team is out

outwest

Jerry Flannery returns to the starting hooker’s position after featuring as a second half replacement against Scotland for his fourth start of the championship, with Rory Best reverting to the bench for the game.
Jamie Heaslip, who made a try scoring appearance when coming on for Denis Leamy also returns to the starting team with Leamy also reverting to the replacements.
The final change is at scrum half with Tomas O’Leary coming into the side and Peter Stringer swapping places with O’Leary as back up scrum half for the game.
IRELAND TEAM & REPLACEMENTS (v Wales, 2009 RBS 6 Nations Championship, Mileenium Stadium, Saturday, March 21, kick-off 5.30pm):

15 - Robert Kearney (UCD - Leinster)

14 - Tommy Bowe (Ospreys)

13 - Brian O'Driscoll (UCD - Leinster) Captain

12 - Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne - Leinster)

11 - Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College - Leinster)

10 - Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution - Munster)

9 - Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin - Munster)

1 - Marcus Horan (Shannon - Munster)

2 - Jerry Flannery (Shannon - Munster)

3 - John Hayes (Bruff- Munster)

4 - Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution - Munster)

5 - Paul O'Connell (Young Munster - Munster)

6 - Stephen Ferris (Dungannon - Ulster)

7 - David Wallace (Garryowen - Munster)

8 - Jamie Heaslip (Naas - Leinster)
Replacements:
16 - Rory Best (Banbridge - Ulster)
17 - Tom Court (Malone - Ulster)
18 - Mick O’Driscoll (Cork Constitution - Munster)
19 - Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution - Munster)
20 - Peter Stringer (Shannon - Munster)
21 - Paddy Wallace (Ballymena - Ulster)
22 - Geordan Murphy (Leicester)








cant say im surprised by that team. leamy is back on bench which is great. it ours to be won

Kinetic^

Would prefer stringer to be in there but ah well.

athtrasna

Stringer out - WTF? Man of the match on sat and now reduced to the bench?

GiftofGab

athtrasna wrote: »

Stringer out - WTF? Man of the match on sat and now reduced to the bench?

I agree with the change kidney made. Stringer is a different type of player, fantastic for the fast ball but O'leary is a more physical player. Wales are going to play a high risk game while spreading the ball out to the backs. We need to bring it to a more physical level and kick for some good field positions. I think o'leary is also better for spotting gaps in the defence and placing some good kicks in there. No doubt stringer will make an appearance. Stringer is a brillant player but o'leary is more suited for this game.

ALH-06

GiftofGab wrote: »

I agree with the change kidney made. Stringer is a different type of player, fantastic for the fast ball but O'leary is a more physical player. Wales are going to play a high risk game while spreading the ball out to the backs. We need to bring it to a more physical level and kick for some good field positions. I think o'leary is also better for spotting gaps in the defence and placing some good kicks in there. No doubt stringer will make an appearance. Stringer is a brillant player but o'leary is more suited for this game.

I'd have to agree with you.

Wales will be expected to make more line breaks than the Scottish - therefore we'll need the physicality of TOL in the scrambling defence. He also covers the pitch fantastically well - really quick and reads the game excellently.

stephen_n

Where did this teamsheet come from is it official??? seems very early in the week for kidney to name his team!

GiftofGab wrote: »

I agree with the change kidney made. Stringer is a different type of player, fantastic for the fast ball but O'leary is a more physical player. Wales are going to play a high risk game while spreading the ball out to the backs. We need to bring it to a more physical level and kick for some good field positions. I think o'leary is also better for spotting gaps in the defence and placing some good kicks in there. No doubt stringer will make an appearance. Stringer is a brillant player but o'leary is more suited for this game.

Strangely enough I thought stringers box kicking was far more effective on Saturday that TOL's has been through out the championship seems to be an aspect Stringer has really worked on. Definitely a more physical approach but would indicate we are going to play tight rugby and not try utilise our back line much!

Aidric

With the O Leary selection does this mean Kidney is trying to play a containing game rather than an attacking one. If so I'm disappointed.

stephen_n

Aidric wrote: »

With the O Leary selection does this mean Kidney is trying to play a containing game rather than an attacking one. If so I'm disappointed.

YES

Serenity Now!

Aidric wrote: »

With the O Leary selection does this mean Kidney is trying to play a containing game rather than an attacking one. If so I'm disappointed.

