most Munster and Leinster games, atleast 1/2 the ulster and connaught games and I dont recognise anyone besides Doyle and Carney!

chupacabra

Sparky14 wrote: »

Why would they want to send any of their provincial starting players, 7s is hardly gonna do a lot for someone like Keatley. Its more an opportunity for wingers etc. to show their pace and backrowers to show all round athleticism.

Regardless of the fact its a 7s tournament, its valuble experience for players like Earls, Cave, Keatley, Murphy etc. who dont really have a chance (except maybe earls) at a match day 22 for the rest of the six nations tournament. This is talent we need to foster in any way we can internationally. And in regards to Keatley, what are you talking about? A 7s team is ideal for him at the moment.

If you look at the near future, its these young players who should be pushing for regular starting positions in the internatonal side this summer while the lions players are off on safari and some of the U-20 players are making the churchill cup side. Another year of these lads in Ireland 'A' would be regrettable and this is why the 7s RWC is important.

Sparky14

chupacabra wrote: »

This is talent we need to foster in any way we can internationally. And in regards to Keatley, what are you talking about? A 7s team is ideal for him at the moment.

I think it's odd that you would think an Outhalf would be better off playing 7s than playing in the churchill cup. I would hardly call 7s ideal for him, he is already a recognised provincial player and will be pushing for Sexton's Ire spot next yr. Far better off letting players such as Felix Jones and Kyle Tonetti a chance to impress, can't see the point in bringing players such as Brown and Campbell.

DonkeyPokerTour

DonkeyPokerTour wrote: »

Am I the only one reading those names and scratching my head saying "Who?". With the exception of Brian Carney and Conan Doyle I have not heard of any of them! I'll admit that I've never seen Ireland playing 7's but I watch most Munster and Leinster games, atleast 1/2 the ulster and connaught games and I dont recognise anyone besides Doyle and Carney!

Gary Brown and Felix Jones have both played for leinster a number of times this year.
Kyle Tonetti has been playing Leinster A's.
Brian Tuohy got on the bench for the Churchill cup last year I think.


No Offence meant to the players selected but the 7's is a tournament that Fiji,Samoa,NZ,SA take very seriously and its insulting to be sending basically an Ail team to play agaisnt some 7's legends.

The IRFU are doing there best to ruin this oppertunity.

I think FIJI are trying to get CauCau back to play on the wing and we send Brian Tuohy.Thats a joke.

anonymous_joe

We will be humiliated at this...

The standard of some of the 7s sides is unreal...

Stev_o

anonymous_joe wrote: »

We will be humiliated at this...

The standard of some of the 7s sides is unreal...

Worse, look who we'v drawn Australia,Samoa and Portugal. We are going to absolutely smashed and laughed at.

Sparky14

Stev_o wrote: »

Worse, look who we'v drawn Australia,Samoa and Portugal. We are going to absolutely smashed and laughed at.

Ah yeh, but the lads will have of a bit of a laugh & get a bit of sun, who knows we might get Scotland in the plate then things will get serious.

figs86

the stand out piece of info from that for me is that with all the contracted backs who aren't gettin a look-in on the international scene, all the academy and sub-academy players, that an unattached player like Max Rantz-McDonald is included in the squad!

nice one Maxxy - someone throw him a bone and get him in academy at least!

[Jackass]

Tommy Bowe
Keith Earls
Luke Fitzgerald
Rob Kearney
Brian O'Driscoll
Jamie Heaslip
Darren Cave

Now that's a fairly savage 7's team!! Not massive in the know about 7's though, love watching it, but haven't seen a whole lot, so just plopped in combination of quick pacey players with hard hitting, hard working, highly skilled players - but that seems like a fairly savage team!!

As for the team that's going, it's not exactly amazing, but I can unserstand regular international players not going, but surely young exciting talents like Earls, Keatley and Cave, Carr should be going? Felix Jones is a great talent and at least he's in there, but there are a good few young exciting Irish players who could be picked in that squad.