If they win, you wont be

funky penguin

Serenity Now! wrote: »

When they win, you wont be

Sorry....had to fix that..

ALH-06

Aidric wrote: »

With the O Leary selection does this mean Kidney is trying to play a containing game rather than an attacking one. If so I'm disappointed.

No it doesn't. TOL isn't as quick a passer as Stringer, but he threatens more around the fringes and therefore keeps the opposite back row guessing. This takes pressure off ROG and the Irish midfield, gives them more space. Stringer hardly ever snipes around the fringes (last week and that famous HC final try are the only examples I can think of!), and when he does, there's always a danger that he could be easily turned over when tackled.

TOL offers more in attack in this sense - quicker and stronger player. And also much more sound defensively, especially with the strike runners Wales will field against us.

Stringer had a good match last week and is a great impact sub, but TOL is still the better option imo.

flyingoutside

It's a ****ing disgrace that strings isn't playing ahead of O leary.

O'Leary is too slow passing from the ruck and his box kicks have nearly cost us too many times. he also takes ages to decide what to do. I understand he is better in defence but i think the lack of passing ability out weighs the defence. He passes too slow and Rog doesn't have time to set the backs free and if he kicks like he has been doing lee byrne and others will be running all over us all day.

Serenity Now!

Aidric wrote: »

With the O Leary selection does this mean Kidney is trying to play a containing game rather than an attacking one. If so I'm disappointed.

Declan Kidney is not the only selector.

Chucky the tree

TOL box kicking has be awful this championship, if he gives the welsh back three the same quality of ball he gave the French it will be a ask to win.

NickNolte

If TOL decides to box kick as blindly as usual, Wales will destroy us on the counter attack. He best be smart this Saturday or he could make himself the pariah of Irish rugby.

Darlie

There are no surprises in this team. And that means no surprises to the Welsh defence coaches either. While scrum half was probably the tightest call, can completely understand why O'Leary will start. Both SH's offer a particular type of game. Both types of game have the potential to win the game for us. However, if after 55 or 60 mins a change is needed to turn the game in our favour, O'Leary can't deliver the same kind of wham bam influence as Stringer does.

thomond2006

Hey mods, this should be merged with Ireland vs Wales thread.

Stealdo

Darlie wrote: »

There are no surprises in this team. And that means no surprises to the Welsh defence coaches either. While scrum half was probably the tightest call, can completely understand why O'Leary will start. Both SH's offer a particular type of game. Both types of game have the potential to win the game for us. However, if after 55 or 60 mins a change is needed to turn the game in our favour, O'Leary can't deliver the same kind of wham bam influence as Stringer does.

Agree with this, Kidney is picking a 22 not 15 - that's something Irish supporters have to get used to when it comes to analysing the teams he picks.

A little more controversially I'd say that Stringer's selection as MOTM the last day was more sentimental than anything. I wasn't watching the BBC but I'd imagine it was Philip Matthews gave it to him, he has a tendancy to do that. Stringer was good the last day but I if (and I'm second guessing Kidney here) TOL was the man in possession of the shirt and Stringer was getting a shot in a horses for courses selection, then I wouldn't have thought he did enough to force his inclusion from the start in a game that we may need him to come on and increase the Tempo. TOL wouldn't be able to do this.

The other decisions, Darcy was always close to Wallace and likely to eventually take over, but I'd be slightly worried as the midfield looked a little ponderous again the last day, flashes of late '07 early '08. I liked the change ups we had in the first couple of games, where Wallace would be on for 10 minutes, then off to get stitches for 10 minutes, then back on, kept the opposition guessing, maybe we could keep that up.
Best was always going to struggle to oust Flannery. Another one that you pick a 22 for, not 15. Best didn't really put a foot wrong, but both have been in top form and are now genuine lions contenders.
I think Leamy's was always a 1 game selection and don't think there was much he could do to push Heaslip, glad he's recovered from the injury as he's a great physical impact player. I'm slightly worried about the cover for 7 though. While Ferris has been our player of the tournament in my view (BOD aside) I don't rate him as a 7.

Moncti48

Stealdo wrote: »

Agree with this, Kidney is picking a 22 not 15 - that's something Irish supporters have to get used to when it comes to analysing the teams he picks.