Word is Gary Brown is retiring as a pro at the end of this season, what's the point on him going?

anonymous_joe

Stev_o wrote: »

Worse, look who we'v drawn Australia,Samoa and Portugal. We are going to absolutely smashed and laughed at.

Australia aren't much at 7s, but they'll beat us anyway, as for the other two...

delta_bravo

Is Felix Jones not at Munster now? He's only 19 or 20 and got a couple of appearances for Leinster but is meant to be a promising player.
I saw some of the sevens world series last night on Setanta (do we enter that competition?) and it looks like a really popular brand and was in front of a packed crowd. I liked the way that many of the pacific islands are individually represented and also there are a few african nations involved like kenya

ScholesyIsGod

Ya Felix Jones signed for Munster at the start of February. Havent seen much of him hopefully he'll turn out to be better then Kieran Lewis.

Very dissapointed when I heard that.

Hopefully We try to get Bowe from the O's as we are missing quality on a wing when Nacewa goes.

myflipflops

anonymous_joe wrote: »

Australia aren't much at 7s, but they'll beat us anyway, as for the other two...

They're not great considering they are a Grade 1 Test team in the 15 man game, they will still eat up this Irish team.

Portugal enter these tournament a lot and have an expereinced site together, as such, there's a high probability that we will finish last in the group. We could get the honour of playing quality rugby nations like the Arabian Gulf (?!) at some point!! A team like like Kenya would have the potential to put 30-40 points on us.

There are couple of lads I'm happy to see there (Felix Jones for one) but the pointlessness of sending Brian Carney just astounds me.

My guess is that Cheika/McGahan/Williams/Bradley were unwilling to give up any other players for this with the Magners League squads being without the international players at the moment.

Serenity Now!

Some of the comments in this thread are simply hilarious and by people who have obviously not been following the Sevens circuit very long.

A typical Sevens squad these days consists of two or three experienced end-of-career players and the rest being players who if not fringe/introductory pro level players, are coming back from injury and need a runaround.

Thats about it really. All this talk about who first-choice provincial players needing to be chosen is ridiculous. No team is going to risk injuries during the crucial point of the 15-man game's season.

tHE vAGGABOND

Some of the comments in this thread are simply hilarious and by people who have obviously not been following the Sevens circuit very long.

Agreed

If nothing else, this tournament is on the week before we play Scotland and therefore 2 weeks before we play Wales in the 6 nations [for the grand slam, all going well, fingers crossed etc] - so anyone in the 36 man training squad is out of the question. I dont care if they are only holding bags and playing in the A game - we need to prepare the best way we can.

Plus its 7's - who cares! give the young lads a run, but if they are already in the full panel I don't see what they gain from a 7's tournament. Its not like we have a long and proud tradition of it or anything

Serenity Now!

tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »

Plus its 7's - who cares! give the young lads a run, but if they are already in the full panel I don't see what they gain from a 7's tournament. Its not like we have a long and proud tradition of it or anything

I don't agree with that particular sentiment however.
The squad is selected as other top tier rugby nations select theirs. Credit where credit is due.
Its is not a nothing-sport. Its been a great advertisement for rugby union in lower-tier countries. Portugal beat France in Dubai. Kenya beat New Zealand in San Diego last week. In this respect, it is fantastic. As well as developing very fringe players it is also good for developing referees.

twinytwo

Serenity Now! wrote: »

I don't agree with that particular sentiment however.
The squad is selected as other top tier rugby nations select theirs. Credit where credit is due.
Its is not a nothing-sport. Its been a great advertisement for rugby union in lower-tier countries. Portugal beat France in Dubai. Kenya beat New Zealand in San Diego last week. In this respect, it is fantastic. As well as developing very fringe players it is also good for developing referees.