A little more controversially I'd say that Stringer's selection as MOTM the last day was more sentimental than anything. I wasn't watching the BBC but I'd imagine it was Philip Matthews gave it to him, he has a tendancy to do that. Stringer was good the last day but I if (and I'm second guessing Kidney here) TOL was the man in possession of the shirt and Stringer was getting a shot in a horses for courses selection, then I wouldn't have thought he did enough to force his inclusion from the start in a game that we may need him to come on and increase the Tempo. TOL wouldn't be able to do this.

The other decisions, Darcy was always close to Wallace and likely to eventually take over, but I'd be slightly worried as the midfield looked a little ponderous again the last day, flashes of late '07 early '08. I liked the change ups we had in the first couple of games, where Wallace would be on for 10 minutes, then off to get stitches for 10 minutes, then back on, kept the opposition guessing, maybe we could keep that up.
Best was always going to struggle to oust Flannery. Another one that you pick a 22 for, not 15. Best didn't really put a foot wrong, but both have been in top form and are now genuine lions contenders.
I think Leamy's was always a 1 game selection and don't think there was much he could do to push Heaslip, glad he's recovered from the injury as he's a great physical impact player. I'm slightly worried about the cover for 7 though. While Ferris has been our player of the tournament in my view (BOD aside) I don't rate him as a 7.

I would have to agree with you on this, however I wouldnt be worried at if anything was to happen to wallace at openside, Leamy covers 7 aswel as 6 and 8. ( i no everybody is going to start saying hes not a 7, but he has played there on a number of occasions and he played wel for munster on the last outing)
Ferris i wouldnt imgine would play at 7, if they wanted they could always but Heaslip at 7 and Leamy at 8 if it came to that but somehow i dont think it will.

Stealdo

Moncti48 wrote: »

I would have to agree with you on this, however I wouldnt be worried at if anything was to happen to wallace at openside, Leamy covers 7 aswel as 6 and 8. ( i no everybody is going to start saying hes not a 7, but he has played there on a number of occasions and he played wel for munster on the last outing)
Ferris i wouldnt imgine would play at 7, if they wanted they could always but Heaslip at 7 and Leamy at 8 if it came to that but somehow i dont think it will.

You might be right - Ferris played a lot at 7 for Ulster in the past, but it was never his natural position. Leamy might be the first choice to cover there, I'd still not be too overjoyed with a back row of Leamy, Ferris and Heaslip regardless of what way they lined up. Just goes to show how important balance is in the backrow. (Having said all that I suppose Wallace isn't really an openside either)

Moncti48

Stealdo wrote: »

You might be right - Ferris played a lot at 7 for Ulster in the past, but it was never his natural position. Leamy might be the first choice to cover there, I'd still not be too overjoyed with a back row of Leamy, Ferris and Heaslip regardless of what way they lined up. Just goes to show how important balance is in the backrow. (Having said all that I suppose Wallace isn't really an openside either)

Ha ha i wouldnt like to be playing against them no matter what way they lined out......**** theyd kill somebody!!!! Understand your point, at the minute Ireland have Pollock/O'Brien/Jennings and Ronan all up to take the openside berth when wallace finishes up. But at the minute we couldnt really afford to drop Leamy just to have an out and out openside replacement! Of topic my pic would be Pollock!;)

buck65

oh relax
O Leary was rested last week, as was Flannery and Heaslip
this team was always going to start.

PowerHouseDan

We need someone who can handle the strenght of Philips and O Leary will do that better than Stringer, no Doubt Stringer deserves his place but i would Guess who knew himself he wouldnt be starting for the Philips purpose alone.

Dunnie1982

flyingoutside wrote: »

It's a ****ing disgrace that strings isn't playing ahead of O leary.

O'Leary is too slow passing from the ruck and his box kicks have nearly cost us too many times. he also takes ages to decide what to do. I understand he is better in defence but i think the lack of passing ability out weighs the defence. He passes too slow and Rog doesn't have time to set the backs free and if he kicks like he has been doing lee byrne and others will be running all over us all day.

This is the most intelligent thing I've read on this board. O' Leary (in my opinion) is highly overrated, Stringer should be first choice & Redden second choice. Irelands best spells of play in this championship have all happened when Stringer was on the field. I fear what the Welsh backs will do when O' Leary blindly kicks over the top on Saturday.