Exactly... plus we do want to see 7's introduced into the olympics

bamboozle

those lads Ahern & Rantz-McDonald are probably the 2 fastest players in the country.

peteyfada

Everytime I see the sevens circuit on the telly it really annoys me that we dont have a team in it. It is a proving ground for so much talent. I went to the Wellington leg a few years back and the amount of people from loads of differnent countries that expressed their dissapointment that Ireland dont have a team in the sevens circuit was unbelievable. Its a scandal that we call ourselves a leading rugby nation and dont have a competitive team.

Added to that it will be an olympic sport soon, one in which we could be contenders if the right structures are in place. i.e. we get a team together for tournaments other than the world cup!!

Has anyone any idea why we dont have a proper sevens team? presume its a funding issue? if tonga and portugal can do it surely we can afford it!

zAbbo

peteyfada wrote: »

Everytime I see the sevens circuit on the telly it really annoys me that we dont have a team in it. It is a proving ground for so much talent. I went to the Wellington leg a few years back and the amount of people from loads of differnent countries that expressed their dissapointment that Ireland dont have a team in the sevens circuit was unbelievable. Its a scandal that we call ourselves a leading rugby nation and dont have a competitive team.

Added to that it will be an olympic sport soon, one in which we could be contenders if the right structures are in place. i.e. we get a team together for tournaments other than the world cup!!

Has anyone any idea why we dont have a proper sevens team? presume its a funding issue? if tonga and portugal can do it surely we can afford it!

Eh?, we have a team in the World Cup that's taking place.

anonymous_joe

zAbbo wrote: »

Eh?, we have a team in the World Cup that's taking place.

And that's it as far as I know.

I've never seen much evidence of us competing at 7s level. I suppose the problem is we're one of the few teams that still has A teams etc. Maybe those lads could be off 7s-ing it up.

Also, I don't think we've quite the same number of players available as other countries, it's often guys who aren't quite ready for S14s who are playing in these tournaments.

One or two lads I'd really like to see in 15s rugby, like Gollings for England. Fantastic players. Would be a great place for us to develop some young wingers and full backs. I'd definitely be up for lads like Earls, Jones, Kearney (younger one) and so on being sent off to join the circuit. Would be an interesting way of developing our talent and would offer a contrast to the traditional forms.

zAbbo

anonymous_joe wrote: »

And that's it as far as I know.

Well we've had to qualify, obviously, and we also qualified for the RWC 05 as well.

But I agree that the IRFU are taking it more seriously now, and it's a good platform for developing players.

Judgement Day

Today's matches were not that exciting and Ireland were hammered by Samoa 35-5. Kenya beat Tunisia 29-7 and looked very fast. The current Sevens WRC holders, Fiji, were every bit as exciting as we have come to expect but Georgia put up stiff opposition to them before going down 26-10.

South Africa aspire to being the next World Champions but looked unconvincing - to me anyway - despite putting plucky Japan away 26-5.

This was only Day 1 and as the short tournament progresses the games become very exciting. For me the enjoyment comes from watching a whole World Cup telescoped into just three days - it's a different game to the 15 a side one that most of us are used to but great all the same.

nice_guy80

amazing the difference in attitude to this competition from Ireland vs other top rugby nations

we should be sending good development players

Serenity Now!

anonymous_joe wrote: »

And that's it as far as I know.

I've never seen much evidence of us competing at 7s level. I suppose the problem is we're one of the few teams that still has A teams etc. Maybe those lads could be off 7s-ing it up

They're only in the circuit a year so obviously only qualified for the Sevens WC and not the Series. If they do well this year, they can qualify for the Series next year.

anonymous_joe wrote: »

One or two lads I'd really like to see in 15s rugby, like Gollings for England. Fantastic players. Would be a great place for us to develop some young wingers and full backs. I'd definitely be up for lads like Earls, Jones, Kearney (younger one) and so on being sent off to join the circuit. Would be an interesting way of developing our talent and would offer a contrast to the traditional forms.

Thats what they're doing. No squad from the top tier nations is full of development players. They're all a mixture of the old, younger talent and 7s specialists.